Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-01-30

) pursured by surges of seethins
, fire. Sharp, blisteriug pain pierced
! his flesh at a hundred points. The
rest was all a horrible dream. i
was as if he had suddenly sunk in
to the earth, and had been swallow
ed up forever.
BY Z o'clock comparatively quiet
reigned over the scene of the dis
aster. Ruins lay everywhere. The
engines had quenched the flames
that bad caught the building, and
the men, blackened with smoke,
stood in silent groups about the
ruins of the furnace. 1t had fallen
to pieces, and nothing was left but
heaps Of scanning rubbish.
Poor Inventor" who had been
found with the tapping rod in his
hand, lying on his face in the sand,
frightfully burned, had been car
ried to his home.
Little was said, but the few
words spoken, uttered with no mild
emphasis the natural wrath of the
master and hands against the man
George, whose excuses for himself
only exaggerated his offense.
"See what he has done," said
they few days later, as they stood
in the half burned foundery.-
"Five thousand dollars gone to
waste in a minute. The best job
in twenty years spoiled. The rascal
to go hunting for his pipe, and
leave the suffering idiot to watch.
Is that all he can say for himselfl
Out upon such carelessness. Why,
the boy didn't even know enough
to bawl out when he saw the fur
mace tumbling to pieces"
The master, who had more at
stake than the men, of course felt
the loss more keenly than they.
He almost wept with mingled grief
and rage. Suddenly something
peculiar caught his eye among the
debris, and he cried in a startled |
voice:
"Hollo What's this! What's
this r.
He snatched up a fragment of
one of the troughs which had led
from the furnace to the mould
There were traces of the stream of
bronze still running in it. Then
the possible meaning of the iron
found in the boys hand flashed
upon him.
Bring me a shovel, quick" he
shouted.
A spade was put into his hands,
md he began nervously to heave
away the hot mass that lay piled
over the bell mould. 1t was a her
,ulean task, but he worked like u
giant, and three or four Of his men
.ook hold and helped him.
Brickbats, ore, Stag, and ashes
lew in every direction. Presently
he masters spade penetrated the
sand and touched something hard.
He stopped down. Then he leap
ID up like one frantic, and plying
bis spade with redoubled energy,
lore away the remaining sand, dis
closing what looked like a great
metallic ring.
"Men," he cried out, lifting his
lushed face, "the bell is cast"
"Who did this q" asked every ex-
,ited voice as soon as the cheering
lied away.
"Come with me, two or three OF
Iou," cried the master. 81 think
| know who did it. It's miracle"
They hurried away to the home
Of the half witted boy. The at.
.endant met them with her finger .
On her lips.
"The poor boy is in brain fever"
she said.
"Does he say anything in his de-
eriuml'
"Oh, yes; he raves all the time
about the big mould. Il hope it {
will, hope it will fill,' he says"
The men exchanged glances. 1t .
was indeed true. The idiot had
east the great bell of st. Johns.
Just then the physician came out.
Perhaps he will recover his rea-
son by this shock and Sickness" ,
he said. "Such thikgs have hap
pened."
"Do you think sol Pray heaven
he may" solemnly calculated the
master and his men, and they turn
ed away deeply moved.
Two months later the great bell
hung from hugh derrick in the
athe room of the factory. and bo-