Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-03-01
Gales ano Skettbss.
CANCELLIyG An OBLIGATION.
CONTINUED from yesterday. }

DloW up again III u minute OF tNo -
Five thousand pounds to whoeverwil
60 DOWN. she said frantically. 20 men
IL YOU be men, go down and see II any
liver'
The men drew back, but one or two
spoke together, and were coming forwar,
when the women rushed upon them.
mo, Jamie-no, Willie, you don't go
Our two boys are down now YOU shan
go, will not let you; what is none.
now P'' and clinging to the men the.
dragged them away
Laura Hernshawe sank back upon the
balk, despiring now, for she felt she coult
not press the point During their colloquy
MIR. Hallowes had been earnestly question:
ing the boy. and he now whispered to the
foreman. The latter gave start OF sur
prise and made a gesture of refusal. Then
Mr. Hallowes spoke aloud " | shall have
my way / am Gods minister have no
one in the world to lament me. 1t is my
duty to try, at least. Get the rope ready
at once, and lend me thick cap to pro-
tect my head, and a flannel jacket
Laura Hernshawe had started up and
exclaimed. "No, no then she had been
silent. Without word she stood motion
less while the clergyman put the miner S
clothes over his own amid dead silence
from all around.
Mr.. Hallowes was very pale, but per-
fectly calm. When he was ready, and the
men were busy pulling up the rope which
they had lowered after the explosion, for
the proper gear was blown away, Laura
went to him and said:
Il must speak to you before you 60
MIR. Hallowes - and she led the way in
to small wooden pay-ofiice close to the
shafts mouth. The clergyman followed
her, and closed the door. She took both
his hands, and stood for moment still
and silent
Then she said, "May God in Heaven
bless and protect YOU! You need no
earthly strength; but if it can cheer you
in this fearful danger, think that /, who
wait here to pray for you, have two lives
l love at stake; that if you come not back,
l shall be for life widow rs well AS orphan.
God bless you my own dear love. Now
kiss me, and co.
He drew her to him, kissed her once,
and then opening the door of the shed said
to the women outside
''Look to Miss Hernshawe, she has faint
ed. Now, men let me down as quickly as
you can, know what | have to do
Mr.. Hallowses was outwardly rs quiet
and calm as when he entered the hut but
the men noticed that he had a bright,
steady light in his eye that while before
he might have looked like a martyr walk
ing firmly to the stake, now he might have
been soldier leading a forlorn hope.
As he was lowered down into utter dark
ness the Clergyman might be truly said to
have felt no fear. Already the smoke was
almost sitting. and would have been quite
so had he not kept wet cloth. with which
he had provided himself before starting,
pressed across his mouth and nostrils. In
his other hand he had a safety lamp; but
the sharp fiaring explosions within the
wirework, as well as his own difficulty of
breathing, told him of the nfammable
nature OF the atmosphere around him.
Now he was at the bottom. and his great
fear was that he might find the entrance
to the workings closed by the falling de-
bris. To his great joy he found it COM
paratively clear, and he then extinguished
the lamp--the danger from which was
enormous-his instructions being so clear
that he needed it no longer. So sitting
did he feel the air that he lay down and
crawled along upon his breast--it was but
few PAGES: then he felt door He gave
low, muffled cry, which was answered
by dull knocking within.
Thank God !. Mr.. sHernshawe was alive
sheltered in the small room from the vio-
lence of the first blast Feeling upon the
ground he found that some pieces of the
roof had fallen and blocked the door. As
he removed the last piece, and felt the
door push open from within, life seemed
to leave him and he became unconscious.
Terrible was the suspense upon the snr-
face after the clergyman had disappeared.
Very rapidly the men let the rope Slip
through their fingers. No one spoke. In
spite of the danger, one of the men leaned
over the shaft, and his raised hand and at
tentive eye showed that the light still
burned. More slowly now the rope was
run out, for they knew he was near the
bottom, which might be so filled with rub
bish that even q foothold might be impos-
sible. The light had disappeared, now
lost in the thick yapor, but still the rope
ran out. Presently it stopped. Now was
the question, was he insensible already
The men stood by the rope ready to run it
over the sheaf as quickly as possible, and
all stood breathless. In moment there
was faint but decided jerk of the rope.
THANK God - broke from all standing
round and the rope was Stacked to allow
the adventurer to proceed into the work
ings. At this moment fresh spectator
was added to those round the shaft. Laura
Hernshawe had recovered from her faint
ing and had refused to listen to the PRAYERS
of the women to stop where she was until
the result was known.
All was hushed around now; the wo-
men had ceased their wailing cries, and
for a moment forgot their own grief in the
interest of the scene Their sympathy fol-
her overpowered for a time the thought OF
their own woe.
One minute, two, three passed; and
then the men began to murinur among
themselves that the clergyman must long
ere this be insensible, and that they ought
to bring him up before the dreaded explo-
sion came. Another minute passed. and
then the foreman spoke.
''It's no use, miss he must be insensi.
BILE now; the choke-damp must have done
it,
A sharp spasm of anguish passed owe,
her face, then her lips moved. "One min
ute more p 1t seemed an age. 1t passed
and then the overseer, reluctantly, for the