The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-09-02

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for the place, where all knew the danger
was greatest. The brothers worked
side by side.
" It's the maneing of the quare feelin',
Teddy" cried Patsy, as they both piled
save us!
The joining of the temporary roof of
the tunnel with the wall of the shaft
was necessarily imperfect. 1t was in
tended to make all secure with a three
foot wall of brick and cement, but it
was impossible to set the foundation of
the brickwork until after the circle of
the tunnel should be completed, so that
this imperfect jointure was continually
watched. With reasonable diligence it
was easily to keep it closed, and the
material to close was plenty and at
hand. The chinks were stopped with
the silt, of which The river bottom is
largely compo' 1d-a clayey mud, of the
consistency of ul.y-and a man should
have been at this part watching the
chink.
No pen can describe the terrible
struggle which followed. 1t lasted
scarcely two minutes. The men were
nerved by full knowledge of the great
danger of their position. Not man
but knew that he carried his life in his
| WuCEGVSE ue Wehb W WOIhg anu
not man failed to know that the
supreme moment had come All
worked well. The brothers did the
work of ten men.
1t was too late!
The leak that one man could have
stopped if he had been there at the right
moment was now wide enough for the
foul current of corruption and death to
flow in from the river bottom, and
the only safety lay in flight. Be-
tween the spot where they were and the
open air there were two locked doors,
only one of which could be opened at
once. The little rift above their heads
became chasm. The compressed air
escaped until there was no longer pres
sure enough from within to maintain
the portion of unfinished work. The
electric light by which they worked
was extinguished, and darkness added
its terrors to their great misery.
In the confusion the brothers, who
| had instinctively clasped hands when
the water and mud poured in upon them
were separated. Patsy reached out his
hand and it was clutched by some one
in the darkness.
"To the caisson!" shouted the superin-
| tendent, and the men rushed pell NELL
toward this only avenue of escape. He
was standing by the inner door of the
air lock, and threw it open for the men
to pass through.
"Quick, boys!" he cried. "Get into
the lockm And instead of passing in
among the first he stood by tue door
helping one after another in.
Six men passed, among them Patsy
Horley. He looked around and called
/ loudly for Teddy. There was no re-
| sponse. The seventh man was passing
through. He pushed by him into the
| tunnel.
Teddy byer" he cried.
"Herew shouted o voice at his side.
"Get through quick!" he said, and
pushed his brother through.
He would have followed him, but an
other of the, men stepped in front of
| him, and he helped him into the lock-
| the awful weight of the mud and water
tell against the door, pinning him so
fast that nothing could have freed him
in time.
| The door was fast. One man was
fastened in the doorway between the
other nineteen and their last chance Of
life. The eight in the lock were thus
almost lost, for there was no longer a
chance to close the inner door, and the
flood was closing on them. Swiftly the
water rushed into the lock; it rose knCe
deep where they stood, and the air was
compressed by all the pressure of the
air above them in the little chamber,
tie door of which was securely fastened
against them. They could not open this
door, nor could they break it from the
inside. But in the lock were two dead
lights of massive glass, eight inches in
diameter, and these the men knew were
to be broken rs a last resort.
"My God! the water is gaining on
u.s." said one; what shau we doP"
"Kape cool, men, kape COOL" an
swered q voice from the river side OF
the tunnel. Tt dGy rushed to the bulls
eye and looked through. There stood
Patsy and the superintendent side by
side, their faces white as death.
Keep COOL" cried the superintendent
through the crack of the door; moth
ing can be gained by excitement"
But shure, sor, the wather is gainin
on US, and we can't open the door into
the shaft"
The water is covering me up"
moaned the poor fellow who was
crushed by the door. Cant you get
me out of this?"
Teddy caught him by the neck, and
SeVeral OCnerS sprdng 10 III assistance
They pulled and tugged, but it was no
use. Every moment was agony to the
poor man, and he would beg piteousl ly
to be let alone. The water got higher
and higher.
They'll have to sthop the crack
sor," said Patsy, and the superintendent
his white lips moving in prayer, nodded
his head.
Take off your clothes, men, and stoI
the crack OF the door," he added.
Some one said that that would cut of
what little communication there wa
between them.
"Niver moind US, min," said brav
Patsy; sits your only chance"
But then" began Teddy, who wa
in tears.
"Do as you are ordered" cried tn
sup erintendent, sharply.
The men sprang forward, and Pats.
reached his great freckled hand througl
the crack.
Goodbye. Teddy" he said choking
ly. Tell the mother l died loike
brave man. An-Alice-"
He could say no more, and in a mo
ment the men had patched the crack c
the door with their clothes, and tn
. rapid increase of the water was checked
Can you prayP" whispered the 81
perintendent, as his hand tightened o
Patsys.
, "Blessed Mary, save u," sobbed th
: Irishman.
Teddy ran to the bull's-eye and locke
MI onN m dlr