The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-01-23

| NOW, men, ug up piaiorui horo ior sho
the slope and very strong"
The men sprang to the work quickly. 1t
was case of life and death, a rescue from
the rising flood In the mine. The moment
the trolley was unloaded, Greenwood pulled
the signal rope and went up the slope, leav.
the men to make the platform. At the pits
mouth the people stood ten deep, p,eager and
anxious to hear news from the imprisoned
men below Breewood called for volun-
teers, and at once selected six bosses and
bade them make up gangs of men to work
in relays of four hours each. While the
bosses were selecting the men. Breewood
went 10 the engine house and called the
blacksmith and master mechanic.
"We must have drill 800 feet long," he
SAID, and then, with pencil on board, he
sketched out full working plans of an orig
inai piece of engineering construction. He
also made rough plans for two wooden air
locks of novel construction. All this work
took more than an hour, and in the mean
time the news Of the disaster had spread
over the country.
A messenger had been sent to Emberton
City for telegraph operator, and in short
time young girl was announced as the only
operator within reach. Though only a
child, she bravely consented to 90 down the
pit.
A reporter of the New York Herald also
appeared and began voluble questions con.
cerning the disaster and possible resue.
Breewood shut him up with decisive vigor.
| "Lives depend on our work. We can
not be disturbed. You shall have every
chance to see, but you must not talk to
the men,"
The reporter retired within himself and
considered the matter
| ga GREAT DISASTER.
| THREE MEN BURIED ALIVE.
SCIENCE TO THE RESCUE.
| SPLENDID TECHNICAL ABILITY AIDING
HUMANITY"
That was the way he put it in displayed
capitals" in his own mind.
I" I'm not scientific man, but can OBJ
serve and can dig"
With that he rushed off and telegraphed
for aida scientific writer-and twenty
minutes after a b0oky fellow from the
home Office was crossing the Jersey Central
Ferry bound for Embarton City.
Twenty-Five minutes later dozen men
were laying a wire on impromptu poles up
the mountain to the pits mouth. Thirty
minutes later one of the men ON Jimmy
Browns gang had sold out his place, his
pick and his suit to the reporter for seven
| ty-tive dollars.
The trolley rolled up to the edge of the
slope, and this time 1t held Breewood, jim
my Brown and his gang and young gill
the telegraph operator. 1t went down
amid q rousipg cheer from thousand
throats and was lost in the darkness of the
| pit.
The trolley stopped at the platform and
they all got out. The platform was fin
ished and even boarded over.
Now, my girl, you must help US. I'll
knock on the wall and you must listen and
see what you can make out"
The girl was trembling and trife
| frightened at the semi-darkness, the awful
| silence and the strange glare falling on the
/ black faces about her. Breewood took her
hand in his and offered her seat on plank,
| and then with the other he struck three
blows on the wall. The men stood around
| in solemn silence and wondered what the
new boss meant
Again the knockings, so faint and far
away that it was almost Impossible To dis
tinguish any sound at all The girl leaned
against Breewood and trembled with ali
| undefnaole fear. Her lips were parted and
she stared with wide eyes at the lamp on
Rreewood's cap. Suddenly she sighed.
"Oh IL hear them. They s.y-they
they are calling Help Help! At
tenJion Attention Help
Then she suddenly dropped her head and
tainted away.
This will never do" said Brentwood.
| "Any man got any liquor ?''
~ have" said one of the men, pulling
out a brandy flask. Breewood looked at
the man sharply and some of the others
laughed, but no comment was made, though
the reporter had most foolishly shown him
self. Breewood took the flask and forced
the girl to swallow some of the liquor, and
the carpenters offered some water in tin
mug. By little effort they revived her.
"You must not be frightened, my child.
You're perfectly safe."
"Yes, sir. But the men in there. 1t is
horrible ~
$50 it is, and everything depends on you.
You can help Us save them, See +! we can
tap on the wall aud talk to them"
Breewood made a motion as if striking
the wall OF coal with the stone-hammer.
"Give me the hammer and Pll speak to
them"
The men instinctively broke into cheer,
and the girl smiled, blushed and bravely
stood up and began pounding on the wall.
Then she paused and listed and instantly
came the faint, murmurous knockings.
The girl did not speak, and in moment !
she began to strike the coal again in curl |
GUS strokes, long and short. Then the |
far-away sounds began again and contin- |
ued for some time, while the girl stood |
with her ear to the wall, listening atten-
tivelo.
"They say they are caught at the top
of the third slope. There are three of them.
The water has shut them in and"
The knockings began again, and in
moment the girl said:
"They want the inclination."
They want the pitch Of the slope, the
new drift, SO as to work toward u.s." said
Jimmy Brown, the gang boss. "It will
be fall of nearly one in ten, | reckon"
Breewood bade the girl send word that
they would cut them out as soon as possible,
and would descend about 10 feet in 100.
The exact pitch would be given as soou as
possible.
"Now, men, to work. Drive headin
about three feet wide and five high"
"That's too big" said JiaSmy Brown.
Well be q week getting through"
"No. because the spoil must be passed
up from hand to hand"
faye, ye be right Come, lads To
the rescure ~
Two Of the men raised their picks to
strike, AMI the instant 2ft0r the coal WAS |
spattering about on the platform floor.
Ono of tho carpenters raised plank to ,
make hole to throw the spoil down the
stope, for there would be no time to raise
it by the trolley, and the Others, with Bree-
wood and the girl, got on board the trolley I
and were quickly drawn MP to daylight.
As Brecwood stepped off the trolley he
was met by the superintendent,f furious and
insolent. What right had the clerk to or.
der men and materials about in this extra .
ordinary manner. III
" Ths accident threw everything into
confusion. and / took charge of the people
and made preparation to rescue the men .
below. will show you my plans and sur I
render the work to you" n
The man doubted il any men were alive !
md preferred to carry ont his own plans.
"There are three men caught at the
read Of the third slope. We heard from 3
hem and sent word TO them." d
The superintendent laughed. Hear from !.
mem through fifteen hundred feet OF coal
impossible
Breewood made neither resistance nor Y
to his superintendent's pow
II. and merely explained his plans for the
escu0.
ssvu. ..l ..-~aa:r !. .~~..- - -.