The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-10-07
4 Brave Fireman,

streets during the early hours of last evening
was the scene Of an exciting struggle between
life and death, and the heroic members of
Engine Company No. IL can with pride point
to their work last night, whereby father and
son were rescued from horrible death by
suffocatiOn. The feeling in the large crowd
which had gathered was intense while the
struggle was uncertain, and when success
came the feeling burst forth into "three
cheers for the brave dremen."
At the foot of Dearborn street, between
South Water street and the river, is a shaft
about sixty feet deep, where the gas-main Is
carried under the river. 1t was the duty of
Alexander Cow, an old man employed by the
Gas Company, to descend this shaft every
second day and pump the water from the
main. Yesterday about four o'clock he
went down into the dark shaft as usual,
but did not wait long enough for the
accumulated gas to escape. While engaged
at work he was overcome by the gas
and fell half suffocated on the bottom.
1t was fully 1880 before his absence was
noticed, and then the alarm was sent to the
house Of No. IL near by. The iremen turned
out with long ropes and lanterns. The condi-
ton Of the shaft was easily seen by the lam
tern which went out when about thirty feet
down. Meanwhile a son of the old man, James
William Cow, young man of nineteen. had
arrived at the shaft. A rope was tied around
his body, and, with a foreman named Shay,
he was lowered into the shaft. When the two
were about twenty feet from the bottom q
piercing cry was heard, and on pulling up, 1t
was found that the boy had fallen from the
rope. and that Shay was overcome with the gas.
By this time large crowd had gathered, and
intense excitement prevailed.
A daughter and two more sons had arrived
md oor1v vvitk crvfo
the sufroeating groans of the father and son
could be heard from the shaft. No light could
live in the shaft, and the men were too weak
ened to grasp the ropes let down into the aw-
full darkness. It seemed as II they must per
tsh, with hundreds of willing hands above to
help them, but not knowing how. The shaft
on the other side of the river was opened, and
this created slight current of air. The LAM
terms went down little further, but the groans
were almost dying out. Another son attempt
ed to rescue his father and brother, but he,
too. was brought up sti1ed.
Finally some one had a good idea. A calcium
light was procured from the Olympic Theater
and its strong light was directed down the
shaft. Then the crowd could see the father
lying on his face, and his son with his face
turned upward-both apparently dead. Max
ing another test with the lanterns developed
the fact that the shaft was being cleared OF the
deadly escaping gas. Then was the time for
volunteers. There was q short silence, and
then Lieutenant Thomas Pumphry, of Com
pany No. Ii, said: Urn co." A rope was
fastened about him, and, putting q silk hand
kerchief in his mouth, he rapidly descended
the ladder leading down the shaft. His mo-
lions were watched eagerly. He fastened the
rope about the boy. The crowd pulled eager
~, and the unconscious boy was brought to
thn Tknvn hovs<~ D,,vr nNkv
made another trip and similarly brought up
the father. The son was easily brought to,
and was found to have sustained but few in
juries, comparatively. The case of the father
was more difficult. He had been four hours in
the shaft and was absolutely filled with gas.
For long time it was struggle between life
and death. The flremen chafed his hands,
slapped his bare feet, and partially restored
him with cold water. DR.. Arndt finally ar
rived, and succeeded in reviving him sulli-
oientiy to allow of the removal Of the two to
their home, No. LIZ Kinzie street.
Engine Company No. u has a hero.-Chtca0o
Tribune.
"OH, MANMAr' said little girl, rum
ming into the house, "while we girls
were skipping out on the pavement a
real nice man came up and gave us
some candy and told us to keep right
on as hard as ever we could. and he
said thatif any of us would skip seven
hundred and fifty times he would give
her parents q nice, pretty rosewood
box, all lined with white satin, with a
glass cover and silver handles and the
little girls name on silver plate. So
I'm going to try and get it for you,
mamma; and he said when any little
girl had skipped seven hundred and
fifty times for her papa to call round to
his Office and let him know. Good bye,
mamma" MERCY on me, child, come
back" The undertaken has gone to
the country!
In the chancel of st. Giles Church,
Cnpplegate, Eng, there is tablet in
memory of woman named Constance
Whitney, in which she is represented
a. rising from q coffin. The story il
that she was buried while in a trance
state. but owed her restoration to the
cupidity of the sexton. who disinterred
her tot get q valuable ring upon her finger.
THE Chinese agriculturalist does his
hair mn in a French twist hecansA ho