The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-08-24

Some of the men have already pushed
their work beyond him, and these are
between him and the nearest ladder.
Almost as soon as Gaskell, they per-
ceive the danger, and, dropping their
tools, they hurry toward the ladder,
hustling and beating each other in their
mad haste. These will save them
selves, Caskell thinks; but what Of the
others?
"Hurry, men! hurry!'' he calls sharp
ly, and swiftly the men, their faces
blanched with fear, fly past him.
And now the sand is sliding down
rapidly, and the cutting is shallower by
a foot or more in the half minute since
Gaskell gave the alarm, and still the
men are running past and are crowding
about the foot OF the ladder nearest, too
much crazed by terror to hasten to the
ladders beyond, where they might be
safe. From where he stands Gaskell
looks at the throng.
| " Pretty poor chance for me,o he
says to himself; and just then the sand
stops sliding, and for moment the rat
Ting of pebbles stops.
GA false alarm, may be- Gaskell
says, half aloud.
The men are nearly all up the ladder
by this time, and Gaskell himself is
moving toward it as the last laborer
comes near him. He is an old man,
too old for such work, Gaskell has often
said and he did not mean to have him
employed below the surface.
81 didn't know you were here, Jim,"
| no RI tho o1Ho,s Toh
should have kept you up there with
him. But you must be mighty quick
now to get out of this"
The other scarcely needs what Gas
kell is saying, but pushes on as fast as his
rheumatic legs will let him, and Gas
kell follows. When they have gone a
few feet further the sand once more be-
gins sliding and the pebbles fall more
rapidly. Frank gives groan as he
perceives this.
Hurry, Jim," he calls; you are
older than |, so you must go up the lad
der first.
AS they hasten onward over the yield
ing sand now covering the bottom of
the dark path an abandoned tool, which
the uncertain feet of the old man have
strangely missed, is stumbled upon by
Gaskell, who falls heavily.
Hurry, Jim," he calls once more, as
he rises, bruised, and with difficulty;
"you'l Il get there safe.''
1t is but few moments since the
alarm was given, but now the sand is
falling all about him, and as Frank adj
vances a few PAGES from where he fell,
part of the western wall comes down
upon him in one swift, terrible rush.
Round about him rises the soft yellow
sand. To his knees, to his waist, then
higher to his neck, and the rush is
stayed.
AS Jim painfully tolls up the ladder
and reaches the surface, dozen voices
call to him:
where's Mr.. Gaskellp"
"Down there" answers Jim, point
ing in bewildered way to the pit from
which he has escaped.
AT this the others hasten to the edge,
just as the western wall falls, but q few
feet to the north of them.
It's all up with poor Mr.. Gaskell, :"
say several voices.
"No, it isn't; | can see him." some
one says who is peering cautiously over
lest the treacherous earth should give
way at that point also, and then they
hear Franks clear voice:
Sim here, boys. Sorry to give you
another job, but guess you'll have to
dig me out of this; can't get out alone,
you know
"Indade, Muster Gaskell, we'll
wurruk to get yez out as long as we've
got arrums," exclaim the men, in great
relief at hearing his voice again.
But how to do this is not easy to tell.
The sand has stopped falling, but even
a footstep on the bank near may cause
it to fail. The eastern wall, however,
seems firm, and on that side the men
begin their work. 1t will be a long task.
To work northward toward Gaskell
from the bottom of the cutting will in
evitably bring down more earth upon
him, and the only available plain seems
to be to make transverse cutting from
the eastern side, and endeavor to reach
him in that way. The news of the dis
aster has spread VERY rapidly through
the city, and in a short time crowds are
hurrying toward Poplar street But
only the workmen are allowed near the
opening. All others, except couple OF
reporters, are stern!y kept back by the
police. The work goes on slowly,
though many willing hands are engaged.
The Herald reporter, a tall, well-made
fellow, goes to the edge of the opening
above GaSkell.
Courage, Frank" he says; tender
ly; ''they'll have you out of this
shortly"
''Oh, yes, the boys will do their best, y
Gaskell answers.
''How did you happen to be the only
one left down there's asks the other.
"Well, you know, Strawford, I had
to see that my men were all out. Il
wouldn't have done for me to scramble
out first"
This is said naturally enough, and as
if it had not occurred to the speaker
that he could have done otherwise than
to see that his men were safe before try
! ing to save himself.
! "You are noble fellow, Frank, .
Strawford says; and then to the com
panion reporter he adds: s'There aren't
, many fellows that would do as Gaskel
[ has done this morning"
. The hours move on slowly, but if they
seem long to those above in the free all
and sunshine what must they be tc
Gaskell down there in the half darkness
waiting for deliverance! Strawford
goes away after a time, but returns
, shortly with bottle of wine, and after
soaking a sponge with the wine lowers
it carefully to Gaskell.
"That will do you good if you car
possibly get hold of it, Frank" he
| says.
} This the other essays to do, and after
one or two Intellectual attempts succeeds
in getting portion of the sponge be-
} tween his teeth.
i Its good for 1ou, calls out Straw