Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-06-13

I
echoed his footsteps.
The coal glistened in the light of his
lamp that cast weird shadows Of himself
on the pillars and props, and in thinking
of the face and form that were beautiful
to him, he forgot the warning words Of
Job, and plunged boldly up the incline
leading to the vein of coal above.
In the Greenwood mines, as in many
of the large mines in that vicinity, a small
locomotive was used to draw the loaded
cars from the workings to the 'foot" of
the shaft, a distance of nearly three
miles. 1t was an odd-looking machine,
with no sign of a smoke-stack or sand
box, these parts of the engine being on a
level with the top OF the boiler; but it
did the work of many mules, and drew a
long train of mine-cars over the under
ground railroad at fair rate of speed. It
made a great deal of gas and sulphur
fumes, and the heat from the fire
crumbled and loosened the top rock; but
being necessity, it was used by the COM
pany in spite of its disadvantages. 1t
was very closely and compactly built
The passages it traversed were generally
Stunned by the miners, who dreaded the
bad roof over their heads.
The Greenwood locomotive was larger
than such engines usually are, having a
long tunnel to go through and up, which
led from one vein of coal to another. The
two veins were separated, vertically, by
twenty-five feet of rock, the ''top lift as
it was called, being connected with the
shaft on1 +bo tI1,oF+o,,, l;f+u Nth Al a f,,,,
mel, which, with its connecting passages,
was over mile long.
The tunnel had been cut through rock
and coal and was necessary, owing to the
peculiar ''lay'' of the formation. The
miners always Stunned it, fearing to be
caught by the engine or cars; and as it
was barely high and wide enough for the
locomotive to pass through, there was no
room on either side to get out of the way.
Dennis, however, used it frequently, in
spite of Jobs warnings and contrary to
the orders of the company, as it was a
short cut from the chamber where he
worked to the foot of the shaft.
On entering the tunnel he had blown
out his light. Whistling softly to him
self, he walked as fast as he could through
the dark to get where the air was purer
The gases were suffocating and the black
ness of the place blinded him, but he
cared not for these trifes so long as he
could see his sweetheart an hour sooner
than if he had gone around the longer
and safer way. There were no turns for
him to make; the tunnel was straight
and he had become so accustomed to feel
ing his way over the ties and pieces of
coal that had fallen from the cars that he
seldom stumbled.
To one unaccustomed to the mines the
intense darkness would have been appall-
ing. Dennis, however, had been used to
it since he was a small boy, and his
heavy, hob-nailed boots kept unrhythmi-
cal time to the tune he was whistling
He was not a good whistler, nor was the
tune an attractive one, but so absorbed
was he in thinking of her from whose lips
he had first heard it, that he did not hear
faint roar and rumble behind him.
Nearer and palmer it sounded, rising and
falling on the heavy atmosphere, but the
dull thud of his boots drowned the hum
of the train as it entered the gang
way at full speed, nearly mile below
him.
Unconscious of his danger he plodded
along, not knowing that the engine was
running so late in the day. He had over
half mile to go yet before the main
gangway could be reached. and as the
fans outside had stopped running, the Slr
in the tunnel was growing more foul
every minute. 1t was difficult for him
to breathe, and it was so warm that the
perspiration ran down his face in small
streams.
He was walking as fast as he could
with comfort and safety, but the engine
minded neither the heat nor the dark
ness, and the sounds of its quick ex-
hausts became more distinct as it
came steadily up the track with its
load.
Suddenly its sharp, shrill whistle rang
out on the heavy air, and brought Dennis
to a standstill. His beart gave a quick
throb as he realized his danger, and for q
moment he hesisated, not knowing what
to do. To run seemed useless. The
rocks were pitiless. and would not lei
hi1 stand on one side of the track to LEI
the engine pass. Yet, already it wa
struggling on the upgrade toward Where
he stood
1t would soon reach him. Conscious
of the terrible fate that would then b,
his, he threw away his cane, turned anc
ran!
How slow were his steps compared will
h. ,ox,o1,,4innn nf i,o 1,hoo1nI 4,
looked back, as his feet slipped an(
stumbled on the rough floor of the tun
mel, and the third time the red hot spark
beating against the roof, not a half-mil
below him, showed how remorselessl,
. the engine was lessening at every swift
revolution of its wheels the distance be
tween them.
He threw away his patched and soileC
r coat to cool his reeking body. Des
perately he struggled to increase hi
speed; despairingly he saw that it woulc
soon be too late
The choking fumes of sulphur iron
the fre-box almost strangled him. TIL
} strong exhausts grew louder; every sec
, ond the fierce sparks were nearer, am
3 the roar and rattle of the train, confne
) to the narrow walls, almost deafene'
? him. He was accustomed to all tn
dangers of the mines, but to be crushe
7 beneath the iron wheels when his wed
Y ding day was so near! He gave hoars
} cry at the thought, and the warning
, words of Job sounded again in his ears
: ooh, sweetheart" All the agony c
: his mind came to his lips in those words
t as he looked back and saw the faint ou
: line of the engine short distance belo'
!, him, surrounded by halo of fire. HI
+ breath came in quick sobs; his legs r,
o fused to move; fascination held him mt