San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-07-16

. get safely down 10 the middle platform, |
. can descend from there by a rope. Run down
to the office, some Of you, and bring all the
I ropes and candles you can md
They rushed of cheering; and turning 10
those who remained, ! explained my plan.
Several of them Michael Pcnmaur among
the number, agreed 10 descend with me to
the platform, and Ia lower me thence down
the bottom shalt In less time than it takes
To write these lines the messengers returned
with several coils of rope and candles; |
stuck several of the latter about my person,
and two or three in my wide-awake hat.
! Then was ready.
had set my foot on the first rung of the
ladder, and was about to descend, when
Madeline bent over me.
God bless you" she cried, "and bring you
! safe back!
| reached up, and taking her hand pressed
! it to my lips.
"lf he lives" said, I'll restore him to
| you and to his mother Don't cry, Miss
| Graham! There's a chance YETI
| thought her tears fell for him, and yet
strange to say, she had my sympathy; all my
wild jealousy seemed to have fallen from me
| like a discarded garment. What was my
| amaze therefore when, bending over me, she
| took my face between her two trembling
hands, and kissed me on the forehead!
''God will bring you backr' she sObbed
and turned awav.
Scarcely realizing the significance of what
had occurred, descended rapidly, followed
| by Michael and the volunteers. As | went
the roar from below increased, and the solid
rock on which the ladder was set seemed to
shake as with earthquake. In pitch dark
ness reached the first platform.
Here paused, and striking light lit the
candles on my pcrSom My companions did
the same. The urid light lit up their pale,
anxious faces, and shot faint rays down into
the mine
Now then. ladS!' cried, descending the
second stage Of ladders. Some Of these were
very Shaky and ! had ~ use great caution,
but knew the way bIindiold, and all my
Old experience Of the place stood me in good
stead.
At lest. with no harm done TO any one we
reached the central platform. Here the roar
was deafpninr and fine solid rock seemed
splItting with the souud
Ibept over tha ob,.ss and hold dovn tho
robt nsi,,r r,,. bon,i ~, = roaootor Smro
a,7o,,,,,, saI.rcI 80 g., II,r,., h,J hr,,,,a,,
o,,,,. I,o,.i,,,r anil, ,I,,, ,,,.o,iit,,,s .Inr,
sto,,, ~, IN. yidos ~ q ,,,oIi stroi,,oI ,,,,'
CO. in,o tI,o ,I,rI.ras, and roroinJ dis-
carnnd far hnno,th sn,nathing like the
,,Io,,n at ,IosI,ir,, ,,..,,,,.r ,TLor I sLoutod
hut M, shout ,,.a, ,Ir,,,,,,I In tho euhtorro-
nom tuu,ult
I'm tho cortr.I ,,Iotf,rr, rvos , ,vipdI.ss
,.i,I, , ,nrti.,, ~ IN ,,Id dis,,sod orone
pnnrJ tI,is ,,,.soJ nro of the rones in
str,,rtir,, thn ,n,,, T., boiJ oun and and grad
uaIIy ,,ivn ,v,,. ar draw. il, ne sbouId direct
Thnn I tnok tho othnr end and fastened II
soo,,roI,. ,,,,,Ior ms. .,r,,-,,its
III he nav uSa Monster IJuphr, cried
NicbooI ,D,v,r,t ,on 60, II hc garing m
yoTr d.otb ="
I'm, Gn,Ii,,c, thot ,,.os NOT 70 bo ror,rodod
tho hro,,, foIIc,, ,,,r,,,,, M. hand and rron,'
isod IN do hi, host IN lain mo. NOR yoro tho
otLers loss EinIl, and .,,mnathntic Az thev
In,,,o,o,I ,,a ,,,ar Cha rIatform, no,+ioIiy
sumrortnJ m,.eIf og,irst the sIimv rocks.
L,t tho ro>,t nomont / ,,,oe eusnonJed In DIR
SInv,Iy corofmIIy thoy Inwnrnd mo down
tho candle. ON my. nnrsnu aickrrinp and
tIaming and Ii~hting nm tba damn and oozv
wallis Ar last snrnr t,yrntv yards down NV
foot rastrd nn a I,dInr descending which /
reached fine Inwnst nIotrorm or ALI
Innl,inr nm SOW for above mo nc in n
narrow frame thp faces of thr men. / shout
ed IN them bnt thnv couId not hear: but [
yyovnd a SIGNAL IN thnm and thnv answered
L'ck Thnn raIna.nJ mvsrIr frGm the rome
and nrnnarnd ia Inol, orniInd
suddenly. my font strucl, AGAINST something
soft ike n hnIv. and STAINING down LIGHT
in hand I saw two of fine miners living
arnm,r tho ,IcJy;o nf tha hrokan ladder stone
dead and drradfulIy distig,red One was
lem Trpdgor a roInssoI vnnng follow from
pnnzoncn Siv foot high and weighing over
fifteen stone The fail had smashed him like
an rog and death had brrn instantaneous
Full of a now hnrror Icont over the
nIotfn,m and lookad down AsIdid 90 nv
head went round and I should have fallen
had not clutched again at the rome, which
swung loose close to my hands.
Right under me. flooding the bottom of the
mine, roarpd the sea, boiling backward and
forward with wild pulsations along the
shafts and galleries through which it had
broken in. A salt spume rose from il, and
the walls of the shaft were dripping and
dashed with clots of foam. From the point
where stood, the last ladders had been en-
tireiy washed or broken away.
The roar was deafening. but shouted
with all my might | paused and listened;
no answer came.
Again shouted; again paused and list
ened
Suddenly, from the darkness beneath, l
heard a faint voice answering me.
My heart stood still. Then, with an effort
L shouted again.
The faint cry was repeated.
who's there?' called; but the sound OF
my voice was blown away, and only the