The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-05-19

child was lodged, for it would have
been fatal to have disturbed the earth
| wall of the circular hole above the
child. Finally he tunneled toward
| the circular, and tapping it was sur
prised to find himself yet above the
child. He was able then to reach
down and tie a rope around the feet
of the child and by the same device
hold him secure there. but he dared
not yet risk an attempt to draw him
up for fear he might break down the
crumbling walls of the hole ard of
his tunnel and thus bury both him
self and the child alive. So he sank
another and second small shaft down
a few feet yet further until he knew
he was below the child. Under these
circumstances the work had to be
very slow. StinsOn worked like
mole with trenches Of sand all around
him, passing dirt ont by handsfuI to
Strallen in the first small shaft. and
Strallen dong the same to Sheriff
Elwood, who was out in the main
shaft. The extreme peril of the situ-
alton at this time can be better inn
agined than described. Victor Hugo
might describe 1t, but no ordinary
pen can do it. All this time Stinson
! burroWed like mole and literally
working like mole through so
treacherOuS an element, could hear
the child moaning family. When
ever loose board ratified overhead
he could feel the shock, and he did
not known but that the walls of the
shaft were coming in on him, and
whenever the furious wind which
was then. on Monday morning, rag
ing over the earth's surface, ratified
down loose earth and pebbles on top
OF the child, it seemed to feel it. In
deed, the child seemed to be as sensi-
tive to the least jar as Stinson was,
for it would moan the stronger and
more piteOusly. The three men, I'M
neryed by the horror OF their situa.
ton, worked and wept and the sun
arose yet Monday morning with
these men handing out dirt by hand
Independently burned ashes, and
with no hand but that of God to trust
to, to ever bring them and the child
to the earth's surface again. Finally,
by the most delicate manipulations,
Stinson was at last able to grasp the
child, and let himself and the pre-
ciouS burden into the main shaft. At
$40 Monday morning, after the child
had been in the we'll forty-eight
hours about, Stinson was hauled up
to the top of the shaft with the child
in his arms. A hasty examination
of the child was made, when it was
found to be not only alive, but bright
of the eye and conscious though very
weak. Apparently it had slid down
the circular hole slowly, rumpt first,
but was found with its rump wedged
into the top of the circular tubing set
in the hole, its feet a little above its
head and its hands extended upwards
and some six or eight inches above
its head.
When the child was brought up to
the surface, the scene was indescrib-
able. Stinson staggered unnerved
and exhausted, but very many of the
200 people there sank to the ground
Frustrated by emotion. There were
no noisy demonstrations the hearts
of the crowd of lookers-on were too
full for utterance.
Although all the parties who help
ed so faithfully are worthy of I'M
stinted praise, yet under the circum-
stances, it is natural that Stinson es-
pecially, and his partners in the
depths of what might have been their
tomb should now be the heroes of
the hour. While Stinson is lying at
his home exhausted. his fellow citi-
zens are contributing to a fund for a
testimonial to he given tO him