The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-10-04

without saytnl smother ucrd resumed III
ioarny. For quarter of ~ hour not
word vas spoken. The guide vas sullel
aud iaciined TO be rsbsllious. but Tsibo
vas Zoo much engro~sed in his purposc o
getting ahead ss fast ~ possible 10 ibinl
Of saying more than was necessAry. Pres
eusly the leading borse stopped 50 aud
denly - 10 nearly throv bis rider ovsr hi
bead. Before him was creek swollen +,
ten times iis normal siEe By The rains
The little bridge that spsnned Il hsd beel
washed away. and the turbulent curreu
nov held mad possession d tho road
Tslbots face psled ~ be saw The food
Bu. II was for sn instant only that be hes
itsted Wbesling bis horss be plunged
into the stream. The poor animal vas Of
iis fee. 10 q moment. bnt Il swan we'll. and
before iis rider had hardly realized ID,
danger. tho other bank had bsen reached
and the horse stood dripping wst ant
trembling 90 The land. The nasrs ssns
safsly through minute lsles, and ~
journey sss resumed.
The Ave mile post vas reached. aad ths
horses began 70 show sure signs Of a.
tigue. The glare from The distant gsi
wells was growing brighter. and the roaI
Of the escaping gas which had sound I'd
at first. like the low roll OF distant thuu
der now smote the ears Of the travellers
like the boom Of artillery. Six miles,
seven werepassed. and st last. staggering
from weakness. the horses stumb bled into
the desolate little town where the eXplo
sion bad occurred Talbot jumped from
the saddle. His first thought was for the
horse that had carried him so brayely.
The beast was scarcely able to stand. He
led il to the shed aud covered il with .
heavy blanket Then ordering the negro
to perform the same service for the other
horse, he buried sway to find any body
that could give him information.
The destruction caused by the explosion
was greater than had been dreamed OF in
the city. Seven houses on the m lin street.
some OF them stone, others OF wood. had
been torn from their foundations like box.
es, and were now scattered about an area
OF acres. Half a dozen people we're kill.
ed and twice that number wounded. The
scene OF desolaton was awful. Hundreds
Of terrified villagers hurried hither aud
thither, seeking aid for the injured, or
ga theriDg up bits Of household furniture;
physicians with anxious faces, rnshed from
place to place handagiug wounds and set
ting broken bones; gas company officials,
eager to do everythin in their power to aid
the sufferers, were there too. and over sll
was the deafening roar Of the gas aud the
blinding glare Of the flames as they lesped
higher and higher over the tops Of sur.
rounding derricks and pierced the black
blanket OF clouds that hung above
The superintendent Of the pipe line had
just returned from an impromptu hospital
where the wounded had been domiciled,
when Talbot met him. His story was
quickly obtained and three minutes later
the young reporter was interviewing the
sufferers in the hospital. II was Has
when he had finally secured bis facts 10
full, and was ready to start for the tele-
phone station which be knew TO be locat.
ed in the gas compauy's Office.
They sin't no use goin' fer that tele
phone" said an old workman to whom be
had been talking, as he started of.
"No use /? What's the matter with IL p
Talbot asked, in dismsy.
swell, she's busted. Wire snapped iu
two when the gas went off,"
Tslbot's jaw dropped. After all, was
he to be defeated st the very moment
when success seemed sure ? Il looked
that way. and for an instant his hear.
stood quite still.
"How far is it to the nearest telegraph
he asked.
"Six miles Of the worst roads you ever
saw" was the discouraging reply.
Talbot thought q moment. II was
IL 80 o'clock. He must reach the tele-
graph station by o'clock 10 be 10 time
Tor his paper. 1t seemed scarcely posi-
BILE that the horse could be forced Elk
miles further, but II was the only resort.
Il shall go" Talbot said. o be shook
The old man by the hand and turned away.
10 going back to where the horses we're |
standing he was forced 10 pass through |
The wrecked portion OF the town. To |
rave time he turned from the road and
look short cut across the ruins. He
bad reached remote corner. and had
barely reached the shed nnder which the
horses we're resting when feeble cry at
Iracted his attention. He stopped. The
,ry was repested. He thought Of work
II the importance OF utilixiog every mo-
nent II he would reach the telegraph sta
ion on tune, but he hesitated only > mo-
nent Then. climbing over the piles Of
lebris that lay around him. he made biz
vsy 10 the spot whence the cry came.
There was no wsnt Of light, for the burn-
ng gas dispelled the dsrkness. and pene
rated the very heart Of the ruins. Under
pile Of boards and rubbish. 10 spot
rhere be had been overlooked by the
earchers. 80 old man lay. lie was only :
Hungarian pipe line workman. put be vfs
human being. and even though time
vss ss precious - life itself to Talbot. hs
must be rescued. II vas bard work pull
ag away the heavy timbers held the old
nsn down. They we're crossed and vedg
d 10 40 A. 10 be slmost immovable. Some
I the smaller onss we're pulled ont 6rst.