San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-17
OLD MARK HAVERLY.

Belcher. He was noted for his grit, atten-
ton to business and superStitions. One
day comrade was passing, and Mark
called him up with: Jack, do you hear
that noise-a sort of grinding sound that
comes and goes? Harkl Can't you hear it
now?''
''It's just like any machinery makes"
mo, no, Jack; it don't belong to the ma
chinery; it's a voice, tell you, from the
other world. I've heard that sound for
two days now, and it means death. death
close at band"
soil the engine. old boy, and it'll be all
right"
The other passed on and went down the
shaft. Mark, meanwhile, bent his ear 10
the machinery, and out of the indistin.
guishable din of dozen sounds caught
this strange noise which had such an influ.
ence upon him, heard it constantly above
the clank of levers. the roar of wheels and
the hiss of steam. Presently bell sound
ed at his side 1t was the signal from the
1000 level to hoist the cage He pressed
the lever and the great reel began TO whirl
the cable from the lower depths. His eye
followed the long finger of the indicator
rs it slowly pointed out the stations pass.
ed. The cage had almost reached the top
when the horrible grinding noise, like a
moan from the grave, came from the ma
Chinery at his side. The sound made his
veins melt. He turned his head toward
the spot, shuddering, while his hand as it
claSped the lever was like child's. The
cage shot up from the shafts mouth; he
grasped the lever and threw his weight
upon the break. Too late; the cage rushed
into the ''sheaves."
The floor of the cage became vertical as
it struck the wheel. The cable stretched
under tho fearful strain and then snapped
like thread, and the cage fell back to the
shafts mouth. Three Of its occupants had
leaped upon the timbers and hung suspend
ed: the other two had made the same leap,
but their fingers slipped from the Shiny tim
bers, made so by the long contact with the
9apors from the mine, and they fell one
after the other headlong down the shaft.
Meanwhile Mark had stopped his engine,
resumed his coat, and staggered out of the
works. On such occasions an engineer is
considered discharged without notice He
actually ceases to be in the employ Of the
company when the cage strikes the
"shcaves," and such an accident makes his
discharge perpetual with every mine on
the Comstock. ....t.. ..E# ..9.-
For the next week or two he wandered
about the town like a mar barely in his
senses. He finally got work under ground,
but was oftener found somewhere about
the hosting works, near the machinery.
He would at times sit for hours watching
the work of those metallic giants, occa-
sionally turning toward the mouth of the
shaft with shudder, and again bending
his head to catch what he called the death
moan" His comrades said he was 81 little
off"
One day the writer entered into CONVEX
sation with him. His superstition had not
left him. 81 tell you" said he, "Pve
studied everything about a mine, above
ground and below. You brutes who write
for the press take a sReering view Of every
thing. You laugh when l say an engine
gives warning of death. You call this
piece of a machinery a thing inanimste
tell you that it has a construction in all
respects like man. 1t has lungs and
sinews, and a big heart that throbs and
pulsates. 1t has its fatigues from over.
work. At times it whirls merrily and
work seems nothing, then it groans and
Iabors as il exhausted. We treat it as we
do the sick. When its lungs get clogged
with scale we feed it a composition that
makes it well again. 1t has a voice, and
| roars, sings, grosns, laughs and sobs in
turn. When touch a-lever feel mag.
! uetisrn such RS flows f9m flesh and blood.
THE dark levels below us I-e full Of
mysteries. learn more and more Of its
| secrets every year. You remember how
Jack Henly died. He tainted on the Ophi!
| cage and went down the shaft. \ few days
before IL noticed as workei-beSidC him
| how the flame Of his udle pointed directly
| toward him like a mariners needle.
Wherever be moved the flame followed.
| He didn't notice it, but did, and it had a
wavy, UNCERTAIN motion for a day or so.
| One day il Became steady, as steady Is if
carved in stone. knew the crisis was not
| far OFF. We came up on the cage; as we
passed the first station the flame burned
| low, and at the twelve-flfty station it was
almost gone. Suddenly it went out; Jack
reeled back against the timbers, and was
twisted under the cage at once. II was but
| a moment heard his dreadful cry ring
| out as his bones were crushed between the
stage floor and the timbers. and his body
shot down the shaft.
Hawkins, who used to work for Joe
| Cowan, had the same kind of warning
Wherever he worked shadow kept close
to him on the rock. His lantern made one
shadow, but this was deeper and darker
| one and bad separate motions, and II
seemed TO get blackeF every shift be
worked till blast tore away his chest