The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-19
BILL HURLRY's GHOST
stin Weeks and Whistles in the
Eckhart Mines
From the Ne0 York World.

| of the usefulness of worked out" mine,
when Mine Foreman 10 Thomas of the
Consolidation Coal Company boarded up
the entrance to Old Union No. /. The mine
mouth was securely boarded up with 3-inch
plank and the grim, black hole that seemed
to run into the center Of the earth was shut
out forever from the sun.
For the last few years the output Of Old
Union No. has been but nominal, being
| limited to some few tons mined each month
from rib or pillar to supply pumping en-
| gine. And yet more people have gone in
aud out of its dismal depths, even up to the
last, than into the largest and most ex-
tensively worked mine in this region, though
its workings were multiplied by ten.
But it was curiosity, not toll. that drew
these crowds. For Old Union No, l was a
haunted mine, and haunted by the most
| original and unique of ghosts, ghost that
whistIed. And the boarding up OF the mine
mouth lays this as far as the curious are
concerned, forever.
Some indignation has been aroused by
this action Of the company in closing the
mine. For the gossips of Eckhart, Hoff-
man, Vale Summit and the other surround
ing villages claim that life will not be worth
living if they are to be denied the CHASTITY
pleasure of night excursions through the
| recesses Of the old mine TO hear the whlstling
ghost. But the Consolidated Coal Company
claimed that the miHe was unsafe for Wis
itors. The pillars had been robbed extern
| sively, the timbers were rotting, and to
avoid calamity and possibly some suits
for damages they have closed up the old
slope for good and all.
Ten years ago big Bill Hurley was called
"the wickeaest man In Maryland" There
were some pretty wicked man at that time
in the mining districts Of Allegany county,
but big Bill Hurley " as the star that out
shone them ali. He reeked with tobacco
and profanity, he drank, gambled and
scotfed at man and God defiant in his devil
try until death overlook him.
Hurley was good miner, II a bad man.
| And when the company determined to drive
| a heading up from the lower level and tap
the water accumulated in the upper work
ings he was put in charge of the work. He
pushed it ahead well and rapidly and kept
the four 'shitts" of men goi & day and
night In about Ave weeks the work was
nearly done, and the men knew they were
nearing the end of their task.
On the last day "Jeffn ERODE, a most eau
tious miner, who was one Of the four of the
shift then at work, advised the use of the
S-root auRer to prospect ahead for the water.
He said he knew they were near it, and he
feared it was dangerous to still go it blind.
But Hurley refused to send for the auger,
saying with an oath that it would be plenty
of time to Use it tomorrow.
The words had hardly been uttered when
the mass of coal In front was seen to bulge
with the weight of water just behind, and
with wild cry the men at work jumped
back and ran for their lives, while the ink
black food that burst out through the rotten
walls of coal came surRing at their heels.
| frightened men are like frightened sheep
they follow their leader, who, frlght-mad-
dened like themselves, take always the
wrong way. And 50 IL was in this instance.
Allen Dillon was in the lead He turned up
an old working that the heading crossed at
right angles and close behind him folio
jeff Brode. Frank Kelly and Henry Davis.
In their rear, swearing at every step, came
big Bill Hurley. AT the end Of the cross
cut, some hundred yards up, the men threw
themselves painting and moaning against its
end-the solid coal. For in that one mo-
ment they recognized the fact that they had
taken the wrong turn. Br0de was the first
to voice this terrible reality.
my God" he cried, 1--WE should have
gone down the heading. The water will
rise to this aud we shall be drowned like
rats and with theml"
For, as he spoae, squeaking with terror
and wet with the water that was following
fast, an army of rats came clambering up
to the coal aud elung to the shivering men,
shivering like themselves. The horror
stricken miners gave no thought to this
added terror of the time Death YVES too
near. Already they could see the black
stream slowly rising, backing up the entry
to where they were. Their only hope had
been that the water would run OF with this
backing up. But the outlet of the heading
to the stump they saw was not sufficient, and
this hope fled as they saw the water rise.
Not for one instant had Bill Hurley
ceased his horrible blasphemy of the AL
mighty, doubly horrible here where death
| reached out of the damp and dark and
seemed to touch these fugitives of the flood
deep, down, beneath the earth.
81 Let Us pray" said Dillon.
"Neverw bawled Bill Hurley, with an
added oath. "Therell be no ewling here.
Well go to hell bowling and defy the devil p
Aud volley Of oaths mo foul than even
any be had as yet uttered rounded out the
sentence. But the other anguished men
paid no heed to him as they knelt, with
clasped hands, IN the little circle Of light
one single lamp yet shed. High and clear
the voice of Dillon rose In prayer. And
the water rose steadily.
| About twenty feet of their refuge re-
manned dry, and on this narrow strip Bill
Hurley paced and whistled out wild tune
of his own to drown the sounds of prayer.
20, God, receive our souls!" the invoca-
ton ended. Then followed one high and
hooking full note of the whistle that ended
in a shrek as, with a crash aud rattle, the
mine roof above Bill Hurley fell full on him,
even as he blasphemed, and his life went out
within four feet of those who prayed, but
were unhurt
The fall Of coal and shale from the roof
formed an i'm ervious dam across Bill Hur-
ley's body aud the narrow cross cut Before
the water reached the top Of this its force
was spent, and. the pressure lessened from
behind, it turned too and ran out with the
rest down through the heading to the sump
And at dusk, outside, these four living
we're greeted as from the grave by the
search party seeking for what they feared
to find.
The fall of coal that had struck down big
Bill Burley In his sins had with his body,
been the means of saving the lives of the
better men who prayed.
This body was taken out next day and
work resumed. But at that hour ever after
the sounds Of Hurley's heavy footballs still
were heard, and high above them in the
dark his shrill, discordant whistle.
The output Of the mine dwindled down
and ended. But still this soul in penance
walked and wbistled and the aved and
idle heard the sounds for years.
The miner crossed himself and hurried
on, the driver boy grew pale and trembled
at the sound, until familiarity hardened
them, and without fear they listened too, to