The Southern herald., 1892-03-04
An Engineers Sahhath Day *
perience.

the grim mouth Of the big iron
evlinder. 1t was a feeble, broken,
nerveless creature that emerged 10
light again after an experience
such as turn mems hair gray in an
hour and skaters their eonslitu-
tions for life. That Mr.. Risley is
alive today is due both to his pres
ence Of mind and the endurance Of
his sinewy frame. Death had
stared him in the face for hours
that seemed like interminable days
to him.
Mr.. Risley is employed as engi-
neer in the factory Of Nathan
Drucker L Co., trunk and valise
manufacturers. Sunday the es-
tablishment was solitary, and Mr..
Risley took. advantage Of the op-
portuniiy to clean out the big boiler
in the basement. He went alone.
He usually took a candle into the
boiler, but could find none on this
morning, and he lit lamp which
he placed in sUeh a position that
its bright rays hickered down
through the gloomy fues under
which he was to pass.
Opening the manhole in the end,
Mr.. Risley had soon wOrmed his
way TO the farihest end Of the pas
sage into which he ventured Water
was standing several inches deep
in the bottom of the boiler, having
dripped down from above, and the
engineer was chilled to the bone.
But be cared little for that expect
| ing to remain but few minutes.
He finished his work and started
to return. It occurred to him that
he might avoid the icy water better
| if he turned around and sought
egress head first.
Narrow as the passage was, he
had accomplished this feat more
than once before, and he anticipat.
ed no difficulty in repeating it,
Slowly he turned, closing his limbs
together like the blades Of a knife
and bringing his knees against his
chin lie succeeded in turning half
way around when he found that he
could 60 no farther.
! Mr.. Risley made vigorous efforts
to complete the turn, but in vain.
Then he concluded TO resume his
.original position and back out, but
to his horror he found that he
could not move. He had become
fixed in the strained position he
occupied, and his attempts to move
only made matters worse. For a
quarter of an hour the engineer
worked to free himself, while the
perspiration poured from him in
spite Of the chill the water had
produced. Then the awful reality
Of his predicament dawned upon
him for the first time and almost
drove his senses away. He was
fastened, without hope of freedom
in space hardly large enough fol
his body.
The pitiless iron bore down on
his head above and seemed to be
acquiring the weight of a thousand
hundred-weight. The faint CLEAN
Of the lamp above illuminated the
darkness ofthe engine room and the
blacker night Of the boilers interi
or. His position forced the blood t,
his bent head. Mr.. Risley did mo-
know how long he could stand tht
strain. Before the morning, how
ever, when the factory would re
sumo its life, he would be uncon
scious and the manhole would b.
shut, the fires lighted and h'
would awake, if he awoke at all, II
be roasted alive before it would b,
possible TO extricate him,
Filled with the horror of bis po
sition, the engineer shouted 70
help, but his voice was smotheret
} in the depths Of his prison. II,
found, too, that be could not exer
else bis vocal powers with effect
as his chin was pressed against hi
knees SO that he could hardly
breathe.
Mr.. Risley collected his senses
and resolved to husband hi
strength, and, above all to keel
cool. He knew that to remair
where he was until the next day
cramped in the icy water, woulC
be fatal, and he went to work care
! f,lI,, a., ovirioato Iirosolf