The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-04-01

wnen ne FOUND that Dy con Jlnulng 10
visit Alice, though with a single
minded purpose to advance the wooing
of h is friend, he was only complicating
matters by developing the girls liking
| for himself, he determined to keep
away, and thenceforth did SO. Still
Jim Pennart's suit did not prosper
Alice Minton was no coquette, but a
very candid and ingenious girl She
did not dislike Jim, and she did not re-
alize that her feeling toward Treloar
| was more than one of strong friendli-
ness. It was only as his absence became
more marked that she caught herself
bordering upon its possible cause, to
an extent that surprised her when she
reflected upon it. Still the full truth
remained unsupported by her, and as
| Pennart's visits became more frequent
a sense of habitude commended him to
her and she was in fair way to be
prepared for his offer of marriage,
when something occurred which
changed the situation, tragically and
definitely.
All the workings on the Comstock
lode are lined and rooted with heavy
| framed tim bers, from foot to eighteen
inches square. Even these large beams
have often proved unequal to the tre-
mendous strain upon them; and when
they do not give way it is found neces-
sary to replace them at intervals, their
fiber being destroyed by the pressure.
The great heat of the lower workings
also dries these timbers, so that they
become dangerously inflammable; and
when, as sometimes has happened, the
rock itself is at a very high tempera-
ture, mere contact with it may set the
wood on fire.
| How the great fire in the Yellow
Jacket mine started will never be
known, for those who were alone
| likely to know the truth persisted in
that disaster. The foulest rumors were
afterward spread abroad to injure the
superintendent of the mine, notwith-
standing that he had rislSed his life in
trying to rescue the imprisoned men.
1t was the night before this disaster
that John Treloar dreamed a dream.
He thought he was down in the mine
on the Observation-Disclosures level, and
that some serious accident - but he
could not make out what-had hap
pened. Whatever its nature, he found
himself with his mate, Jim, struggling
to reach the shaft; and as they labored
through the passage there was the
sound of heavy fall, and 10! the way
was blocked before them by the col.
lapse of the roof. And he dreamed
. ,a4 h al ca - 4
themselves out. but that his own
strength failed under the heat and foul
air, and that Pennart had to drag him
through the opening they had made.
Toward the end, the dream became
less distinct, and the last he remem-
bered was slowly broadening CLEAN
of light, which, he thought, represent
ed their approach to the shaft
Then he awoke, and at breakfast he
told his dream: and his comrades did
not like it at all, but shook their heads,
and one or two of them determined
then and there that they would LAY
off, that day and not venture to go
down the Yellow Jacket
Now, the strangest part of this
strange story is that on this same night
| Alice Minton dreamed about the coun-
terpart of John Treloar's dream-but
| with a difference which can hardly be
| regarded as fortuitous She, too, found
herself in the mine, and looking on in
a great agitation. AT first she saw
only crowd of excited miners, shout
ing and running this way and that
Then she seemed to float away from
the crowd, and into a comparatively
silent working, W here two men were
frantically digging at a heap of rock
and earth thae filled the passage in
front of them. She looked and recog-
nized the two friends but she could
not speak or make herself known to
them. Presently narrow opening
was made between the roof and the
top of the fallen mass and then the
men seemed to be talking. but she
could not hear what was said. After
a pause, one of the men sank back
| upon the ground, and the other climbed
the obstruction and made his way
through the opening. AT this moment,
an intense longing to know which of
them had escaped and which was left
behind overcame her. but she was now
unable to distinguish their faces; and
as she seemed to strain forward in or
der to see, cloud as of vapor or
smoke rolled along the dimly lighted
passage, obscuring the scene COM
pletely, and the girl awoke with
shudder and the name of John Treloar
upon her lips. Then she knew for the
first time that the feeling in her heart
towards this man was stronger than
that of friendship. AT the breakfast.
table next morning she, too, told her
dream, and those who heard il recalled
and marveled at the story afterward.
For within twelve hours the great
FIRE in the Yellow Jacket mine broke
out. and all Virginia City was throng-
ing 10 the hoisting works, where the
massive engine was being worked at
dangerous speed, and the cage was be-
ing almost hurled up and down the
deep shaft, and the changing of the
signal-bells, the shouting of orders,
the excitement of the miners, and the
piteous means and cries of the women
who had husbands, fathers. brothers
below combined to make a memorable
and tragic scene. And now the smoke
grew thicker in the shaft and those
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