Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-04-04
A PERILOUS LEAP.

ing works OF the Denuy MIHihS anu
Smelling Company. An unusual
thing about these works is that one
sees neither smoke nor smoke-stacks
above the flaming furnaces. But
up on the hill, a quarter OF mile
away, a huge iron chimney rises
seventy-five feet above the ground;
and to this chimney, through an un-
foreground passage, is conducted
the smoke from the lead furnaces.
There is a good reason for this
method of conducting the smoke
away. If the smoke from lead
furnace is carried directly upwards
to the air, it settles rapidly to the
ground, leaving a grayish sediment
where it touches. More than three
quarters of this sediment is pure
lead, which ordinarily goes to waste.
After much experiment to save
the waste, the DENLY Company hit
upon the plan of conducting the
smoke from the furnaces through
an underground passage. In this
way the lead which had escaped in
the smoke by evaporation was given
time to cool, and to be condensed
before passing through the CHM
ney.
The tunnel was near the surface
of the ground, and was lined on the
inside with a thick wall of brick.
Near the furnaces an iron door
opened into the tunnel, through
which the lead was removed.
A few years ago the DENLY Com
pany had among its employees
boy named Harry Baker, a stout
young fellow, sixteen years old
He did odd jobs about the works,
and assisted wherever he was need
ed.
One day Harry was sent to help
the men who were removing the
lead from the tunnel. Of course
the smelling works had to be shut
down during the time set apart for
this work; and for this reason, and
in order that the furnaces might be
started up again as quickly as pos
sible, the work was done hastily.
1t was late in the afternoon when
the job was finished. There was
nothing more for him to do that
day, and Harry was sent home
Just as he came into the village he
met Peters, the foreman of the
gang of men who had taken the
lead out of the tunnel.
"Hullo, Harry" said Peters, you
are just the fellow | want to see
There was a shovel left in the tun,
mel where we were at work this
afternoon. wish you would 60
down and bring it out. | just hap.
pened to think of it, and if you will
do the errand for me it will save
me quite a walk. You can leave
the shovel in the tool-room."
"All right" said Harry. He
walked briskly back to the smelling
works, and found the place deserted
by all save the bookkeeper, who
was preparing to go home.
please give me the key to the
tunnel door," said Harry. "We left
o shovel where we were at work
this afternoon, and Mr.. Peters IN:
sent me to fetch it out"
1.-THE superintendent has the
key" said the bookkeeper, land he's
gone away"
81 think there is key in the
Office" said Harry. Anyway, Mr.
Peters left one there this evening"
$50 there is" said the bookkeepel
after looking. "You can keep il
till morning, or give it to Peters"
Harry procured lamp from the
tool-room, lighted it, unlocked the
paddock on the outside of the iron
door, put the key in his pocket and
entered the dark tunnel. Before he
had entered the bookkeeper hat
gone away.
He found that the shovel hac
been left at the further end of the
passage, and it was a quarter of an
hour before he could get it and re-
turn to the entrance.
When he returned to the door,
he found, to his horror, that it had
been closed and locked. He shout.
ed and beat against the door, but
no answer came. Then he stood
in silence, hardly knowing what to
do.
Who had shut the door? As he
pounded upon it he came to the
conclusion that the superintendent
had not left the works when the
bookkeeper supposed; that he had
been in some other part of the
buildings, and returning to the
neighborhood Of the tunnel door,
had found n oman Than Sunnos