The Bessemer indicator., 1894-09-01
SAVED BY A NINE RAT.
WHY TIM MoRRisSEY HAS n
STRANGE PET.
Imprisoned In n Mine nv = CAVERN. He
Was Bcfrirndcd by the Itodent by
which lie Sent n Message to Friends
ON the Outsidr--Dick in Glover.


Squire Tim Morrissey is an old
time miner OF Wiibsbarre, Pa The
other night Tim told n remarkable
story OF how his lie was saved by
ono OF tho mine rats. a squeeze
had occurred in tho second level OF
the mine, COO feet below the surface.
and the top rock had killed two me n.
Bill Thomas and Mike Phelan. Nor
rissey was sent down by the superin-
tendcnt TO investigate. He won't
down tho shaft in carriage and
signailed to be let of at the second
level.
81 was alone and nobody knew l
WAS gcin' in thci e." said Morrissey
well. | went along the gangway.
cliripin' 10 the rats, who followed
me us If glad to see some body. for
no one had been In since the crash
that killed the men. When / got to
the rock | crawled around and
finally found place big enough to
creep through, and in went, comm
out in the chamber on tho other
sido. Wnen | came to the breast.
forty foot away. / held my lamp and
began to examine tho surroundin'A
81 was lookin' ut tho top wall.
Dot more's ten foot away from the
breast. when suddenly down came a
that nearly stunned me. ] realized
the horror of the situation in q
minute. knew was shut in that
chamber. a quarter OF q mile from
tho shaft
"Thare wasn't soul knew even
that was in there. The possibility
OF suffocating rose in my mind. and
made an examination. There was
quite stream runnin' across the
bottom from the face OF the breast,
and this not chokin' up cheered mo
with the thought that some air
would get in. Besides. soon dis
covered that the mass was SO tangled
up that it was likely that consider.
nblo air could get through 1t. and
these thing, satisfied mo that l
wouldn't be smothercd. After lookin'
about found l was hemmsd into q
space not moron twenty feet square.
! looked at my watch and found it
WAS o'clock. tho hour the day shift
went In above me and below.
II fixed up kind o! scat near tho
face of tho breast and just above
tho stream and sat down to think.
All the oil I had was in the little
lamp. and SO. as was doin' nothin',
put it out hnd good supply OF
matches and good lunch In my
pail When the lamp was out you
can imagine. boys, how dark 1t was
down there in that livin' tomb. And
the terror OF it,
al thought OF wife and the babies.
and knew when night came and 1t
didn't bring me that tho woman
would raise n cry. Or course. there
was the little hope that the superin-
tendent would be seen and that he
would recall his instructions to me
and send In an cxplorin' party on tho
second level But the day went in
the superintendent won't to West
Virginia on scme business, to be
gone week.
"it must have been fully three
hours that was settin' there think-
In and thinkin' when l heard a little
noise close by. A minute later /
felt somethin' rubbih' agin' one o.
my le2s. put my hand down. and
true as you live it was a rat 1
picked him up and held him till lit
my lamp Ho seemed about as glad
to sec me us | was to SO, him. tell
You. lads. the companionship OF that
big rat at that time down In that
lonely place. was as sweet to me as
tho comm OF al angel would have
been
smoothed his back and fondled
him as II he was one OF my own
babies
"Suddenly an idea struck me.
Maybe the. rat had come up from
somewhere low. Maybe had run
way to the lower level. That thought
chcered me. opened my lunch can
and gave him so.ncthin' to eat.
Then ! took out passbook had in
my pocket and wrote this on one OF
the leaves: I'm hemmed In in Bren-
mans chamber, second level. Come
quick Morrissey.' | rolled tho
message up into a little ball, and
with bit OF thread l managed to
fasten 1t around the rats neck.
Then petted him and even kissed
him. and. going close to the breast,
found little hole which thought
he might have come out OF.
"Then l set him free. Boys, /
never shall forget the wise look he
turned on me that instant. He
seemed to know what was wanted.
sat down again, blew out the lump
and waited.
Say, lads. somehow my heart was
lighter after the rat had ponc.
SomethiD' told me how ould save mo-
What with thinkin' of home and the
babies. and hopin' that somebody
would lind the note the rat took out.
the hours passed by until grew
hungry. 1 lit my lamp ag'in and
ate very sparin'ly. / glanced at
my watch and found that It was
nearly o'clock had been in that
horrible place nine hours. That
startled me. / began to lose hope
ns to the result Of tho rats mission.
Oh, 1t was terrible. boys-terriblel
lit my pipe. blow out my lamp,
and settled bacl; in my old seat again.
~ might have been an hour, maybe
more. when my ears caught that
scratchin' sound ag'in. Oh. how my
heart leaped! even If II was to brine
me no good news
Quickly l fired the lamp, and
down at my feet was my old friend
tho rat who had taken my MESSAGE
out. As he came close up uotiosd
q thread running from his neck back
to the hole he came out of broke
!. on and Joy OF Joys. ] began pullin'
~ up lard after yard there was
until the thread grew thicker, and
upon examlnin 1t close l found IL
was lamp wick soaked with oil.
oh. lads. couldn't go any further
until picSed up my little friend
and kissed him over and over again.
with the tears runnin' from nv evss