The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-28
AHALF WITTED HERO

a
very few to beat that of which the hero
vas poor, half witted Bill Smith whom
met at an appalling mining disaster in
SCOTLAND 10 or u years ago. At that time
was doing my yearly round Of the man
ufacburipg towns in England TO get a line
on the newest thing in carpets and ran
north to Glasgow to visit some friends.
The district for miles around is fairly hon
eycombed with GOAL mines. One forenoon
the startling Information reached the city
that there had been an explosion in one Of
the pits at Blantyre, a village seven or
eight miles away, and curiosity drew ms
thiuher. I don't believe I'll ever forget
the awful spectacle. Over 200 men were
entombsd, great volumes Of smoke shot up
through the pit mouth, and the wives and
mothers stood by as near as they dared,
weeping and Fringing their hands for the
doomed men below.
Rescue parties we're quickly made up,
but they were driven back repeatedly by
the binding, choking fumes that belehod
from the pit mouth. The cries Of ths
women were heartrending as they entreat-
ed the rescue party to go down. As
quickly as human hands and human hearts
could do il a fan was placed in position
and the cage lowered over the deadly shaft.
Still the men, Injured as they were to dan
ger, shrank back. Billy Smith pushed his
way through them. He was a big, strong,
known IN the village as the man who
didn't know much. He had wandered
into the village half a dozen years before,
with a dirty, limping cur at his heels
When he was asked his name, be said It
was only Bily-no6hing more. So they
stuck Smith to the Billy because it was
easy and rugged him out with full name.
"Haud the pup" he said quietly and
let me Qae doom" An elderly wom-
an who had three sons in the pit blessed
him with the tears streaming down her
cheeks, while the men stood back abashed
and half ashamed. Billy was lowered
quickly, and in a few moments-it seemed
like en- eternity to the wailing women
above-he signaled for the cage to be
brought up. 1t carried three men and
boy blaekened, choking, but unhurt.
So A few Of the rescue party went down
with the cage again, for the shaft was
clearer now, and more Of the entOmbed
miners were quickly sent to the top. Then
the horrors Of the scene began to present
themselves. There had been a great up
heaval in the mines by the force Of the ex-
plosion and the passages were hopelessly
ohoked up with tons of fallen coal and de-
bris. More men went to the rescue. They
dug their picks into the awful wall in
front of them, urged on by the energy Of
despair. Night fell, but still tho monoto-
nous ring OF the picks struck through the
NINE which even now was the tomb OF
many a strong man struck down in his
prime. Presently a sort of opening was
made into the stubborn wall of coal which
blocked up the way and q man 8 arm pro
truded. The victim was quickly dug out
and conveyed to tho pit mouth He was
beyond all humah help. he was not badly
mangled; he had simply been chOked to
death by the fire damp. His widow had
lowered all the day near the pts and in the
blaokness Of the night the Pickering lights
Of the lamps shed feverishly on her wan
face. They had been married only month
and she was on her way to the pit with
her husbands dinner when the roar of the
explosion reached her ears. The dead man
was tenderly laid at her feet. She flung
herself on the body, kissed the poor black
ened face and pateed the limp, lfeless
hands as she cried ont: Speak to me,
JOhnl For God s sake speak to meP
As the rescueFs in the mine dug farther
into the opening they had made the deadly
fire damp rushed through and drove them
back. The fatal fumes pursued them, and
they hurriedly gave the signal to be drawn
up till the pit could be cleared Of the foul
air. Only half witted Billy Smith re-
NAMED. You see he did not know much.
He flung himself on the damp ground and
lay there for hours helpless and half
conscious.
90 BY and By his dull intelligence told
him Of the buried miners in their living
tomb beyond. He took up a pick and
dug, dug, dug, slowly at first but some
God given feeling within him prompted
him to persistently work. For seven
hours he dug on till the ring Of his pick
reached the entombed men. Sweeter Inu-
sic never struck mortal ears. They, too,
seized their picks and dug through the
black wall to meet their reseuer Sud
denly il fell through, and hole was left
1r.-4- h0Hr tn
through. Day was breaking at the pit
mouth when the very, wretOhed watchers
there were startled to receive a signal for
the cage. Tt was quickly lowered and
came up presently with a grewsome col
lection Of limbs that had been torn of
dead bodies and living men.
The work of rescue now went bravely
on, and the awful extent Of the calamity
was soon discovered. A dozen or so more
miners were dug out alive, and as each
pitload reached the mouth the rescued
miners were seized by their friends and
hurried of to the village public house.
Soon the sounds Of revelry swept down to
the pit mouth, where wOrnout broken
hearted women stood waiting for their
dead and strong men sobbed for their boys
The dead miners were drawn up the shaft
in a pitiable state. Some had had their
arms or legs torn of, others had lost their
heads, while more had their faces SO black
ened that the seorohed skin peeled OF at q
touch.
Suddenly somebody in the crowd cried, +
Where's Billy Smith, Nobody knew,
and two good natured miners volunteered
to 90 down the shaft to see If he had been
hurt IN the mine. They searched per
funo6orily enough, for they did not sup
pose that he had been left behind. But
faint moan reached their ears from among
the debris, which had fallen near the hole
that had been battered in for the rescue of
the entombed miners. They cleared the
rubbish away quickly and pulled out a
man Yes, it was Billy. He had dug his
own grave. He was hauled to the top and
Laid down Brandy was poured down his
th--aA I'D ~ N "A Iau he rr,arnd hsa a.rae