The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-14

blocked up the way, and a mans arm pro-
truded. The victim was quickly dug out
ana conveyed to the pit mouth. He was
beyond all human help. He was not badly
mangled. He had simply been choked to
death by the fire damp.
AS the rcscuers 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 tho foul
air. Only half witted Billy Smith re-
manned. You SEQ, he did not know much
he hung himself OH the damp ground and
lay there for hours, helpless and half con-
scious. BY and by his dull Intelligence
told him of the buried miners In their liv-
ing 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 music never
struck mortal ears. They, too, seized their
picks and dug through the black wall to
meet their rcscuer. Suddenly it fell
through, and hole was left large enough
for mans body to poss through Day
was breaking ut the pit mouth, when the
weary, wretchcd watchers there were
startled to receive signal for the cage.
1t was quickly lowered and came up pre-
sently with grewsome collection of limbs
that had been torn off, 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 pit
load reached the mouth the rescued miners
were seized by their friends and hurried
off to the village public house. The dead
miners were drawn up the shaft in a pitt
able state. Some had had their arms or
legs torn off, others had lost their heads,
while more bad their faees SO blackened
that the scorched skin peeled off at a touch.
suddenly somebody in tho crowd cried,
Where's Billy Smith, Nobody knew,
and two good natured miners volunteered
to go down the shaft to see If he had been
hurt in the mine. They searched per-
functorily enough, for they did not sup
pose that he had been left behind. But a
faint moan reached their ears from among
the debris, which had fallen near tho hole
that had been battered in for the rescue OF
the cntombed miners. They cleared the
rubbish away quickly and pulled out a
man. Yes, 1t was Billy. He had dug his
own grave. He was hauled to the top and
ialu uoWH Dranuy was pOureu GOWN nls
throat and by and by he opened his eyes
'Whaur's my dog?' he family choked out
Somebody brought tho cur to him and lait
1T In his arms. He Rugged it closely, ant
then, with a smile on his blackoned
scorched face, no quietly died. Billy wa:
man who did not know very much, yor
see. He simply knew enough to dio fol-
Others. brooklyn Eagle.
Women Who Smoke.
There has probably been q great dea
more smoking done by American womer
than the casual observer has any idea of
Numbers of New York women who hav,
acquired the habit while living abroad in
dulge in an after dinner cigarette in tn,
privacy Of their own families. AT n hand
some dinner given short time ago by ,
lady and gentleman well known in society
cigarettes were passed just before tho fro
zen punch when n number Of ladies tool
them and proceeded to light and smok,
them in manner that showed that the,
Wero by no means noviccs. Other dinns
5 givers have sinoo followed suit, and oh,
fashion bids faG 20 lSecouie popular. -Nep
, York Journal.