The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-26

ing up, I saw large ostrich. Some
thing took my suspicion at the way it
was capering. [ cried ''shoo," and it
didn't move, though these birds are
tinid generally, and run very swiftly.
l thought of my orders, and fancied
would take the bird for its feathers.
when I I'D and fired. Lo and behold
there was a human cry from the bird.
1t was an Arabs voice; he was ribbed
up in the skin of an ostrich and the
legs of the bird were tied down his
side Under the wing he carried an
assegai. The noise of the firing
aroused all hands and they turned to.
l went ashore in the boat to get the
bird, and found it was man instead.
I He could speak little broken English,
but was dying. | took out my water
bottle to give him a. drink, when he
drew out his assagai and stabbed me
in the right breast. [ was taken
aboard the boat along with the bird.
1t was sent to the Hong Kong museum
EARNING A PENSION.
My next experience aboard the Pencil
ope was at Alexandria. The council
sent word to Admiral Horribly that
there were torpedoes arranged to
destroy the fleet. One Thursday after
noon the signal went up for divers to
look for torpedoes, this being at the
time of bombardment of Alexandria. l
went down under fire, and it happened
that 1 was the only man who reached
the bottom. l found a Whitehead tor
pedo, the most dangerous kind, with
fuse attached. L did not know what
minute it might go off, but without
hesitation l cut the wire with pinchers.
For this act 1 was awarded a pension
for life. Ny term of service having
expired, 1 returned to Bathgate, and
went to work in a coal pit.
IN A COAL MINE.
Shortly after I received telegram
to proceed to Boness Scotland, and go
down a pit and open a trap door III q
coal mine, where eight persons were
hemmed in by q torrent of water. Be
fore going down L had to get diving
gear. I could not get a, good dress, but
as there were lives at stake, [ went at
a great risk. | got within 80 yards Of
the victims and cut away at the door,
but I was in absolute darkness, and
the rushing water drew me away. 1
then managed to tie myself to d post
with the life line and proceeded. This
| flood was caused by the water from an
old mine nearby finding its way 70
the new one. The boy stationed at the
trap door where the tubes are raised
working up an incline shaft were not
warned of the oneoming Hood. AS The
shaft filed, the men We're cut off from
the main shaft, as they could not get
over the hutches, the road being very
narrow.
After going up for a spell 1 returned.
to find one of the men sitting near q
| glimmering light and a boy crying. AS
approached they both ran back,
| =, Of 4
! tried to motion to them. l found a
spike nail, and going all the way out
! of the water / removed my mouth
piece. This was rather dangerous, as
my guide might have drawn ME into
the water. When I got it off and talked
to them, they wanted to know what
day it was, as they had been three
days without food.
| l then went to the top of the pit and
took food to them in a tin can. /
opened it with my diving knife and
gave the men a share. There were
hundreds of people at the pit awaiting
| for the good word. and Ithink the first
manly thing I ever did was to bring
| this little boy on my shoulder 80 yards
through the darkness and water and
send him to his mother, where a Dr.
Kirk took him in hand. BY this time
! the water had abated considerably. and
/
In three hours more the water would
have filed the shaft where the men
were located.
A RAILROAD WRECK.
My greatest feat, which made me the
worlds record diver, was at Loeb
Craig, Invernesshire, Scotland It was
where the embankment had given way
coincidence similar to the recent wreck
on the New York Central railroad The
! heavy supply of rain caused the en-
bankment TO subside about six inches
and the rails being off the level, the
embankment gave way and the engine
! left the rails AMI tipped into the water
1t was a mine2s1l train, and only the
engine went over as the coupling
yielded. Divers failed to go down, as
it was 200 feet. was called from a
place called Dole bay, where / was
working for the Northern Lake COM
pany. [ proceeded at once to search
for the two bodies, being a government
certificate man, had to go. l found ]
would need longer diving tackle. had
! but two 60-foot lengths When L had
100 timing I went down with