The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-05

protruding, following this proceeding with
binding the cap against the gaping orifce
made by the drill.
-Four months later Trevillian was able
to perform duty as night Waterman about
the hosting works.
But just to show what fate there is in
this life, and especially as regards acct
dents, three days after Trevillian was
pierced by a drill, to recover, another min
er was struck on the head by falling rat,
in the same mine, and was instantly kill
ed.
The victim of the second accident was
an Irishman named Connolly. If l mistake
not he had taken Trevillan's shift in the
stump. In the majority of the Comstock
mines the men wear wadded skull caps to
protect their heads from falling stones,
etc. 1T was intensely hot in the stump, the
men being able to work but fifteen minute
shifts. 1t was time for Connolly's shift
to be relieved. Strengthening himself up
he removed his skull cap to wipe away the
perspiration and water streaming from his
face. At the same instant an enormous
mine rat, that had wandered into the shaft
from some level above, how far toward
the surface no one knows, possibly 1850
feet or more, came hurting down through
space, striking Connolly fair on the head.
The rat was dashed to fragments. The
miner sank in heap, dying from concus-
sion of the brain.
lone man had a drill pierce his body and
lives; another had a rat spread its anato-
my on his head and is killed Both in the
same twenty by seven foot space, eco
feet deep in the bowels of the earth.
Queer proposition, isn't it?"
1 don't know but what 1 can hand you
a story of remarkable escape from what
seemed certain DEATH" said a newspaper
man in the party, as the mining man fin
ished, that in incident exceeds either of
the steel bar spearings and recoveries or
the rat killing.
Ten years ago 1 was working on a Dem
yer paper and as the happening l am
about to relate came under my detail, I
can Vouch as to its authority. The Rail-
road building, as 1t has come to be called
through most of the roads centering in
Denver having their offices in it at that
time, is, as you know, an S-story struc-
ture, and was, at the time l speak of, one
of the tallest buildings in the city. That
afternoon workmen engaged in repairing
the roof had left the skyllght open.
A young son of one of the occupants Of
an office on the top story noticing the lad
der and open Light assembled to the roof.
Desiring to gain a view of the city the
youngster made his way to the front cor
nice. The workmen paid no attention to
him. The little fellows hight not proving
sufficient to allow of his looking over the
cornice, he proceeded to climb to the top.
With the first glance downward into the
depths below he grew dizzy; his head
reeled; there was scream, and the work
men rushing to his aid craned over the
cornlce only in time to see the boys form
go somersaulting down through space to
what seemed certain death on the pave
ment far below.
But that boy was not born to die thus.
Falling, he struck fair across the telegraph
wires strung in front of the third story
windows. With springing bound his
body was thrown from these, and the de-
scent recommended toward the deadly
pavement.
'Hitched to a post at the curbng and
directly in line with the boys fall was a
mule harnessed to a truck. Turning a
complete somersault after the leaving the
wires, the boy struck feet first, fairly IN
the center of the mules back. With a
mulish expression of deathly pain the an
imal sank to the street with a broken
spine. With a dexterous leap the boy
sprang from the mule to the pavement,
and, taking a second to pull himself and
his senses together, proceeded calmly TO
re-enter the building.
For moment the crowd which, at
tracted by the workmen's cries from tho
roof, had stood watching the descent with
stilled hearts, were silent. Then when
the miracle of the escape, followed by the
cool nonchaiance of the boy, broke upon
them they burst into cheers.
subsequent examination of the boy
showed that beyond a few slight bruises
received in his contact with the wires he
was uninjured."