The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-07
BILLY SMITH, HERO.
The STORY OF A MAN WHO DIDN'T
KNOW VERY MUCH.
He Simply Knew Enough To Die For 9th
ers-A Terrible Mining Disaster Which
Showed the People of Blantyre What
Was In Simple Billy.

His compan! ions lii their cigars and drew |
their chairs closer round the coy stove |
for Hastings was one Of the best story tell |
ers on the read
Talking of remarkable escapes, said |
Hastings, 81 think | know very few to
beat that OF which the hero was poor half |
witted Bill Smith, whom met AZ an APP |
palling mining disaster in Scotland 10 on
l2 years ago. a that time / was doing
my yearly round Of the manufacturing
towns In England 10 get line on the
newest thing In carpets, and ran north 10
Glasgow to visit some friends. The dis
trict for miles around Is fairly honey
combed with coal mines One forenoon
the startling information reached the city
that there had been an explosion in one OF
the pits at Blantyre, village seven or
eight miles away and curiosity drew me
thither don't believe I'll ever forget the
awful spectacle. over 200 men were en-
tombed, great volumes of smoke shot up
through the pit mouth and the wives ana
mothers stood by as near rs they dared,
weeping and wringing their hands for the
doomed men below.
RESCUE parties were quickly made up,
but they were driven back repeatedly by
the binding, choking fumes that belched
from the pit mouth. The cries of the
women were heartrending as they entroated
the rescue party to go down. AS quickly
as human hands and human hearts could
do 1t fan was placed in position and the
cage lowered over the deadly shaft. still
the men, Injured as they were to danger,
shrank back. Billy Smith pushed his way
| through them He was IA big, strong,
' lo.by folloxy cluouieblv c,ood pnturpl and
known in the village us the man who
didn't know much He had wandered into
| the village half dozen years before with
! a dirty, limping cur at his heels When
| he was asked his name, he said il was only
| Billy-nothing more So they stuck smith
| to the Billy because IL was easy and rugged
him out with q full name.
'Haud the pup, he said quietly, and
| let me gaze doom. An elderly woman 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 few moments-it seemed like an
eternity to the wailing women above-he
signaled for the cage to be brought mp. 1t
carried three men and a boy, blackened,
choking but unhurt
"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 great up
heaval in the mines by the force Of the OK
plosion, and the passages were hopelessly
choked up with tons of fallen coal ana
debris. 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 the mo-
notonous ring Of the picks struck through
the mine, which even now was the tomb
of many a strong man struck down IN his
prime Presently sort of opening was
made into the stubborn wall of coal which
blocked up the way, and man S arm pro
truded. The victim was quickly dug out
and conveyed to the pit mouth. He was
beyond all human help. He was not badly
manged. He had simply been choked t.
death by the fire damp.
'As the rescuers 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, ant
they hurriedly gave the signal To bo drawn
, up till the pit could be cleared of the fou
DIR. Only half wittcd Billy Smith re
mained You SEQ, he did not know much
He flung himself on the damp ground ant
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 pick ant
dug, dug, dug-slowly at first but some
God given feeling within him prompted
him to persisteDtly work. For seven hours
he dug on till the ring of his pick reached
the entombed men. Sweeter music neve
struck mortal ears. They, too, seized thei
picks and dug through the black wall Il
meet their rescuer Suddenly 1t fol
through, and hole was left large enough
for mans body to pass through. Da.
was breaking at the pit mouth, when TIL
weary, wretohed watchers there wer
startled to receive signal for the cage
1t was quickly lowered and came up pre-
sently with grewsome collection OF limb
that had been torn off, dead bodies am
living men.
"The work of rescue now went bravel,
on and the awful extent of the calamit'
was soon discovered. A dozen or so NOR
miners were dug out alive and rs each pit
load reached the mouth the rescued miner
were seized by their friends and hurrie'
of to the village public house. The dea'
miners were drawn up the shaft in pitt
legs torn off, others had lost their heads
while more had their faces so blackenet
that the scorched skin peeled of Mt n touch
Suddenly somebody in the crowd cried
? Where's Billy SMITH Nobody knew
> and two good natured miners VOLUNTEERED
3 to 60 down the shaft to ste II he had beef
: hurt In the mine They searched per
funotorily enough for they did not sup
1 pose that he had boon left behind. But
z faint moan reached their ears from amonl
a the debris, which had fallen near the hol
: that had boen battered in for the rescuo q
the entombed miners. They cleared tn
: rubbish away quickly and pulled out
man. Yes, 1t was Billy. He had dug hi
Q own grave. He was hauled to the top an
o laid down. Brandy was poured down hi
throat and by and by be opened his eyes
'whaur's my dogS' he family choked out
Somebody brought the cur to him and lai
Iit In his arms. He Rugged IL closely, am
Q then, with a smile on his blackoncd
Q scorched face, he quietly died. Billy wa
= q man who did not know very much, yo
I see.. He simply knew enough TO die 10
| ct ho~s IarnoElx, Encle