The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-04-02
AN EXPERIENCE TO
BE REMEMBERED.

l
twentieth year ! was a master workman
and was always put where hardest toll
and greatest skill were needed These
tasks l also always sought, for thus l 1
gained the best payment, not from a mi
serly motive, hut that | might,win home
for my Margaret. whom l had learned to
love even in my boyhood.
One September night l had sought my
bed, wearicd with Il day of hardest toll,
when messenger from my employer
brought me word that was needed to re-
pair a boiler at the largest gunmaking
works in the city. l felt too tired to go,
but they would have no workman but
NE, and the job must be done that night,
since the factory was engaged in Il large
contract which must not be delayed.
Night work meant double pay. and every
extra shilling gained FASTENED my mar
riage day, so | forced my wearied limbs
= to agreement with Iuy will and hurried
through the dark streets to my labor. The
boiler was of the old two fue style, and
the leak was in the far end OF ore of the
fues. a.
The job was slow and painful. I was
forced to do most of the work while lying
upon my back, but by the aid of the eng-
neer and the stokcr | had nearly finished
it by 2 o'clock. There was but an hours
work at trimming and caliing. which
could easily finish without their aid, so
let them so to gain few hours rest be-
fore their daily work began. Lack of
sleep and the painful labor in confined
position had so benumbed my senses that
as struck the last blow sank back and
fell into the deepest slumber. How long
lay thus know not At last dreamed
that I was bound to the deck of sinking
ship, and my helpless frame was awash
with the tapping waves. Now in a dumb
stupor, between sleeping and waking, l
felt their cold touch. and shrieking with
terror awoke. | was enshrouded in
pitchy darkness. The swash of water still
filled my ears; its clammy chilliness was
! stiffening my limbs, and its rising tide
was covering my body as I lay ncrveless
with dread.
But | was by nature quick of thought
and in a moment recognized the full hor-
ROE of my situation. While was pros
trate in deepest sleep the engineer had
returned to his work for the day, and.
supposing me long ago gone, had replac-
ed the boiler head and was filing the
= boiler with water. For moment lost
my manliness and became a mailman. l
screamed with rage, cursed and struck
the cold iron of my tomb with clinched
fists | cried out against the cruelty of
God and man which had imprisoned me,
who had never harmed his fellow man
and destined me to SO cruel death
Thieves, rufiians and murderers We're
free to enjoy the blue sky and glorious
sunlight, while I, an honest workman
was entombed alive, to be slowly drown
ed or, still worse, seethed like Il lobster.
The heat of my rage overcome the chill
of the surrounding water and feyered my
blood, yet the cold enveloping of my
cruel shroud closed tighter about me.
Then a sullen calnlness replaced my pas
sion, and l resolved to die without sob.
could never forgive the injustice Of my
,anmerited punishment, but l could at
least die with dignity. So l sat listless-
Ily till suddenly the thought of the grief
IN of my parents and the long suffering of
my betrothed at my mysterious disap-
pearance reused me to energy. l would
fight for my life. There must be, there
should be, some mode OF escape. Never
would | be drowned like Il rat in a flood
] ed drain without struggle for life and
j! freedom. .Quck thought rackea my
brain | seized my hammer, crawled to
the front and struck with all my force
upon the boiler head. Sut before it was
an iron hood, which deadcned all sound
to those without. But, though their
senses were so dali, mine Were quickencd
to an unnatural sharpness, and new
sound more piercing and more heartrend-
ing oyerpowcrel the splash of the falling
water. 1t was the roar OF the fire in the
furnace below. Death by drowning was
far less frightful than the one that now
threatened NE.
There was but one hope, one chance. of
escape. Ii [ could burst Il hole through
this cruel iron and flood the blazing
Goals, l might save myself. Among my
tools was a punch. Slowly l cfawlc,l
through tie water. growing sensibly
warm, to the place where | had been
working and CROPPED til! / found it, Back
in the same weaiisome way till near the
furnace door, l placed the punch i'll posi-
ton. and, praying Gods aid, struck
with. all my force. But, alas. the depth
of the water caused my hammer to re-
bound. and a lukewarm splash upon my
face showed me that ray escape must be
quicker than the quick death that threat
ened or it would ne:er be. How could
my blow lie made effective? Suddenly
a thrill of hope shot through my mind
l recalled a long countcrsink which
had been using. With this l might SO
lengthen the punch as to strike an eff
fectiye blow. A third journey of an
guish through the water, now almost
hot, brought me, with my last hope, to
the place where l had been trying tc
piece the better plate. Putting the coun
tersink upon the punch and holding theil
junction willrmy LEFT hand, prayed this
time both to God and to my Margare,
and again struck raighty blow. The
tools flew apart. my left hand was fright
fully bruised. but God and Margaret be