The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-09

the water would rise up and break over
the dam. Do you understand"
Tim nodded his head, and added: Its
| a great responsibility for some one
Yes, 1t is, and that's what worries me.
L can't be up here all the time, and my
engineer is sometimes a little neglectful.
l thought you might help him"
There was nothing more said but when
Tim was turned over to the engineer he
felt that he shared half the responsibility
of the terrible situation.
Bosworth was a pleasant sort of man.
a splendid engineer. When Tim showed
an interest in the machinery he took de-
light in explaining it to him Within
twenty-four hours after he went on duty
Tim knew every rod and wheel about
the geat pumping machine.
AS the days and nights passed and the
huge pumps seemed to work with the reg
ularity of clock movements. without any
human help, even Tim became accustom-
! ed the dangerous situation, and felt the
! responsibility grow less.
Mr.. Stevens, who had the contract for
| building the irrigat ton canal and it's feed
ers, frequently visited the pumping sta
ton, and during these trips to inspec-
1 lions Tim had occasion to see much OF
him. The man was quiet and taciturn.
but when he spoke it was to the point
| Tim learned more and more to like and
admire him.
| In many respects the man conhded in
| the lad more than in the sub-contractors
under him. One day. a fortnight after
his employment. Tim was accompanying
| him on a tour of inspection along the
dam. when he said:
'If everything goes all right now for
another week we can turn the waters in
to the canal and my Job will be complet-
| II lat. to
chinery i'm the meantime everything will
be ruined, and my work will go for moth
| ing"
The lines deepened In his face as he
| spoke, and Tim began to realize what
failure would mean to this man.
| 1t was three days after this when Mr..
| Stevens visited the pumping station
again. He came to announce that he
would have to leave the works for cou-
| pie Of days to attend the erection OF some
machinery at another point on the line
| Of the canal. II was not altogether acct
dent that induced Tim to ask just before
he left
what would be the best thing to do
Mr.. Stevens, II the pumps should stop
worl1ing?"
The man glanced quickly at him and
| answered:
Repair them at once"
Yes. know" responded the boy. blush
ing. "but II they couldn't be repaired in
time to save the works"
"well, if I was here, I should try to
break down the other side OF the reser-
voir, and let the waters run into the
mountain gorge at the foot Of the stono
quarry. But that would require the help
| OF a good many men to do II In time"
This was unsatisfactory advice. and Tim
pondered over It all that night. A heavy
\ load seemed to weigh upon his mind, and
once In the night he rose and walked
/ out to see II the pumps were working oil
right Then when the familiar clicking
of the machinery greeted his ears he
laughed at his fears and returned to bed
and sleep.
| But in the middle Of the following day
the old apprehension returned to him.
/ The absence Of Mr.. Stevens from the
works depressed the lad. and made him
feel that more responsibility rested upon
his shoulders.
II may have been this coincidence, or
some foreboding Of evil that induced him
to watch the huge pumps In their ryth-
mic work Up aud down the great cylin-
ders moved, performing their work with
| tireiess energy. There was a fascination
in them that held Tim. Then suddenly,
as he watched and admired. wondering
| n steel and iron never got tired, he
thought their pace slackened. He glanc-
cd up apprehensively. FIRST at the pumps.
and then at the power house. There was
something wrong. The pumps were
slowly but surely stopping.