The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-10-19
He reaches De exit OF the shaft.
The gates are there, but
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He reaches ne exit OF the shaft.
The gates are there, but
They are closedl
He slaggers back In his horror. Well
he realizes what has happened. The
workmen, while he has been laborlous-
\ ~ closing the sluices, have discovered
( the hurst in the reservoir aud. fearing
/ that the rush OF wateg viii be tremen-
I dous. have given up 'Sulman ms lost.
closed the gates and left him 10 his
/ fate
4 Is there no hope for him? Must he
drown like rat in the well Of ship
For "A brief second or two he ponders
over his hapless position when there
dawns upon him the great hope that,
after an, be may escape, He remeIn-
bers that the vertical shaft has an iron
ladder running up the side 10 the top
OF the reservoir. IN he can get 10 this
shaft ana climb tie ladder be might
escape, but VIII tie water M the bot
tom of the ,ioping tunnel permit him
10 reach tie shaftg
He starts down the slope az a run.
the light Of bis lantern castiug weird
shadows ga the Shiny walls Ills feet
splash n Icy cold water and sicken-
ing fear COMES over him that the bot.
tom end 81 Tie tunnel may he coin.
pletely submerged.
lie pushes ON The water Is above
his ankles q reaches 20 his knees. his
hips, bis waist Tie pauses and hold
ing dloft tne lantern glzes VITA terror
stricken eyes toward The spot where
the vertical shaft should be-
he cannot sec a. The sloplug roof
Of tie tunnel goes duWa aud down an.
iii i meets Tie top &c The water. and
every moment the water Is rising high.
or ana higher lie knows TINT 70 re-.
treat IS hopeless He must get 70 the
shaft or perish How far off Is the
shaft? TO reach it he must 90 under
water.
lie dashes into The water. 1T is up
To his neck now Tie lantern Is drop
ped and drawing a deep breath. be
plnugcs beneath
He Is almos carried from bis feet as
be staggcrs forward How long can
he keep Ills breathe Can he last until
he reaches the ladder and can draw
himself up 50 that his head will bc
above tho surfaceY Those few mo.
meuts Of agony arc rs years 70 him.
lie reaches the bottom Of The shaft
His hands grasp the rungs Of the lad.
der he slips and bis strength s going
from him There Is the frightful over.
widening impulse 70 open bis mouth
70 breathe, e shout lis cropping hands
grasp the ladder again; he draws HIM
self mp I'M up VIII lie mover reach
The surface II seems like eternity
Bot at that supreme moment, when
he feels that bits palsied fingers can no
longer grasp the rnngs ~ tile ladder.
his head rises above water, and the
reyllsion u feeling tbat comes over
him as lie takes his first breath Is so
great that be nearly swoous. For some
seconds he can do nothing but hang on
to the ladder and take Ia deep drafts
of the rcyivifying mir But the water
is still rising He must mount the lad
der and reach the outlet
How much fartherf Suddenly his
upward progress Is arrested Ills head
bumps against something. lie puts up
his hand and gropes about.
lie * foiled again!
The workmen have closed the top ~
the shaft
No wonder that he groans IN his ag
ony Of mind All he can DO Is 10 hang
on as long ais nature will allow him
the strength Then, unless the Shaft
cover Is removed be must fall bacli In
20 those black aud hungry waters be
meath,
Little 10 the miners who are congre-
gated around the mouth Of the SHAFT