Waterbury Democrat., 1902-02-20

gradually decreasing portion oflts TOP was above ground. Just where 1t dis appeared beneath the earth was an open manhole, covered by heavy wire screen. For the remainder of its length it was buried al an increasing depth beneath the surface, till 1t passed through the foundation wall oT the mill and came out in the lowest basement, to pour it's flood into the wheel-plt. There was anoth CT open manho1e 1ew feet from the enc of the pipe.
 "As I clung to the grating, with my face barely above the surface, could see the little twigs and chips drawn into the current and sucked down the smooth incline. I tried to pull myself up to the grating in the hope that l might climb out of reach of the water that was dragging me down.
 But so slight was my hold that could not get sufficient purchase to do this; and was afraid to relax my grip in the least for fear that might pc swept away before I could regain 1t.
 Ut was plain that this state of af- l fairs could not last very long. line strain was in nowise violent or rough, but it was steady. Far behind me down the long tunnel could hear the water falling on the wheel. My fingers were ] growing numb Little by little the i strength was leaving them l could not hold on much longer. Would no one come to rescue me? thought of my wife and children, and clung with renewed energy. shouted. But who could hear me, imprisoned as l was in the mouth of the pipe?
 f suddenly steps approached outside, l and through the top of the grating l above me saw red-whiskered face
 looking down. It was the Scotch en-
 gineer. I could see the little beads of
 sweat standing out on his forehead,
 and two or three wisps of thin red hair
 plastered down on his flushed skin.
 Heaven preserve us!' heard him
 say. Its Bickmorel Hold on, man,
 and I'll save ye!'
 s'He waved his hand to encourage me,
 and disappeared. I heard him rum
 ming swiftly toward the mill. Then
 the sound of his footsteps died away
 At the upper end of the channel that fed the penstock was the heavy
 wooden gate, operated from the en-
 gine-room by a system of rods and
 levers I knew that Sandy was hurrying
 to close this gate and cut off the flow
 of the water into the race.
 ssBut he had come too late.
 s'Not five seconds after his face dis
 appeared my numbed fingers lost their orip. and I was swept like a feather
 down the penstock.
 sThe stream was only about four
 feet deep, and flowed with very little
 sound or turmoil I managed to keep my head above the surface, and occa-
 sionally my feet touched bottom as was borne along. But to stop my
 progress was simply impossible. The current was too strong and too swift
 "Occasionally I was dashed against I the iron sides of the pipe, and involun- tarily threw out my hands to clutch at them. Vain effort! for the sides were
 smooth and slimy; and even had
 been able to arrest my course, my arms : would have been torn from their sock
 cts by the resistless power that was r hurrying me along.
 "Overhead square of light flashed f by. I had already gone hundred l yards and passed under the open man f hole. Through it's frame I caught what I felt was probably my las x glimpse of blue sky. The branch of : I poplar hung above the opening, and
 saw it's green leaves bright in the sun - Then. darkness came again.
 e s.On through the cylinder I rushed r. I do not know how long it took me t, h traverse that thousand feet. It wa f probably in the neighborhood of twt
 I. II; 11oo 2 seeing the round, white, grated moutl D of the penstock growing steadi... q smaller and farther of. And every sec e ond tht roar at the other end was be Q coming louder and louder. From th
 utter darkness in front the roar of tn ,e beaten water boomed up the marrow V tunnel In a few seconds all would b ,e over.
 r. "The end came before had expecte e it. With a shock that drove the breat s- out of my body, I was flung agains n something rough and sharp and harG ie something that seemed to clutch m n with several arms, bruising an
 wounding me. knew nothing else, fo IS at that moment I lost consciousness. " s'When 1 came to myself, I was iyin e on a heap of paper waste in the base te ment of the mill Half dozen of tn le worlmen were around me. felt sic
 and weak. My clothing was torn i "a several places, and was covered wit m bruises. But to me the miracle wa fl, that was still alive and that my bone e. were whole.
 e. The very thing that had been th le cause of my peril had in the end prove
 to be my safety The birch stump ha r. been swept down the penstock, unt pr within few feet of the wheelit it's roor r. had caught on the edge of the la oy manhole The shock of my body ha e. dislodged it, but fortunately for me i ne hold was not entirely loosened unt as the engineer had closed the gate of il
 race and stopped the wheel. Just ke the last root gave way the force of Il Id. water abated.
 ng "I had been found insensible in Il ed very end of the pipe. Death had bee D. only a few. seconds away from m it This watch-charm was carved out
 a piece of the stump that saved n m ife.''-Youth's Companion.
 Turkey DisIilxeS the Partridge 7 l5' In Turkey the partridge is dete