The St. Johns herald., 1902-01-04


 Allen was employed at a patent fuel works at Sunderland One night one of the large tar stills at the works be- gan to leak. The next morning a workman named Mcleod entered the tar still to make the necessary repairs. The tar had been drawn and the work man removed the cap in order to allow the fumes to escape. No one was pay ing any particular attention to Me Leod. for although 1t was generally known that there was always more or less danger attending any work in the stills, repairs had been made so ire quently with no injurious results that the men had long since ceased to expe- rience any feeling of anxiety when workman lowered himself into one of the stills.
 A number of the men had seen Me Leod disappear within the tank this morning, however, and as the minutes passed and no sound of his work reached the men, Richard Lawson, an- other still man, became worried. He hastened to the tar tank to see if any, thing was wrong with Mcleod. All was as silent as the tomb when he reached the still. and his shouts re- ceiVed no answer: Fearing for the safety of his comrade, he quickly low cred himself into the still Once again some time passed, and as nothing was heard from either man another employe of the works, Weddle by name, at tempted to make a double rescue, for by this time 1t was decided that the men had been Overpowered by the fumes of the still. Great excitement prevailed when Weddle went down and a great crowd of workmen surrounded the still and shouted down suggestions. to which Weddle made reply from time to time. Great was the cOnsterna- tion of all when this brave fellow no longer gave back shout for shout. It was just when the excitement was at It's height that Allen rushed on the scene. He grasped the situation at glance, and. pushing the men to- right and left, he made a dash for the still. tying a rope around his waist as he went, and carrying another with him.
 The men quieted down and silently followed Aliens terse decisive com mands. Allen was lowered into the still. He carefully tied a rope around one of the victims, gave the rope by which he was suspended a sharp jerk and was immediately pulled to the sur face of the pit. He held one end of the rope to which one of the prostrate men was attached, and when he had gained the fresh air again he pulled after him Weddle.
 Hardly waiting to gain his breath, Allen made another downward trip and came up with another victim. By this time he himself was pretty well ex- hausted, but his courage and deter to rescue the third man never faltered.
 Quickly he swung down again to the bottom of the still to release Mcleod. | but he discovered that the workmen's feet were fast In some manner and while endeavoring to extricate him AL len was almost overcome
 He came up empty handed and as soon as he was sufficiently recovered to make the trip again he insisted upon being lowered into the still. This time he succeeded In releasing Mcleod and | bringing him up with him, thus effect ing a triple rescue and making four trips into the suffocating fumes of the still. Two of the men recovered rapid ly, and Mcleod the third man, who i was seriously burned. added his cheer to that of the rest of the workmen when Allen was presented with the . gold medal.