Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-03-03

& VINO worked i'll the Smuggler-
Union mine. He was employed as en-
gineer of the holster. He could attach
no blame to himself for the fire that
cost the lives of so many men, and
was imperilling many others, but his
heart ached for those who were per-
maps struggling with death down in the
blackness of the ninth level. There
was another thing that appealed to
him. The solemn walls of the wife,
the sister and the children that broke
the still night air.
He ran about and asked if anything
was being done-could anything be
done? All gave him the same reply.
Death lurked in the ninth level, he was
told. What was the use of adding to the
death list? He knew the chances We're
against him. But there was bare
possibility that he might at least help
He would so down in the cage to the
ninth level. He made known his in
tention to Engineer Cogar. That man,
an old miner Injured to the dangers of
mines. told him not to go to certain
death. Enough brave men had al
ready fought against the inevitable.
He begged him to desist, for the sake
of those near and dear to him. But no
one was so near and dear to Hughey
O'Neill that he could contemplate the
wretchedness Of the women and chill
dren whose walls haunted him. The
argument of the engineer did not i'm
press him. What he wanted to know
was if there was a bare possibility
that his visit to the ninth level would
save the life of at least one man. The
engineer was forced to admit that
there was possibility.
O'Neill hesitated no longer. He said
in his brusque way:
Let me down."
He stepped into the cage in which
many morn, rosy-tipped with the ris-
ing sun, he had gone down with his
drills about him and refreshed by tired
natures sweet restorer, was at peace
with the world. The engineer before
the cage went down had an under
standing with O'Neill that IL no signal
was given within two minutes after
the ninth level was reached, the cage
was to be hoisted.
Ready said O'Neill in a voice that
showed no sign Of fear.
"Swish," sounded the great wheel as
1t turned, and down the cage started
slowly, and then more rapidly. O'Neill
disappeared into the darkness and
smoke. AS the daylight went out OF
his sight his deathknell was sounded.
The engineer watched the gauge.
Down went the cage, humping and
butting the black hole as it descended.
At last the ninth level is reached.
Engineer Cogar holds his watch ner-
vously. He sees the minute hand go
round. Two minutes never seemed so
long before. No signal. Another few
seconds pass and no signal. He is
sure he has made no mistake. Again
"swish'' goes the engine wheel and the
cage starts back. Men lean over the
black hole of death and look, look,
look for the first sign Of the cage. Is
O'Neill in the cage or has he been suf-
focated, and is he lying gasping in the
throes of death on the fatal level? The
tt5C lloN tiit SUI IuNC. II toll-
tains a man-at least one man. There
are two. One is Hughey O'Neill and
the other the body of a victim of the
poison in the ninth level.
"Hugheyr' shouts the engineer
There is no answer.
The hero of the Telluride disaster is
unconscious. But he has found and
brought up with him man whose
body is still warm and from whom
the last spark of life has not gone out
1t is Joe Nelson, the husband of one of
the women whose cries had moved him
to the point of his terrible work of
rescue.
Nelson never saw thes light Of day.
He expired soon after reaching the
surface. O'Neill had done all that
human could do to save the life of
one of his fellow men. The effort
failed, but the deed was there-a deed
which will stand out in the record of
mans humanity to man as long as
brave hearts beat and unselhshness
lives.
When O'Neiil was taken out of the
cage he was limp and unconscious. He
never regained consciousness sufficient
to tell his story.
The supposition is that when he
reached the ninth level he groped about
in the darkness until he found the body
of Nelson, and then, himself at the
point of death, he dragged the dying
man to the cage and got in with him.
Falling unconscious when his task was
done, he could not give the promised
signal. The poisonous vapors had al
ready penetrated his system and the
pallor of death was upon him when
he reached the sunlight.
All efforts to save him, and they
were all that mind and heart could de-
wise, failed, and on the following day
he died.-Denver Times.
A Young Prote ctor.
During the Franco-prussian War Sir
Edward Malet was one of the secre
taries OF the British Embassy at Paris