Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1904-10-21
sROBBING THE PILLARS y
A Peril of the Coal Mines.
BY WALTER FENTON.

any hardships to earn food for my
family"
Mr.. Ashton was at heart a kindly
man, but he had never experienced the
awful meaning of the word starvation.
He regarded John Fayne closely for
a moment, and then called to a SER
want
Put up O, basket OF provisions. for
this man at once"
Thank you! thank you!" said John
Fayne, and the tears started from his
eyes; for this was the first kindly act
that had gladdened his heart for many
day. When the food was produced
he was about to hasten home with 1t,
when Mr. Ashton said:
Stay. You say you are willing to
work, and although the mines are idle,
/ think I can give you work If you
dare undertake it. You know the old
North Mountain mine that has not
been worked for several years?"
John Fayne answered afirmatively.
Very WE'LL continued Mr.. Ashton,
81 will give you the job of robbiHg the
pillars from it."
What" cried Payne, in surprise.
would you send me there? The
North Mountain mine was deserted be-
because the roof was unsafe, and there
were so many lives lost by the fall of
top coal that no one would longer
0rly In An IN he Mill %rn
Mr.. Ashton, if | went there to work,
Their are 10 chances to l that l would
come forth only as a crushed and
mangled corpse. No. l cannot do it."
Every WE'LL" answered Mr.. Ashton.
The pay would enable you to support
your family in comfort, and | thought
l would mention it to you. You posi-
lively refuse my offer. then?"
John Fayne hesitated. He thought
of his loved ones. and the brave. no
ble-hearted man determined to take
the fearful risk for their sakes. He
was placed in a terrible situation, and
could any true man have done other
wise? On the one hand was starva-
ton for his wife and child, on the
other an awful danger for himself. He
chose the last
81 witt accept your offer, and tomor-
row l will begin the work of robbing
the pillars from the old North Noun
tain mine." he said.
1t is early morning, but John Fayne
has already entered the gloomy cav
erns of the deserted mine. He had ia
ken the food to his house last night,
and told his wife of the work he had
obtained. She had tried to persuade
him to abandon the dangerous project,
but in vain.
The gloomy subterranean place is
silent and deserted. Overhead the
black, chasm-seamed rocks extend, and
seem ready to descend upon him at
any moment; the water drips from nu-
merous crevices, and falling upon the
hard floor gives forth a weird, unnat-
ural sound 1t seems to the lone min
er that those strange noises are made
by the nails being driven into a coffin,
sides of the old "gangway," and the
iron mine rails are rusted. and de-
eayed by the action of sulphur water.
Deeper, and yet deeper he makes his
way into the mine, and the cold, damp
air strikes upon him like chill breath
from the grave.
The mine lamp upon his hat sheds
fitful light upon the uncanuy place,
and the miner sees that here aud there
the wooden props that were to sustain
the roof from where there were no
pillars" have fallen from their places.
He has now reached the point at
which his work Is to be commenced,
and he sets about the task of drilling
hole into huge pillar of coal. He
labors diligently, and when the drill
measure" tells him that the required
depth is reached he puts the powder
into the hole, and prepares to fire
the "shot" that is to blast away the
coal.
All is in readiness, and he lights the
fuse that is to ignite the powder, and
then hastens away to a safe distance
to await the expected explosion.
One, two, three moments pass, and
the explosion does not take place.
The miner thinks the fuse must have
gone out ere it reached the powder,
but he waits a moment longer. He is
no quite sure that the fuse has fall
ed. and he returns to examine it. He
is but few feet from it when there is
binding fash. followed by terrific
explosion that seems to shake the
earth to its foundation, and the same
instant a mountainous mass of coal.
rock and earth descends upon him.
He is crushed to earth, but not kill
Ell outright, for a fallen prop that
CHANGED to lie near where he fell sup
ports the mass somewhat. He strug-
giles desperately to free himself, but
the effort is useless. for he is held
down by weight that no one could
move. Air comes through the cracks
about him, and he thanks God for that,
for, with the blind infatuation that
! prompts the drowning man to catch. at
O. otA0 NC SCt uOQCo W 0S FOu.
There seems little grounds for hope,
and as the time drags on. and no res
cNer comes to his aid terrible des-
pair takes possession of his heart.
"Oh, Cod" he cries, spare me.
spare me for the sake of my helpless
family" 81
But no one comes, and he thinks
that he is doomed to die alone in the
| darkness of that living grave
! The clock strikes six, and. Mary.
/ John Fayne's wife looks anxieusly
forth from the window of their cot
hoping to see the welcome form OF her
husband returning from the mine, but
sight of him does not gladden. her
eyes. A half hour passes, and the
waiting wife begins to fear that some
H. Il 4. -