Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-09-30

en- away. strained my eyes. Then I
shouted-but my shout was drowned In
the subterranean tumult.
On the central platform was a wind
lass, with a portion Of an old disused
crane. Round this ! passed one of the
ropes, instructing the men to hold one
end and gradually give way or draw in
as l should direct Then | took the 9TH
er end, and fastened it securely under my
arm-pits
at be na~S use, Measter Hughw cried
Michael Penmaur. "Dawn't 'es 60. II
be gawing to your DEATH!
But finding that | was not to be per-
suaded, the brave fellow wrung my hand,
and promised to do his best to help me 4;
nor were the others less kindly and SYM
pathetic. As they lowered mo over the
platform, l partially supported ayself
against the Shiny rocks; but the next
moment l was suspended in air. Slowly,
carefully, they let me down At last,
some twenty yards down, my foot rested
on q ladder, descending which reached
the lowest platform Of all. released
myself from the rope, and prepared to
look around.
Suddenly my foot struck against some
thing soft, like body; and, STOPPING
down, light in hand, l say two of the
miners lying among the debris Of the
broken ladder, stone dead, and dread
fully disfgured. One was Jem Tredgar,
colossal young fellow from Penzance,
six feet high, and weighing over fifteen
stone. The fall had smashed him like
an egg, and death had been instanta-
neous.
Right under me, flooding the bottom Of
the mine, roared the sea, boiling back
ward and forward with wild pulsations
along the shafts and galleries through
which 1t had broken in. From the point
where l stood. the last ladders had been
entirely washed or broken away. The
roar was deafening, but | shouted with
all my might. paused and listened.
Suddenly from the darkness beneath, I
heard faint voice answering me. Ny
heart stood still.
Who's there" called; but the sound
OF my voice was blown away, and only
the same faint cry came in answer.
l seized the rope, and, looking up to
the men above me, pointed downward; +;
they signaled, and seemed to understand.
Then l secured the rope again under my
arm-pits, and, ignally to them to give
way, swung over the platform.
My instructions to the men had been
simple. When l tugged once at the rope
they were to lower away, when l tugged
twice they were to stop lowering, when
l tugged three times, sharply, they were
to haul in. The further descended the
greater grew my peril; for the rope was
not strong one, and many Of the out
jutting points Of rock were sharp enough
to sever it by friction, and the long swing
rendered 1t liable to break should there
be anywhere a weak or rotten strand.
When l had descended some fifteen
yards, my feet touched the sea. How
ever, l made no sign, but, entering the
water, found myself waist-deep, but
touching the bottom. Then l tugged
twice at the rope, and looked about me.
The spot where stood formed sort
Of submerged shingle, sloping down to
the deeper portions of the shafts and
galleries. On every side the sea rushed
and boiled. As l stood there, it surged
up to my breast and extinguished the
lights l carried on my person-only those
escaping which were stuck, miner fash
lon, In my hat.
l shouted again, almost despairing Of
an answer. To my amaze, voice an
swered close by, and, straining my eyes,
l saw, crouching on ledge of rock just
flush with the water, two human figures
One sat recumbent, with his head
against the wall: the other day senseless,
resting his head on the first ones lap
More like gnomes or wild beasts they
seemed, dripping wet, and covered with
filth and oOze. But even in the faint
light l recognized them.
The man sitting was my uncle, John
Pendrason. The man lying senseless was
George Redruth.
(To be continued,