Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-05-26

he had uttered only three or four chOk-
ing cries when the box slipped from
under him. and he rolled over back
ward upon the cellar floor. uncertain
whether or not he had been seen or
heard.
He replaced the box beneath the
window with the idea of making an
other attempt to attract notice; but
the smoke. finding vent through the
broken pnnes was pouring out so
thickly that he abandoned his inten
ton. From the floors above came a
succession OF explosions; the fire was
gaining fast Soon it would reach the
basement. Martin knew that the in
slant brand fell into his prison the
whole place would burst into a blaze.
and that he could not live thirty se,.-
Onds.
There was but one resort left. BE
meath the left side of the basement
and nd Looming the wall was a subceliar
in which were stored the most inflain-
Unable and dangerous goods. 1t was
the last place the young man would
willingly have chosen MS a refuge. but
no other was open to him. Cropping
bllndiy along the floor on his hands
and knees, he felt for the ring OF the
trap door. Would he never find it?
A dense smoke now filled the base
ment. The floor above was growing
hot, and he could hear the continual
cracking and swapping of the lercely
burning paints and oils.
Suddenly his fingers ran along
seam. A second later they closed
about the ring of the trap, which was
hinged on one side. Lifting 1t only
high enough to allow his body to pass.
SO that as little smoke as possible
might penetrate the space below, he
wOrmed through the narrow opening
and dropped to the bottom. Above
him the door fell heavily deadening
all sounds.
The place in which the bOokkeeper
found himself was unfamiliar to him.
His duties had rarely led him into the
basement, and although he knew OF the
existence of this vault he had only
the barest idea of it's shape and size
He stood up and found that it was
about five feet from floor to ceiling
Then he undertook an exploring tour
In which touch took the place of sight
feeling his way about until satisfied
that he had a toeraby accurate Idea
Of the dimensions of his dungeon 1t
was long and narrow. being about fifty
feet by fifteen. On one side were piled
boxes containing carboys. while on the
other stood row of barrels, their
faucets dripping with some STICKY
liquid.
The air. though close and damp.
seemed fairly pure. This relieved Mar
tins mind, for he had feared that some
nOxiOus vapOr might have collected in
SO confined a space.
A fierce cracking broke out above
The fire had reached the cellar. The
prisoner shuddered as he realized what
his fate would have been had he not
found this haven below. But soon this,
too. would become untenable. Was he
not simply delaying an inevitable
death?
A furnace-like heat struck down
through the floor overhead, and he
knew that 1t must be burning. Sud
denly the fierce kissing Of steam fell
upon his ears. The water poured on
the flames by the firemen had pene-
trated the cellar. and was battling with
the blaze there.
And now an unforeseen peril threat
ened him. The basement floor had be-
come so thickly coated with oil and
other viscid substances through years
of use that it was practically water
tight: but there were. Of course. mar
trap door and its frame
There was sound Of water flowing
over the planks above Martins head,
and a rapid scattering on the bricks
beside him. He knew that thousands
of gallons would be poured into the
building to extinguish the confiagra-
ton, and that he would be drowned ii
his refuge filed.
Feeling his way along the seams.
he discovered several Jets squirting
through; there were three places in
particular from which good sized
streams were pouring.
In his previous explorations his
hands had encountered mass of cot
ton waste. evidently used to cleanse
the faucets after oil had been drawn.
This he used like oakum to calk the
seams. pressing it In with the large
blade of his pocketknife. Soon he had
made the cracks SO tight that only
occasional drops spattcred down.
Dull, heavy explosions detonated
above. Earring the very bricks beneath
his feet. All at once there came n
terrific shock right overhead, and he
knew that some heavy box or barrel
had fallen on the roof of his retreat.
This first shock was followed by
others. AS the upper floors burned
through. the debris fell into the cellar
Now and then a loosened beam crashed
down.
AS the bOOkkecper crouched there in
the darkness it did not seem reason
able to think that he could escape