The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-04-06
A Hymn Sung in q Fiery Furnace.

Many persons will recall the thrilling ac-
count of the burning of the Pemberton
Mill after its fall. 1t occurred on January
10, 1860, in Lawrence, just as the country
was being agitated by the mutterings of
rebellion in South Carolina. Suddenly,
in motion, the walls fell and 700 operatives
were thrown into the widest excitement
beyond powers of description. Out of the
700 employees, seventy-seven were killed
outright, and 1874 so injured that many af-
terward died. The cause of the appalling
catastrophe was faulty construction of
iron pillars supporting the floors and the
! poor quality of the mortar. The company
| which furnished the cement, and the man
who mixed the mortar, may have escaped
at the time the righteous indignation of
the country, but they have yet to confront
a court from whose sentence there can be
no appeaEtheir own conscience and the
bar of God.
The writer resided within nine miles Of
Lawrence, and was mere lad at the time.
In that very yard in the Bay State mill he
had three relatives at work, who were hor-
rifed at the occurrence.
Rescuing parties were quickly formed to
lift off the heavy timbers and remove the
brick and mortar from the buried, wounded
and crushed victims. In the eagerness to
answer the pitiful cries for help the weary
rescuers, toiling far into the night, rushed,
now here, now there, to raise some beam
or to carry food to many sufferers. Dark
ness fell upon the scene, and the terrible
wintry atmosphere admonished them to
hasten their task lest new foe should
freeze the victims to death. Alas! while
in pursuit of this object some one accident
ally struck his lantern against brick wall
and the oily timbers blazed up like gun.
powder. Water was frozen in the hose,
rendering it useless. To add to the horror
of the scene the flames spread so rapidly
that the would-be rescuers were driven
away, though another moment would nave
seen their victims saved.
Among those nearly rescued was beau.
tiful, intelligent lady, who had been a resi-.
dent of Lowell, and an active member OF
the church. Her defeated friends were
forced to fly from the awful, fiery furnace,
heated hotter than that of Nebuchadnez-
zar. Some covered their faces with their
hands, which were bleeding from the con-
tact with the broken brick, scattered glass
and splintered timbers, while others could
not turn away their faces under the terri
BILE fascination of the woeful spectacle.
But their amazement was indescribable
when they saw the lady's pale lips moving
and their ears caught the words of holy
song, and inspired hope as she sang:
my heavenly home is bright and fair;
Nor pain nor death can enter there;
It's glittering towers the sun outshine; .
) The heavenly mansion shall be mine"
No trembling voice lifted that hymn, as
the bystanders might naturally have ex.
pected, but the tones were firm, clear and
sustaining. Then followed the chorus:
'1'm going home, I'm going home,
I'm going home to die no more,
To die no more, to die no more.
I'm going home to die no more
The flames had not, as yet, reached her
prison OF brick and stone and oily timbers,
but her eyes beheld the forked toncues OF
fire. and her ears caught the ominouS roar
ing and cracking sounds as the demon
consumed the inhammabe material. But,
though savage as were the elements, they
could not intimidate the voice of the sing
er. Hark again to the unsubdued voice,
and notice the carefully selected words.
She had often sung them at religious gath
erings; then how easy, but now how diff
cult. There was heroism an her song Tar
superior to the bravery displayed upon the
battlefield or in hospital or rebel prison.
"Iet others seek home below,
Which flames devour or waves o'erhow,
Be mine happier lot to own ;,
A heavenly mansion near the throne.
Before she finished the last two lines the
poisonous gases and dense smoke choked
her utterance, but the weeping bystanders
could catch the words. The chorus was
begun: :,
"l'm going-home-,"
but it was never finished, for her immortal
spirit was caught up uninjured by Preda'
tory flames to her coronation, while her
body was burned to a cinder, mlngling
with the pile of smoldering ashes, bent and
twisted iron and powdered glass; To-day
new mill stands upon the fatal spot, but
her song was paean of victory and VIII
never perish out Of the thought OF man
kind.-Rev. N. c. Alger, in Rams Horn.
why Does 4 Magnet Attract:
ofE III