River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-03-02

moment we might be shaken off and
hurled to the bottom of the shaft.
| cannot explain how l knew inn
pressions are mysterious things but
| was re then as | am now that
something had gone wrong with the
hosting machinery. That meant that
no human power could save us. The
bucket would be drawn up TO the cross
timbers supporting the sheave-wheel.
the rope would break, and we would
be dashed to the rocks 1900 feet be-
low.
Yet. as it seemed, John and Evan
had one chance, 2 narrow one, TO save
themselves. We were within 200 feet
of the landing, and | said as quietly
as I could, BE ready to jump.
I saw them pale. Evidently they, too.
in the few seconds that had elapsed, had
formed the same conclusion / had
reached.
was standing a-straddle Of the large
bail of the bucket Evan was on one
side John on the other. There was no
room for me to jump, but when | saw
them turn their backs to the center OF
the shaft knew they were going to take
their only chance. They might reach
and be able to cling to the timbers that
framed the edges of the shaft. 1t was
short Jump but taken from a swaying
foothold, they knew as well as that 1t
was a most uncertain one.
What are you going to Go?' Evan
asked.
Nothing. Look out for yourselves,
answered.
What will become Of you?"
GOO only knows" responded, al
| though | had made up my mind that
death awaited me.
Here, take my place." he cried, ex-
citedly. You are married man, and
+"
He had no time to finish. The rate at
which the bucket had been ascending
had lessened the distance to the top of
the shaft with frightful rapidity, and be-
fore could answer mo" we were out in
the sunlight
For moment saw the earth, the riv-
er, the mountains. Never had they
looked more beautiful. | saw John and
Evan jump-and fall back into the black
pit. heard cry of horror from the men
who stood helpless at the mouth OF the
shaft. Then the bucket struck the cross
timbers, careened, and threw me for
ward. My hands caught something. AS
| gripped it | knew that l was hanging
on the lower circle Of the sheaye-wheel.
Then as | heard the dull crash of the
bucket on the rocks twelve hundred feet
below me l sIckened, and everything
swan dizzily before my eyes. How did
manage to hold my grip until help
reached me? | do not know.
Some things l can explain. learned
afterward the cause of the accident that
took the lives Of my comrades, and l
found that it was by another accident
that my life was preserved.
At that time--20 years agO-we had
only single engine, geared to the hoist
ing-drum by pinion wheels. 1t was not
reversible engine. 1t had a large fly
wheel to carry the crank over the center,
and was, in general, like most of the old
fashioned hosting machinery used in
shaft sinking.
They told me that hardly had the en-
gineer started, the engine on this occas-
ion when he discovered that he could not
control it, The disk in the throttle
valve had loOsened in some way. The
engine gained speed with each revOlu-
ton, and could neither be stopped nor
checked.
Rushing out of the engine room, he
gathered the men at the top of the shaft.
They saw the bucket shoot up, saw John
and Evan fall back, and saw me catch
the sheave-wheel and hang suspended
over the center of the shaft.
Grasping a rope, the head man hur-
ried up the ladder to the cross-timbers Of
the headhouse. Making moose in the
rope, he lowered it under my feet and
drew it UP round my body, Not a moment
too soon, for as the moose drew taut
tainted dead away
Most wonderful of all was the part the
sheave-wheel played in securing my
safety. The wheel hung closely between
the two cross-timbers that supported it.
and was revolving rapidly. But when
the bucket struck, the rope was thrown
| OlL INC NuSCI, ctuu 1dlIlllS DeIN6Su II anu
the cross-timbers, gagged and stopped
it.
Had the wheel continued to revolve, it
would have torn off my hands in an in
slant and flung me down to death with
| my companions. Lives are risked as
well as lost every day in the anthracite
regions, but have never heard of a mar
rover escape than mine.-Youth' S Com
| paniOn