The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-01-19
Tho Ono VINO Gscnpfd.

towns; stand there al the Wood wald d shsf
formerly snd for years the deepest shAfi |
v the Anlhriclle region.
Ten by hity.three feet In slE', Il give
room for four hoistipg-carrlsges, = pump
> carriage aud an sir-shAft. But take AVA
: that timberirg At the surface aud pictur
the ,bstl as II wss when the rockmeI
completed the work Of sinking Ii. Imagin
that siuale bucket swings 10 that black
yawning cavity. To be hang from tina
bucket is to fall twelve hundred feet.
Fame, II you can the horror OF that shee
descent through the echoiug darkness
Then hear the story Marx Moore, pitmsn
who was ssved In a second, as by hair,
breadth, from the fate Of his two compa
nions.
TIE shaft itself was iis; II iished, aud
John Grlfll h, Evan Hughes aud had been
cleal lag up the bottom to put 10 the osk
platform for the carriages to land on. The
shaft was not yet timbered. There were
Just the four walls, the rope and the hoist
iog-hueket.
We iiai,hed our work early that day. and
we're never in better spirits than when We
stepped on the bucket ard Evan ca led
out to the head man to hoist US. But come
how 1t happened that the first words be
said, as we started up ward, were, Funny
to think Of, Ell, that our lives depend on
the strength Of that ropes
locked up at that rope that seemed a
mere thread at the top Of the shaft. Grit
NIB, who WAS watching me, laughed a. the
troubled expression Of my face.
Listen See how far from the bottom we
are already, he said, recklessly,
He sprang into the bucket, picked up a
bit Of rock, and let 1t fall. held my breath
There was moment Of dreary silence; II en-
the rock, striking far belo " made dismal,
ochoing sound.
A sorry distance TO fall, said John.
No worse than II 1t we're fifty feet, l
answered, thinking to give the talk a
pleassnter turn, aud anyway there's life
for US above. on solid earth.
And the engineer's Jerking US out OF here
as II he was ia hurry TO get us on that
same solid earth.
noticed as he spoke that we were In.
deed ascel ding rapidly. Too fast for safe
ty said, holding out my light so that |
could see the side OF the shaft nearest me.
Look, how fast
We did not need to look. The rapid mo-
tlon Of the bucket could have been detect. |
ed by blind man. We were being hoisted
faster than we had ever been before. Al
ready the skeleton frame work Of the head
house could be seen clearly outlined against
the blue sky
shall report that fellow, Evans said,
aLgrily. He has no right to endanger our
lives by such recklessness.
As II few upward the bucket swayed
from side to side. II took all our strength
to keep our hold. At any moment we
might be shaken { H and hurled to the bot.
tom Of the shaft.
cannot explain now knew impressions
are mysterious things, but | was as sure
lhen 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
he cross-timbers supporting sheaye.wheel,
he rope would break, aud we would be
iashed to the rocks twelve hundred feet
below.
Yet, as 1t seemed, John and Evan had
,ne chance, a marrow one, to save them
elves. We were within two hundred feet
4 the landing, and said as quietly as l
ould, BE ready to Jump.
| saw th, ,m pale. Evidently they, too,
a the few conds that bad elapsed, had
ormed the same conclusion had reached.
l was standing a.straddle Of the large
all OF the bucket. Evan was on one side,
ohm on the other. There was no room ,
or me to Jump, but when saw them turn .
heir backs to the center OF the shaft
new they were golrg to take their only
hance. They might reach and be able
o cling to the timbers that framed the
dges Of the shsft. II was short Jump,
ut taken from sway log foothold, they
new ss well as that II was most uncer- /,
ain ore. E
What are you going TO do Evan asked. i
Nothing. Lock out for yourselves, !
nswered.
What viii bee me Of yCuf
God only lnpss, ! responded, although
bad made q my mind iha. death await \
4 me. A
Here, take my place he cried, excitedly A
'ou are mar I'd man, and l.
He had no time 10 fri,h. The rate 1T
Ihich The bucket was stcendits bad lest
red the distsee 10 ibe top Of the shaft
'i,h frightfol Isl ii,y, and before could
nswer "Non We ycfe Gu. 10 The lunlight. !,
For month, | ..w the earth, the river,
he mountains. Never had they looked n
lore beautiful. ! raw John End Evan
mp ard fall back toto the black pit.
card q cry u bofor ffcm lhe men who a
.ood helpis, a. tie mouth Of the shaft.
nen The buck strutk the cross timbeip,
ireened, apd threw me forward. My
.Ldi eauSb; -1DetL nx. AZ | gripped II !,
knew tha. ssi hanging On The lover
Ie Gle Of the shetse sbeeL ;,
Then ~ hs are the Gu ! efash Of the bue.
e on tie roek, s,lye husdrtd fee; below .,
e sitkered, snd everything swsm dizzlly
sfose my eyes. How cid | manage TO
old my grip nItil help reached met I,
D not kros.
Some things can erplais. learned
'terward the cause of the accid,u, that hi
ok the lives Of my comrades, and | foun1 q