The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-07-15
ceaslble headlngn nre croaed.


"Pcrhaps can guess" said Duncan.
n have myself discovered d very seri.
Gus difficulty In the personal equation
or Mr.. Davidson. He does not want 10
vcntilate the mine. ue has his own
reasons, OF course. That difficulty shall
no longer stand In the way. | shall
eliminate II ut onoa. Go on, please.
and tell me of the engineering prob.
lom."
IT scarcely amounts 10 problem.
The mine lies only about seycnty.nye
feet below tho surface. AT its extreme
extension tho depth 10 considerably
less because OF surface depression
there. What suggest 10 this: Dig q
shaft at the extreme end, thus making
= second opening, and pnss mir freely
through the mine from the one opening
to the other. The cost will be mere
triHe.p
sBut will the air pass through In
that wayY'
"Not without help. But we can cas-.
iiy givc II help"
"Howf Go on. Explain your plan
fully"
swell, we have here three or four OF
those big fans that the government had
made for the purpose OF ventilating
the engine rooms and stokeholes Of its
ironclads Thsy utterly failed and
were sold ~ junk. Captain Hallam
bought LOT OF them at the price OF
scrap iron and sont them out here.
Davidson tried one Of them and report.
Cd utter failure nv q result, The fall
ure was natural enough. both In the
case OF tho lroncIads and In that OF
the mine"
How sof"
why, IN both cases an attempt was
made TO force air down into spaces al.
ready filled' with an atmosphere denser
than that above. That was absurdiy
impossible. an any engineer not an
idiot ahouid have known"
"And yet you think you can use these
fans successfully In yentllatlng the
mine7"
II do not think: ! know. II Mr..
Davidson viii permit me to explain
"Never mind Davidson. II this ex.
pertinent 10 10 be tried you shall your.
self be the man TO try II. Go on.
please"
'But. Duncan, simply mustn't be
known In the matter at all"
"why noty'
II have wife TO care for can't
afford 10 be discharged. No. Duncan:
] must not be known In this matter or
have anything TO do with the execu.
ton OF the plans suggest. I want
you 10 treat them as your own; sug.
gest them to Davidson and persuade
him 10 carry them out In that way all
OF good and nothing Of harm win be
done"
why. then. haven't you suggested
your plans to DavidsonY"
II have. and he has scornfully re-
jected them, Coming from you he may
treat them with a greater respect"
go on, then. and tell me how you
purpose TO ventilate the mine. I'm
nightly interested" said Duncan.
THANK you" said Temple. my
plan is perfectly simple. You can't
force air down Into a mine with any
pump that was ever invented or any
pump that ever viii be devised BY
human ingenuity. But you can easily
and certainly draw air out OF a mine.
And when there are two openings to
the mlne-one at either end--if you
draw mir out at one end fresh air viii
Of itself rush in at the other end to
take It's place. My plan Is to sink a shaft
al the farther end Of the mine and to
build an air tight box at the surface
opening, completely closing II. except
for an outflow pipe. Then shall put
one OF the big ironclad fans into that
box upside down. When II Is set
spinning II viii suck air ont of the
mine, and fresh air will rush In at
the main shaft to take the place Of
the air removed"
Duncan was intensely interested.
Very eagerly he bent forward as he
asked:
"You are confident OF success in
shls2"
"More than confident; I'm sure"
Duncan rarely showed excitement.
When he did so II was In ways Pc
ruliar to himself. At this point he rose
10 his feet and, with an unusually slow
and careful enunelation, said:
go to work at this job early tomor-
row morning, Dick, or this morning,
rather, for 1t Is now / o'clock. Your
wife is Mary, of course?"
There was choking sound in Dun.
san's voice as he uttered the words.
"Yes, OF course" answered the other,
grasplng Duncan's hand
md pressing 1t In warm sympathy.
"Will you bear her message from
neY
"Yes; any message you are moved to
.end.n
"Tell her that Gullford Duncan has
appointed you sole engineer of these
mines, with full salary. and that II you
In the task you have under.