Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-10-05

case of the ironclads and In that OF
the mine."
"How SOL"
"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 absurdly
impossible, as any engineer not an
idiot should have known"
"And yet you think you can use these
fans successfully in ventilating the
mine?"
al do not think; / know. II Mr..
Davidson will permit me to explain
Never mind Davidson. If this ex-
pertinent is to be tried you shall your
self be the man to try 1t. Go on.
please"
"But. Duncan, l simply mustn't be
known in the matter at ALL"
"Why not?"
81 have wife to care for / can't
afford to be discharged. No. Duncan;
I must not be known in this matter or
have anything to do with the execu-
ton Of the plans I suggest. ] want
you to treat them as your own; sug-
gest them to Davidson and persuade
him to carry them out. In that way all
of good and nothing Of harm Will be
done"
"Why. then, haven't you suggested
your plans to DavidsOn?"
81 have, and he has scOrnfully re-
jected them. Coming from you he may
treat them with greater respect"
go on, then, and tell me how you
purpose to yentilate 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 will 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 mine-one at either end-if you
draw air out at one end fresh air Will
of itself rush in ut the other end to
take its place. My plan is to sink shaft
at the farther end of the mine and to
build an air tight box at the surface
opening, completely closing 1t, except
for an outflow pipe. Then / shall put
one of the big ironclad fans into that
box upside down. When 1t is set
spinning 1t will suck air out 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
this?"
more than confident; I'm sure"
Duncan rarely showed excitement
When he did so 1t was in ways Pc
culiar to himself. At this point he rose
to his feet and, with an unusually slow
and careful enunciation, said:
go to work at this job early tomor-
row morning, Dick, or this morning
rather, for it is now 1 o'clock. Your
| wife Is Mary, of course"
There was a choking sound In Dun
cans voice as he uttered the words.
Eyes, of course" answered the other,
instinctively grasping Duncan's hand
and pressing it In warm sympathy.
"Will you bear her message from
me"
Eyes; any message you are moved to
send"
"Tell her that Guilford Duncan has
appointed you sole engineer OF these
mines, with full salary, and that II you
succeed in the task you have under
taken a far better salary awaits you.
You are to 60 to work at once digging
the new vent!ating and pumping shaft.
You are to proceed at once to install
any other improvements necessary.
I'll look to the payments Incidental to
your work. My mission here Is to
make this mine paying property. To
that end you are to bear in mind l
have an entirely free hand, and all the
money needed is at my command.
Now let that finish business for to-
night l want you to spend the rest
of the dark hours In telling me your
story and Mary's. I want to know oil
that las happened to both Of you since
well, since she told me she loved you
| and not me- Tell me the story Of what
has happened to you and Mary since
the day when we Quarreled like pair
of idiots and, like men Of sense, decid-
ed not to fight. want to hear 1t all."
'1'll tell it ALL" said the other And
Temple related to his former rival In
love how he, q well educated engineer
in the Confederate service, had, after
the war, been reduced by many sue
cessive mlsfortunes to the position Of a
coal miner.