The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-06-21
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.+!++++++.s sented long black
vis39 side with gloomy
wharf nd storehouse. At iu-
I tervals II was spanned by bridges
sparkling with misty white electric
stars Now and then 4 red and green
lighted tug, churning automatically
along with tow of barge or schooner,
whistled at this bridge or at that.
Up tilted the swinging while the
ponderous counterweights sank into
the dismal pits below.
Through went the tug. Down
dropped the bridge as the weights
rose, and the clogged streets emptied
themselves Of vehicles and pedestrians
until the next shrill whistle split the
spans once more.
Like most chronic procrastinators
Harvey Monroe was always in a hur-
ry. 1t seemed to him that the span
was kept raised unconscionably long.
Growing impatient he ducked un-
der the street barrier and leaned over
close TO the abutment to see where
the barges>were. The bridge tenders.
busy with their duties, did not OBJ
serve him, and no other foot passen-
ger was near. Deceived by the black
ness he made a false step. The next
instant he was falling beside the
granite abutment!
A few feet below he struck on his
hands and knees on a cement ledge.
The shock was violent, but a thick
cushion Of slush and drippings from
the bridge broke the force of his fall.
Down he slid, clawing desperately for
hand-hold, but finding none. Sud-
denly he shot perpendicularly feet
first into a narrow chasm, bringing
up neck deep in ice cold water. He
had dropped into the pit containing
the iron counterweight that balanced
the bridge
The suddennes Of his catastrophe
dumbfounded Monroe, although he
had suffered no injury beyond being
shaken up and bruised. But the cold
water in which hewas immersed soon
recalled him 10 himself and empha-
sized the need of immediate action.
BY feeling about he discovered that
be was in a triangular space with
hard, Shiny cement on two sides and
mass OF steel on the other. lie
must get out at once.
Just as he thought OF shouting for
help the machinery began to clank
and grind overhead, and the counter
weight slowly lifted, brushing past
him in its ascent to the position IL oc-
cupied when the bridge was down.
AS 1t rose, the water, which had al
most touched his lips, began TO fall,
and soon was no higher than his
knees
The commission merchant realized
that he must lose no time in letting
his position be known. He threw all
his breath into vigorous shouts for
help, but as the roadway OF the bridge
settled into place above. It sealed the
pit with a lid OF wood and metal
which prevented his cries from being
heard. Hurried footsteps passed
overhead; the rumbling OF wheels
echoed through his prison, but his
frantic shouting. muffied by the inter-
yening roof, attracted no attention.
Slipping, stumbling on the Shiny
bottom, Harvey splashed round MS
cell, vsinly lingering the chill walls ia
hope Of discovering some way of es-
cape. But, high as he could reach,
the hard cement Afforded not a single
ledge or crevlce, and in that pitchy
darkness be could not tell how much