Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-26

steady belief in the impossibility of es-
cape from the depths Of pit No. 2.
The belief was we'll founded. Up
the main shaft there was no way save
through the long roaring funnel ct
flame. After long survey of the prin-
cipal shaft Vic became certain that
that way there was, indeed, no hope.
If not by the extra exit narrow at the
best Except on paper and half )fillei
with steam pipes, certainly all was
lost. He exchanged his thick fire.
mans attire for sweater and pair
From the ce lie "dook" or dip
slanted ava: Tor nearly twelve hun
dred feet. while little to one side
of it was the opening of the special
exit that had been half-flied with the
steam pipes which served the bottom
pumping engine. But already the
pumps had been stopped, probably by
falls from the roof. The steam was
worse than useless, as those at the
top l.new Ly the volumes OF 1T which
rose like loLds, mingled with the
grey pit reek from the burning coal
seams and pitprops In the shaft.
The supply was, therefore, cut of
at the surface, though Vic knew that
every moment while the bottom pump
| ing engine was out Of gear the bottom
waters world be gaining. and that
even If ne were fortunate enough to
reach the end of the look" he might
| find himself beset by the rapidly rising
| waters.
The minister accompanied him on
his first stage to the eye of the pit
| the foot, that Is. of the first perpen-
dicular descent. They found DR.. Cal
mont already there, his Instruments
and dressings laid out on rude table
OF props and scaffolding as carefully
as on the table of his surgery.
Farther they must not go. Only
Vic and one or two others tried the
long incline Of the "dook." up which
the fires were roaring like a chimney
on fire Only this chimney was twelve
hundred feet long! Six hundred feet
higher Johnemann stood intent with
his nervous hands on the lever, his
eye on the index dial which told him
of the ordinary wide pttmen's trous
ers. He borrowed a broad leather
belt to his waist.
A little stream Of water had been
falling down the main shaft only tc
be thrown back in clouds of steam
when it reached the flames in the phi
throat far below. Vic turned part o.
it upon the heated pipes in the narrow
second exit The steam had been cu'
off in the pipes owing to the fall D
material at the pit bottom, but The
iron was still far too hot to venture
down with safety
Nevertheless, he resolved to max.
the attempt DR.. Calmont and his as
sistant Phil, who had descended will
him. united in dissuading MIN. Blu
Vic held out. If he could not maxi
1t then nobody else could. Besides
every moment gave tlem less chanc
of saving the girl.
It was then that Phil Calmont fel
: most bitterly his inferiority. He ha
, called himself an engineer abov
} ground, but down there in the dar
the commonest ponyboy knew NOR
3 than he And far, below him, in
. deeper darkness, shut off by floors {
: flame, was Vida Bryan. True. h
. could not help her. Even to die fc
e her sake would not advantage her
. the least 1t was fortunate that hi
! father gave Phil some of his instr,
e ments to polish and cover. The dri
e from the roof told upon them. an
o DR.. Hugh Calmont loved them consi
4 erably more than his children, VIII
5 generally speaking were nuisance
o him But after this night he ha
If hopes Of Phil. He knew how to us
h a piece of chanois leather.
e Phil sank his nails into his palms I;
S Vic Morris. taking long breath. s.