West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-01-24

essary to use q pressure OF over thirty
pounds 10 the square inch two atmos-
pheres) In order to make the pressure
OF air within the tunnel equal TO the
pressure OF earth and water without.
thereby tending to keep the soft earth
at the tunnels end from caving Ia.
"Now. Dyes" said Jernigan. "we1l
Ewallcr air"
Twenty men crowded into the lock.
and the outer steel door was closed.
Jernigan turned u valve, and the air
came kissing In. the men held their
noses, blew into their checks, swallow
ed Justify with nothing TO swallow,
that they might equalize the pressure
inside their bodies with that without.
Terrible sharp pains shot through their
heads. and sometimes II seemed as
though their eardrums must burst. But
at last the limit OF pressure vas reach
ed. and the pain gradually passed
away. The door leading to the pres
sure workings was opened and I'm they
went.
Jernigan's men were all young and
sound. Zone other can bear the strain
and fatigue OF this most wearing Of
toll. The tunnel had grown misty. so
that the lights shone through halos Of
haze. and the compression of the air
had generated so much neat that the
men began to strip. Jernigan's voice
sounded thin and high In the thick
air; II was On effort TO speak aloud.
Paddock. who was an inveterate whis-
tier. could not blow n sound.
she's stopped slobberln'," remarked
Jernigan as they reached the tunnels
end. Most Of the men began digging
cautiously and shoveling the mud into
the tram cars. Swanson, the Swede,
sat at one side and industriously made
small round balls of clay, n little lar
ger than croquet balls. It seemed like
child's work, and Jernigan kept up a
steady stream OF ralllery nj the ex-
pense of the big Swede.
Swanson could have put his big fiat
thumb pm Jernigan and smashed him
and done with II, for he was so tall
he couldn't stand straight on the road
way OF the tunnel without hitting his
head-a huge hulk OF n man, tow head
ed, blue eyed, slow of speech, faithful.
He called the sub-boss always "Mees-
ter Yernigan;" Jernigan had at least
twenty names for him and not one of
them at all complimentary. And yet
no dog ever served n master more
faithfully than Swanson served the
sub-boss.
And suddenly, as they worked, the
tunnel began to grumble, and there
was. Jernigan barring the passageway
TO safety like n rock.
"Give It to her, byes," he shouted.
Swanson was already on his feet,
with his arms full Of the clay balls,
and he and three OF the other men be-
gan throwing them swiftly and vigor-
ously at the spot where the air was es-
Gaping. Each flattened out near the
tunnel rim like a thick corn cake, and
when the rafting ceased Swanson
sprang into the mud and pommeled the
clay into the break. The heavy air In
the tunnel helped to hold the patch In
place. Then the work went on again,
the Italians picking and shoveling;
Billy, the tram mule, tapping his long
ears; Swanson soberly patting mud pei
let's. and Jernigan directing everything
with cheerful Once more
during the shift the tunnel grumbled,
once more there was a battery OF clay
balls and once more the men won the
victory against the water.
"Ye're a pretty pitcher, Monty
shouted Jernigan. "Why don't you
throw over the home plate? Here,
Swanson, you Swede, climb I'D there
and paddle"
At the end OF three hours of the heavy
air and the heavier work the men re.
turned to the air lock, suffered again
the pain of reducing pressure and went
into free air, wet and shlverlng with
cold. They were taken instantly to q
hot room, where they were given guam.
titles of steaming black coffee, and
after that they dropped down to sleep
Two shifts n day, three hours or less
each, was all these men could stand.
Thus day after day Jernigan kept his
crew burrowing, though the tunnel
grumbled its displeasure almost con.
stantly. and the earth came down half
fluid silt. So much water came In thai
1t al in n stream under the plank
'N"NN"S' "hu 1AS biVoN pumps Ut Nt
shaft head worked to full capacity
Once they thought the whole TUNE
end was coming in. The water gush
cd inward, rose rapidly above the road
way and swlrled cold about their feet
Two Italians bolted suddenly from the
earth working to escape. Even Pad
dock dropped his shovel. Jernlgar
stood Ike n post.
Get back thereg' he reared.
He caught one italian with a blow OF
the chin that sent him sprawllng into
the water. The second paused, and
Jernlgan ieaped NJ him and drove hin