The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-30

miners were gathered waiting-most Of
taem up 20 their knees in the water
which was already collecting at the bot
tom Of the "dook.
Better get away az once" he cried.
Come boys. follow me-
1t is impossible the men cried. Peter
Sharp. there. who won the wrestling
belt, was UP about thirty fsthom and
had 10 come back.
i have come down. boys all the way"
shouted Vic. and am going % show you
The way back. Where IL Miss Bryan
Let ME have Miss Bryan
Even then he did not say Vida"
They handed Vida, as 1t were. over
head. 10 him. passing her upon their
palms daintily. as II they knew they were
handling something precious Vida was
soon on the ladder. Vic Morris setting
her feet on the rounds. while with his
outstretChed LETT arm he clasped the
girls belt 10 keep hey well away from
the heated pipes.
Time after time Vie Morris called out
encOuragingly for the men 20 follow him.
He seemed 20 them hardly less than a
messenger from heaven. They were con-
tent TO follow. hating when he halted
then, half-baked. going on again. the
youngsters supporting the elders. and so
In time all the men I'M the West work
ing or No. . Pit reached the surface.
Vie Morris was first man out. holding
Vida almost unconscious in his arms
lie put her under the care Of DR. Cal
mont and they had her all safe at the
pit-head I'm ten minutes. The perpen-
dicUlar cage was still working steadily.
But the men in the East workings. liv-
ing mostly in Blocks X and J.. had not
been able 20 get across. Between them
and the bottom of the dock was q
long declivity. and then q steep ascent
whore a fault had rendered difficult the
search FOR an elusive vein
The StoppaEc OF the pumping engines
had even caused the water 10 collect al
the bottom OF this dCClivity. as in q
great capital L. There was nothing foI
H. therefore. but 20 retreat before the
waters. searching ever for higher and
higher ground. But for every man OF
them the END was sure The fire IN
the shaft had stopped the pumps. The
water was gaining every moment. and
all the purer air was being driven into
the corner. The men followed II. Chic.
Of them was Christie Penman. joint sur
veyor Of the ways with old Dick Finnan
and a man Of a simple and natural pietv
I
sible To lead his men 10 safety. They
We're shut In on every side. But Do
called the roll. There were sixty-thret
OF them-men and boys As the waters
mounted he asked them 10 kneel, d,
himself praying aloud in the midst-not
after the fashion OF Hector MCkfL
And SO they were found. after sever
months under water. their bodies almost
perfectly preserved by the iron which
the water held I'm solution. They made
two great circles. dark. indistinct shapes
wOrshiping God. Some had faner
forward some had simply sunk down
but all We're still kneeling and one OF
the little boys who had run TO war;
the men," was found with his head on
the parental knees He. at least. hat
found his father, Who shall say that
the others had not also?
In the foreign churches I have seen pic
lures OF the Perpetual Adoration-angels
and arcEangels. winged and clustering
prlsmatic. and glorious, circling about tht
Great Throne Itself. But what is that tC
these .siXty-three in the black pit deeps
far under water. kneeling for sever
months. with hands devoUtly clasped
ever as the waters had caught them
making their homage prayer TO the God
of all forgiveness.
Yes, the boys had warned the men, NJ
Victoria Cross was theirs. but long after
strong arms lifted them tenderly one by
one-the first Gas l have told from across
his fathers knees. another prone on his
face as the deadly reek had caught hin
hurrying on his mission, the third so deer
/ in the stump that even the glare of ths
search lantern could not reach him, and 4
was the graphing irons which brought &
the surface his poor little wasted body.
| 1t was a quiet Sabbath when the frs
| fruits Of death were laid in their lina
resting graves on the breezy hilltop. look
/ ing down on the slopes under which they
/ had been entombed more deeply. Their,
was "a service on the green between
/ Blocks X and l. There the widows ant
the elder orphans sang the psalm of the
Scottish deathbed-Which is the twenty
! third in the version of Francis Roos. Arc
/ the lift of their voices nearly broke tn
| hearts OF US who heard:
/ Yea. though walk through deaths dark vale.
Yet win fear none ~.
For Thou ar with me- and Thy rod
And STAFF me comfort still.
| And at the open-air service. behind III,
rows of weeping women, the little chill
/ dren Of Blocks X and l. played abOu
upon Kirktown Green. or stood starini
open-eyed as at show-with never
/ father among them all.
On sunday, however. Hector McRil
went 20 church with a conscience void o
offense- The firm had subscribed 10
pounds TO the relief fund. and he person
/ ally 10 shillings. But, in spite OF this. JOIN
| Fowler. the minister Of the Valley Kirk
/ had a word 10 say And, without fear o
man. ne said Il. Why should he fear
I Had he not le0 pounds shillings and
pence from the sustentatiOn fund of nj
/ denomination, which no man could TAX
| from him?
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.