The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-06-27

Among his friends Harvey Monroe,
p jolly, good hearted commission
merchant in one of the cities on the
great lakes, was known as "The Late
Mr.. Monroe" a title that indicated
his only serious falling. Harvey was
a thief of time. To be sure, his pecu-
lations generally extended to no
more than two or three minutes, ana
often could be measured on the sec
ond dial. Still he was never just on
time. and his acquaintances formed
the habit Of appointing their inter-
views five minutes earlier than they
wished to see him. BY that means
they succeeded in keeping him fairly
punctual.
On November 7, 1903, Harvey met
with an experience that effectually
cured him of procrastination.
At 10 that evening he had an i'm
portant business appointment at the
railroad station with a customer who
was to stop off an hour between
trains. To reach the station 1t was
necessary for the merchant to cross
the river which split the city in twain
and served as its harbor. Leaving
home five minutes late, as usual, he
arrived at the Horton street bascule
bridge just as it was raised to admit
tug, towing two barges. A little ear
lier and he would have avoided this
delay.
The river presented a long black
vista, lined on each side with gloomy
wharf ends and storehouse. At in
tervals 1t was spanned by bridges
sparkling with misty white electric
stars. Now and then a 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 ends, while the
ponderous CONFERENCE.-The 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 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 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
a 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 he was immersed soon
recalled him to himself and empha-
sized the need of immediate action.
BY feeling about he discovered that
he was In a triangular space with
hard, Shiny cement on two sides and
a mass of steel on the other. He
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 it oc-
cupied when the bridge was down.
AS it 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 lettinp
his position be known. He threw all
his breath into vigorous shouts fol
help, but as the roadway of the bridge
settled into place above, 1t sealed the
pit with lid of wood and meta
which prevented his cries from being
heard. Hurried footsteps passed
overhead; the rumbling of wheels
echoed through his prison, but hi!
frantic shouting, mufied by the inter
vening roof, attracted no attention.
Slipping, stumbling on the slim!
bottom, Harvey splashed round hi
cell, yainly lingering the chill walls il
hope of discovering some way OF es
cape. But, high as he could reach
the hard cement afforded not singh
ledge or crevice, and in that pitch,
darkness he could not tell how mucl
farther the walls rose above him. HI
had no means of ascertaining, 70
there waH nothing to give him foot
hold.
Harvey realized with sudden terro
that deadly peril threatened hin
when the counterweight should mex
descend. In grouping round hi
dungeon he had lost his sense of pc
sition, and could not be sure OF tn
corner into which he had fallen. s
far as he knew, 1t was the only apo
that had not been occupied by tn
tons OF metal now suspended abov
his head. When the bridge wa