The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-05

Workings, living mostly in blocks X
and L. had not been able to get across.
Between them and the bottom of the
"dook" was a long declivity, and then
a steep ascent, where a fault had rem
dered difficult the search for an elusive
vein.
The stoppage of the pumping en-
gines had even caused the water to
collect at the bottom of this declivity.
as in a great capital T. There was
nothing for it. therefore, but to re-
treat before the waters, search ing for
ever 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 theepurer air
was being driven into the corner. The
men followed it. Chief of them was
Christie Penman, joint surveyor of the
ways with old Dick Finnan, and a man
of a simple and natural piety. Christie
knew well that it was impossible to
lead his men to safety. They were shut
in on every side. But he called the
roll. There were sixty-three of them
men and boys. AS the waters mounted
he asked them to knee1, he himself
praying aloud in the midst-not after
the fashion of Hector McKill.
And so they were found, after seven
months under water their bodies al
most perfectly preserved by the iron
which the water held in solution. They
made two great circles, dark, indis-
tinct shapes, worshipping God. Some
had fallen forward. Some had simply
sunk down. but all were still kneel-
Ing. and one of the little boys who
had run to warn the men" was found
with his head on the parental knees.
He. at least had found his father
Who shall say that the others had not
also?
In the foreign churches I have seen
pictures of the Perpetual Alteration
angels and archangels, winged and
clustering, prismatic, and glorious,
circling about the Great Throne itself.
But what is that to see these sixty
three in the black pit deeps, far under
water, kneeling for seven months with
hands devoutly clasped even as the
waters had caught them. making their
homage prayer to the God of all for
giveness.
Yes, the boys had warned the men!
No Victoria Cross was theirs, but long
after strong arms lifted them tender
ly one by one-the first (as I have
told from across his fathers knees,
another prone on his face as the dead
ly reek had caught him hurrying on his
mission, the third so deep in the
"sump" that even the glare of the
search lantern could not reach him,
brought to the surface his poor little
wasted body
1t was a quiet Sabbath whe nthe first
fruits of death were laid in their
their final resting-g graves on the bree-
zy hilltop, looking down on the slopes
under which they had been entombed
more deeply. There was service on
the green between Blocks K and L.
TIL ere the windows and the elder or
ha n Scottish
death bed-which is the twenty-third
in the version of Francis Roos. And
the lift of their voices nearly broke
the hearts of us who heard:
Yea, though I walk through deaths
dark vale,
Yet will l fear nonerill,
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
And at the open-air service behind
the rows of weeping women, the little
children of Blocks K and L played
about upon Kirktown Green, or stood
staring open-eyed at a show-with
never father among them all.
On Sunday, however, Hector McKill
went to church with conscience void
of offense. The firm had subscribed
a hundred pounds to the relief fund.
and he personally ten shillings. But
in spite of this, John Fowler the min
lister of the Valley Kirk, had a word
to say. And, without fear of man, he
said it. Why should he fear? Had he
not one hundred and sixty pounds. six
shillings and six pence from the Sus-
tentation-- Fund of his denomination
which no man could take from him?
II do not" he said. deal out blame
nor pretend to decide legal quib bles.
But I do say that the men who are
responsible for failing to provide a
way of escape for these men are re-
sponsible for the loss of sixty-three
lives, and for this they shall one day
answer at the bar of Cod"
Whereupon Mr.. and Mrs. Hector Nc
Kill hastily seized their hymn-books
and hurried from the Kirk of the VAL
ley. And two mornings afterwards
John Fowler found on his manse table
letter from the solicitor of Incubus
Romer & Company. The letter inform
ed him that he had laid himself open
to an action for libel, and requested
the name of his law agent. John Fow-
Ter had none, but he made an answer
with his pen, and the answer ran as
follows:
'I specially declared in my sermon
that took nothing to do with appor-
tioning blame before human tribunals
And, as for the othe rs, I shall be Who'll
1y satisfied to meet your clinets at tne
Bar which alone 1 named, on the Great
Day when all wrongs shall be righted
and all crimes punish ed
John Fowler heard no more OF the
action for libel.
When Vic elbowed his way outside
the throng, he found Janet Fowler
looking for her father. She was a
plain faced girl with beautiful eyes,
and she always had on her shoulders
the burden of the valley manse Gen
orally Vic Morris, his head full of Vida
Bryan, paid little attention to Janet
She was, of course, full of questions
as to her father
Eyes" Vic answered. mr.. Fowler
was well-Mr. Fowler would be up in
few minutes. The men in the West
workings were saved. How did he
know? Well, he Vic Morris, had been
down.
Then Janet Fowler began to cry
not noisily, but as her little sister
Violet said, severely, Janet Macka-
posh Fowler ckaposh-McIntosh),
what for does the water run down your
cheeks into your neck? You'll take
the starch out of your lace collar-and s
then!''
But as soon as Janet Fowler knew
that it had been to bring up, Vida Bry-
an that Vic had risked his life, she
stopped crying quite suddenly, and
went home, dragging after her the most
unwilling Miss Violet, who thought
that it was ''just luvyly to see so many
people, an the lamps all lighted, and
srts, an all!'
was no longer anxious about