The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-08-14
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over into the canon ut shot, whc,
our foreman, old Joe Rogers, pushc.
the slide Of his battery. We load
eighteen or twenty holes which VIC
have drilled ten or twelve feet deep
putting twenty-five pounds Of black
powder into each hole.
'Thc powder goes into pocket
which is blown in the bottom of the
hole by the use Of stick dynamite.
Then an exploding cap attached to Il
VIII" IS lowered TO the powder, and
the hole is tampcd with dust and
sand. The loose end Of the wire is
then attached to a lead wire which
connects with an electric battery, and
all the shots are sent off at once.
cit raincd hard all last Wcdncs-
day and while it was raining and
blowing in camp, it was showing and
blowing overhead, fact which we
didn't sufficiently realize in our
drcnchcd quarters.
"a blast had been ready to fire,
or nearly so, when the rain stopped
us from work, and Thursday MORN
ing everybody but the cook and two
Of us who had been detailed to cut
wood were hustled out on the works.
"A fellow named Quin Dawson
and | were set to chop close to the
lower edge Of camp. We were max
ing the chips fly when we heard old
Joe s voice rolling across the canon: :
WARE all! Battery! Battcry!'
So we ran ont Of the woods near
to the FIRST tents to look across and
over into the canon. It's quite a
sight from the camp side to see big
rocks 90 bowling into the culch,
knocking over trees, hitting up puirs
"t dust that squirt out like the smoke
of cannon shots. Every big bump
sounds like Il cannon shot. TOO.
"ThrAy had in heavy charges in a
2l-m"nnIain, even on our side. We
SAW mighty upheaval Of dust
stone and felt the shock under our
frrI, and then the echo of the shot
ami Tn" rlattrr Of rocks was drowned
in bigger roar that sounded hi"l
over our hcadS
"Quin, who had been sitting o,,
stone, jumped I" hi:, feet and yelled
Slide! Slide. SnnwSlidr."
"And then he ram for the woods
back OF us. 7 was paralyzcd for the
minute, and then hi" white wave
struck the camp in front Of me. I
saw tent, wagons, whcclScrapcrs
rolled up and buried; and the first OF
The slide shot by.
'Thcn in n flash the tide rose and
swept me Off my feet. found nv,
self suddenly dropping down into
the canon. | rode ON the crest of =
BIZ snow wave, lying on my back and
""in" feet FIRST
81 can I say that ] felt any fear;
IN fact there wasn't much time to be
afraid IN, for my big drift SlumpeC
int" the creek channel, and I was but
rird :" deep that the first sensation
| '''' '''''l' w Hf WIS OIL All aWlul sill
cncc.
81 waS packed in tight. my ear.
and eyes were closed, and seemed
t" b" wound up in frozen sheet. Bu
! WASH 7 hurt, and | wriggcd Il hole
to turn round in. | was nearly in p,
upright position. and | soon made
standing room. When I got nv eve.
open, the light was simply clca1
cold whiirnrSS. II made my eve
balls ache.
'Thc snow waS light and fine, ant
not packed so hard as il had SCENE,
h"r"r" | m"vcd and quickly bcgar
I" badger my way upward. Taking
II" slant that would give the tastes
progress. ! dug 4 hole big enough {,
work in, and packed the snow TO ON,
side and behind me while | wnrmc,
ahead.
"Prcsrntly my hands and Fingers
got so numb that had to stop ant
thaw them out by breathing on them
) When | had done this. fished a bis
bandana handkerchief out of n pock
ct, tore it in halves and wound cacl
hand in piece. That helped some
and I went ahead till it seemed as if