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

| He sOuiu ne OF any use, and discov-
cred that he could not, and so went his
| way
But it was the coming of Vic Nor
RS with the Valley Kirk minister that
hrst put hope into the men at the ton
! OF helping their comrades below. If
any one could help, if anyone knew
the pit, 1t was Vic Morris.
1t was from Johnemann, the en-
glneef on duty (once of the Good In
TENT, that Vic Morris learned the
CHASTITY news that Vida had gone
| down that morning to be shown over
the pat by her foster father, old Dick
| Finnan.
He's been at her a long time said
Johnemann, "and now he has got her
DOWN.
He did not know how near he was
TO getting something from Vic Morris
which he would not have forgotten.
But at that moment he was safe. Vic
Morris had need of him.
VIC mad conceived a bold plan-one
OF infinite risk to himself but stil1
the best under the cfrcumsta noes
Equipped with suit of fireman's as
oestos, he had resolved to descend the
second exit
But of this he said nothing to John
emann, whom he considered little bet
ter than one of James Kahn's snies
BESIDES, first of all, there was the
perpendicular drop in a large cage to
lne space known as the Eve of tba
iii. From thence the "doolx" mr. din
slanted away for nearly twelve bnnr
dred feet, while a little to one side or
II was the opening of the special exit
enat mao peen half filed with the
steam pipes which served the bottom
pumping engine. But ALREADY the
pumps had been stopped, profanity NV
Ialls from the roof. The steam was
worse than useless, as those at the ton
knew by the volumes of 1t which rose
like clouds. mingled with the grew nit
reek from the burning coal-seams and
pit props in the shaft
inc supply was, therefore, cut off
at the surface, though Vic knew that
every moment while the bottom purnp
ing engine was out of gear the bot
tom waters would be gaining, and that
even II he were fortunate enough 10
reach the end of the "dook' he might
md himself beset by the rapidly ris-
ing waters.
Inc minister accompanied him on his
hrst stage to the Eye of the Pit-the
foot that is, of the first perpendioular
descent. They found DR.. Calmont AL
ready there, his instruments and Dress
ings laid out on rude table of props
and scaffolding as carefully as on the
table of his surgery.
farther they must not go. Only Vic
and one or two others tried the long
incline Of the "dook," up which the fires
We're. roaring like a chimney on fire,
only tnis chimney was twelve hun
oreo Ieet long! Six hundred feet high
'ohnemann stood intent with his
nervous hands on the lever. his owe oo
the index dial which told him bo,r 80 -.
the cage had crept to the f1anas 80
ms ear listening for the bells which
from the distance of a third of ,,,tIe
uhuerground, signalled Ascend "na-
scend, Slowly" or Snatch awavn
Seslde him stood James Kahn. He
knew that Morris was now down tbere
hne" also that If Vida escaped il
mouiu De owing to him. In love and
war ne was his rival, and the In
stlnctfve antagonism between tha 49,.
men caused the Serb to stand there
IN tne little engine-house, his muscles
tense and twitching with desire 70
seize the lever out of the hands Of
Johnemann and plunge the cage win
all It's occupants into the flames. He
nnisht nave done it, too but for his
seeaoy oelief In the impossibflity of
escape from the depths of Pit No. 2.
me belief was well founded. I'm
the main shaft there was NO mo-, ~
through the long-roaring tunnel or
name. After long survey of the
principal shaft Vic became certain +bat
tnat way there was, indeed. no hone
II not by the extra exit narrow az a.
pest except on paper) and half f,lled
win steam pipes, certainly all was
iost. lie exchanged his thick f1reman.s
.a.r lor . sweater and pair of the
ordinary wide pitman's trousers H.
borrowed broad leather belt for bts
waist. tVi his
little stream of water had been
,ahins down the main shaft only TO
oe throWn back in clouds of stea m
wheh IL reached the flames in the nit
throat far below. Vic turned mart of
II upon the heated pipes in the narrow
second exit. The steam had been c,,t
on Ia the pipes owing to the fall of
material at the pit bottom. but RI o
iron was still far too hot to venture
down with any safety.
nevertheless, he resolved to mako
the attempt. DR.. Calmont. and his as
sistant, Phil, who had descended with
MIN, united in dissuading him. Rut
VIC held out. If he could not make If
then nobody else could. Besides. ev-
iholieht gave them less chance of
saving the girl.
IL was then that Phil Calmont felt
most bitterly his inferiority. He had
called himself an engineer above
ground, but down there in the dark
the commonest pony-boy knew more
than he. And far below him I'm q
deeper darkness, shut off by doors of
name, Wss Vida Bryan. True. he could
not heip her. Even to die for her sa he
would not advantage her in the least
II was fortunate that his father rave
PM some of his instruments TO polisb
ana cover. The drip from the roof told
upon them, and DR.. Hugh Calmont
loved them considerably more than his
children, who, generally speaking. were
nuisance to him. But after this night
ne mad hopes of Phil. He knew how
to use piece of chamois lea ther.
Phll sank his nails into his palms
as VIC Morris, taking a long breath.
set his foot on the first rounds of
the long steel ladder. Only by keep
ing very close to the wall could ne
avoid contact with the still heated
pipes. The running water had cooled
them to some extent, but the narrow
tunnel was filled with sitting fumes,
with whiffs of dissolving steam, and
above all, with the dull, sullen heat
| radiated from the heated metal.
What Vic Morris suffered in that
| had not thought fit to tell at any
length
ut was a tight job! '' Or, perhaps, in
moments of great expansion: "a little
| more and should have slept in tho
stump that night" These came the
nearest to any description of his ex-
| periences. But he reached the bot
| tom, though more than half roasted.
! He found that the miners were gath
| cred waiting-most of them up to II =
knees in the water which W Hlf44f.