The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-07-30

my Milne, his tenuer, were banging
away at a sixteen-foot blasting-hole
in a shelf on the face of a perpen-
dicular bluff overlooking the river
Above their heads the gray rock
rose sheer forty feet; beneath was
drop Of hundred and sixty to the
dump.
Handy. a red-beared giant, two
inches over six feet and fat in the
bargain, tipped the scales at two
hundred and forty pounds. Kline
was a wiry little skipjack, eight
inches shorter, and weighing almost
a hundred pounds less. Both, how
ever, were skilled workmen, and
minded the eight-score feet beneath
them no more than so many inches.
Dan had been structural-steel
worker on dizzy "sky-scrapers," and
his mate had furled royals on every
ocean of the globe.
The drill was cutting down the
hard trap at one end of the ledge.
In the thin soil that overspread the
rock grew scanty grasses. One stilt
OF the tripod touched the outer edge.
Straight down the front of the cliff
hung the steam-hose from the boiler
beyond the summit.
Dan, turning the feed-screw
handle, directed the steel point prob
ing the depths of the ledge. The
machine seemed to be part of him;
he could feel every throb and beat,
as 1t pounded away, obedient to the
hundred pound pressure from the
boiler. Meanwhile Sammy tight
ened up the chuck-bolt, pumped the
mud from the deepening hole. and
poured down dipper after dipper of
water. The exhaust steam cnvel-
oped them in a little white cloud.
Round their feet spread a thin blue
sauce OF powdered rock, and the
mud-gouts spattered their clothing.
as four times a second the whirling
drill rose and descended.
The sun baked the cliff front. But
the morning mist still covered the
broad river with an irregular, fieecy
blanket, pierced by the moving
masts and tall smoke-stacks of
larger craft, while the smaller
puffed unseen below. From the base
OF the bluff broke suddenly a harsh
roar. The stone-crusher, for which
they were furnishing food, had be-
gun its daily grind.
Chug-g-g-g! The machine ham
mered incessantly, dancing to the
explosive staccato of the exhaust
pipe. But for the hundred-and-
twenty-fve-pound weight on each
leg, 1t would have jumped over into
the abyss. 1t was as IL a monstrous
Wingless steel wasp, ala legs and no
body, were boring into the shelf.
The hole was already down four
teen feet. Two more, and 1t would
be done. completing the battery Of
dozen, which, loaded with dyna-
mite and fired simultaneously were
expected to send the entire ledge
crashing down on the dump.
Handy's practised ear told him it
was time to exchange the dull drill
for fresh one.
Shut off that steami" he shout
ed; and the machine stopped. "Send
down your sixteen-foot drill"
! Soon the long steel bar swung
clinking down the cliff face, to take
the place of the other, which was
sent back by the same rope.
Turn on your steam!" rose
Handy's shout; and again the ma
chine started.
Kline had just finished a funny
story that made the big drill-runner
shake like jelly; his roar of laugh
Ter almost drowned the putting of
the exhaust. He was looking far
down the river. from which the last
Nestige OF mist had disappeared,
Wnen his attention was recalled by
startled exclamation from the
sailor. The latter, CHANGING to
glance down at the inner edge of the
shelf, had noticed a slight crack be-
tween the soil and the bluff.
AS Handy stared, astounded, the
crack appeared to widen. Jared by
the vibrations of the drill, an old
oeam was actually opening.
Ihe movement was downward and
outward, sickening and slow. Thirty
ieet away hung the rope ladder by
which the men had descended. II
was too far for them to reach; be-
SIDES. the assure ran the full
length of the shelf. Too horror
stricken to shout or stop the drill
tney gazed helplessly.
Ihere came rending The shelf
settled. Another second, and both
would plunge after the topping
mass to a quick death at the bottom
Oi the bluff, And then:
The hose!" yelled Handy. and
jumped for 1t. Kline followed. They
fell. 'Ae 'euss
rhe ch-and-three-quarter tube
Vi canvas and rubber, wound tightly
wltn marline, was fifty feet long
.ts upper end was coupled to the pipe
rom the boiler; its lower was at
sacneu to the steam-chest OF the
arilL Old and leaking, st was fairly
"eii ntted to convey steam, but not
~ noid up two men and twelve hun.
ared pounds OF steel. It must give
way somewhere, But where? b.
.ow the men or above? The reply
"eaht life or death.
TOT the bare fraction of a second
ns ufill hung at their feet, its sharp
point whirling madly. The exhaust
p'pe detonated like Gatling. Then.