The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-04-16
TALES OF
AN uNNOTICED HERO.

Speaking of heroes, there is a
Welshman at Macon, Mo-, who might
have been in the class of Binns had
The scene of his exploit been nearer
the footlights.
In the year 1880 Tom Francis,
short, stout and active, was superin-
:endent of Mine No. 1 of the Loomis
e Snively Company. One day the
men below were engaged in making
new furnace SO as to afford better
ventilation in the far end of the mine.
Near where the men were at work
was an old mine, long since aban-
doned and full of water. An unfor-
tunate blast made an entrance into
ihe mighty underground reservoir
into the new works.
The miners scurried out of the dan
gerous place and told Tom Francis
what had happened below. In the
old country Francis had met similar
emergencies and he knew what to do.
Like the captain of battery striving
10 save his pieces from an onrushing
enemy, the boss picked out the men
he wanted-Tim and Davy and Bar
ney and Dan and others. Then he
went to the door of the engine room
and told the men in charge to get
busy with the pumps. The little
party went down in the cage, where
q mule train waited. There was a
John Gilpin ride to the cross entry,
where the miners got out and
scrambled along the black lane
through mud and water above their
ankles. The boss led the way, fol-
lowed by the men carrying sacks of
brick. Standing knee deep in water
he placed the foundation brick in the
cavity through which the black tide
was sweeping. The brick had to be
laid carefully, lengthwise in double
and triple rows.
Working under forced draught, the
engines on top did the best they
could, but the water rose steadily.
Sometimes the torrent pushed the
brick aside and flowed with renewed
energy. A stream of men passed the
brick to the subterranean builder.
When the water had risen above
francis waist one of the owners of
the mine, Mr.. Loomis, sent down
peremptory order for the boss and his
men to withdraw and let the mine so
to smash.
But Francis kept on with his brick
barricade. The water rushed fiercely
against him, and once or twice he was
swept off his feet. The black fluid
dashed into his nose, ears and eyes.
When his pit light went ont miner
standing on higher ground waded in
and handed him new light.
The little boss went on with his job
of bricklaying, playing his life against
the dark sulphur water, and his wall
grew higher. There was nothing
spectacular about it-nothing you
could photograph. 1t was just dirty,
disagreeable job in a darkness so
thick that you could carve chunks Of
it with butcher knife. Finally he
had a wall that would stand He had
out eating or closing his eyes. The
mine and it's vast works below had
been saved.
Francis staggered through the
water to the higher ground, where
he fell unconscious into the arms of
the waiting men. He was laid up for
several days. The owners of the mine
thanked Mr.. Francis and gave him a
gold watch. There was not much
talk of the affair. A paper at the
county seat said that Mine No. 1
was threatened with inundation the
other day by break into some aban-
doned works, but the superintendent
and force of men repaired the acci-
dent before serious damage was
done"