The sun., 1909-02-14
~ CNNOTICED .HERO.
Ton, Francis. n Missouri Miner. and Ills
Underground Exploit.

MACON. Mo-, Feb. TO- Speaking of
heroes, there is a Welshman here who
might have been in the class of Binns
had the scene OF his exploit been nearer
/ the footlights.
In the year 1889 T,m Francis. short.
stout and active. was superintendent
| Of Mine No. of the LOOMS 4 Snively
Company. One day the men below were
engaged in making a new furnace so as
/ 10 afford better ventilation in the far end
Of the mine. Near where the men we're
| at work was an old mine, long since aban-
doned and full of water. An unfortunate
blast made an entrance into the mighty
underground reservoir and the black water
came pouring into the new works
The miners scurred out OF the danger
ous 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 to save his pieces
from an onrIshing enemy, the boss picked
out the men he wanted Tim and Davy
and Barney and Dan and others. Then
he went to the door of the engine room
and told the man in charge to get busy
with the pumps, The little party went
down in the cage where "A mule train
waited. There was a John Gilpin ride
to the cross entry, whore the miners got
out and scrambled along the black lane
through mud ard water above their
ankles Tho boss led the way, followed
hv the men carrying sacks of brick.
Standing lUcc deep i'm water he placed
| the foundation brick in the cavity through
which the black tide was sweeping. The
brick had to be laid carefully. length
wise in double and triple rows,
Working under forced draught, the
engines on top did the nest they could.
tut the water ros" steadily. Sometimes
the torrent pushed tie brick aside AMI
flowed with renewed c-crgv. 4 string
of mon pa ssed the hlic'; TO the Subter-
ranean builder When the water had
risen above Francis wast one Of the
owners of the miac, Mr. Loor' sent
dawn p"remptorr orirr ior tnr oss
and his men to withir,>S AMI let thu
mine 60 Ia smash.
Put Francis kept on with his brick
harr,ca ia The water r1lshc4 llorc"lr
against him. and o"ce o. twice he was
swept of his feet. The hack fluid CaShe
into his nose cEr' and cycs. When his
pit light went out miner standing on
higher ground Sad"i in and hartct him
a new light
Tho little boss went on with his joD
of hricklaying, playing his life against
Tho dark sulphur water, and his wall
grew higher There was nothing SpcC-
tacuar about it-nothing you could
photograph. 1t was just a dirty. dis
agreeable job in "A darkness 80 thick
that YOU could ,prve chunks Of il with
a butcher knife Finally he had Il
wall that would stand. lie had been
at work twenty-four hours without eat
ing or closing his eyes. The mine and
it, vast works below had been saved.
Francis staggered through the water
to the higher ground. where he fell ln-
conscious into the arms of the waiting
men. He was laid up for several days.
The owners OF the mine thanked MIR
Francis and gave him gold watch
There was not much talk of the aiinlr,
A paper at the county seat said that
mime No l was threatened with inunda-
tion the other day 10y a break into some
abandoned works. but the superintendent
and a force Of men repaired the accident (
before serious damage was done. !