The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-12-04
REFORMED By DYNAMITE.
Foreman Tells How He Came to
Change His Attitude.


speciality of subway and tunnel work.
1T happened during the digging Of
the subway extension.
Among 20 men l hired in lot
was one particularly wiched-looking
Italian. l didn't like the fellow for
a cent. To my way of thinking he
had the face of a murderer, but We
needed all the men we could get and
I didn't bother about looks
Later, however, I decided to dis
charge the fellow, for although he
could handle a pick and shovel, he
had never done subway work before
and was afraid of the blasting. At
every blast he shivered and shook
like a leaf and he hardly got his
nerve back again and settled down
to work when another blast would
give him the shakes.
Il told the 'dago' one morning
that he could draw his pay that night
and l wouldn't want him any more.
The fellow couldn't understand Eng
lish very we'll, but when I finally got
it through his head he walked away
sullen and quiet.
Keep an eye on the 'wop,
told my assistant foreman, or he'll
stick a knife in some one just to get
even.'
Late in the afternoon the thing
occurred which converted me from
slave driver to humane boss. One
of the blaster's assistants had gone
to the dynamite storeroom for three
sticks of dynamite. The electric ap-
paratus had gone out of commission
and the assistant was given three
sticks with the old-fashioned fuses
attached.
ION the way back to his section OF
the tunnel the assistant stopped Tor
few minutes to talk to another
young chap who was in charge of the
portable blow furnace. In some
manner a spark fell on the end of
one of the fuses.
1.-The assistant heard sputtering,
and when he saw the lighted fuse he
threw it to one side with a yell OF
terror. In my 20 odd years of tun-
mel work / have seen panlcs and
near panics, but never anything
equal to the panic which followed
/ was some distance down the tun-
mel when the thing occurred, but
came ON the run when I heard the
shouting
There the fuse lay sputterlng,
the spark every second getting clos
er the percussion cap, but not one
of the men in that section of the tube
had sense enough to throw a pail OF
water ON the thing.
There were several buckets or
water nearby and / snatched up one
and started for the stick of dyna-
mite. / was met with a rush OF 90
men. all heading for the ladder. They
filled up the tunnel completely and
carried me off my feet and away
from the dynamite.
The laborers reached the ladder
in a body, and then followed the
most desperate fight ever saw.
Every man wanted to get out first.
With the weight of a dozen men tug
ging at it the ladder gave way and
came tumbling down on the heads OF
the men. There was no other way
out of the tunnel Every second the
spark on the fuse was eating close to
the dynamite.
Il was fighting like mad to get
free from the tangle of men and TO
pull the fuse out of the stick OF dy-
mite but couldn't make an inch OF
headway.
Then l saw my vicious-looklng
italian. He broke away from the
crowd of men, turned and ran
straight back into the tunnel.
saw him snatch up the dynamite
and my heart almost ceased to beat.
7 thought 1 knew what was IN the
fellows mind-he intended to get
even by throwing that explosive right
among us.
Stop the dago!' l cried, but no
one seemed to notice.
But instead of coming toward US
the Italian turned and ran toward
the other end of the tunnel. Down
in that end was a big pile of broken
srocks and earth which had not been
taken away. This reached almost to
the top of the tunnel and beyond that
the tunnel had been excavated.
The 'wop' climbed up to the top
of the pile Of debris and threw the
stick of dynamite down on the other
side of the pile. He had not time
70 oct hack when the explosion Oc-