Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-03-04

ability to cope Wltn emergencies WIZ
received large pay on account or the
dangerous nature OF their work--and.
with their helmets In place aud the
oxygen turned on. the outer door OF the
fan house was closed behind them. The
round blade of circular saw had been
hung BY wire from the bale OF the
bnx fthe iron beam from which 1t was
raspended like Il basket. and signals
were given by striking this with
hammer. Upon hearing n signal
man at the edge OF the shaft mouth
would Immediately transmit II by pull
ing IA bell rope which rang Il hc!l In the
engine room. One stroke meant stop"
two strokes haul up." three lower
away" and four safe arrival" Five
strokes on the saw blade which rang
like n great bell meant haul out at
top speed. Danger has been encoun'
tered ="
Before starting all our plans were
carefully arranged Delmer was TO
carry the hammer. with which he
would signal OIL Tie saw blade. J was
TO carry his electric torch aud my own.
and Knox was 10 pay eSperiai heed TO
the swinging OF the box 10 prevent II
from catching OF the side OF the shaft
Upon re.i, hing lotion We were 10
leave the box aud pass through the
door into the bottom OF the escape
ment. and theme ont through the sec
ond door into Il entry. There we were
to take the temperature with sell
recording thermometer and observe
whatever we could without going more
than few yards from the door. This
over. we were TO return.
With last look AT the cold. gray
sky. we adjusted our helmeIs. The
CLAMPS were tightened the washers In
fiated. and we drew In long breaths OF
the damp air. Then the mouth valves
were snapped In place. and the Missing
in the valves and sweetish taste In
nv mouth told NE that the oxygen had
been turned on. Like children In
darkened room. we followed Delmer
through the FIRST door and turned to
see Il close behind u.s. There were
sudden blackness and silence save for
the steady kissing Of the compressed
oxygen and the even click of the regu
lating valves. The second door was
opened, and without seeing 1t we pass
ed through and stood. as we knew on
the brink Of the open shaft Here
three electric lights cleaned dim and
far away through the thick smoke that
completely filed the dome above the
shaft mouth.
One by one we crawled on our hands
and knees over the swaying board and
reached the box. but so dense was the
smoke and blackness that. holding my
electric torch at arms length. try as l
might could distinguish nothing but
n faint yellow smudge Of light at dis
tance that | knew to be but the length
of nv arm. The last man having cross
ed. the watcher In his helmet on the
brink pulled back the board. and,
groping clumsily and hampered In the
darkness. we pulled up the swinging
side of the box and lashed 1t into place.
Then clear and vibrant came the
three strokes from Delmer's hammer
on the saw blade. Far away we heard
the bell transmitting our signal In the
engine house. and then. imperceptibly.
without Jolt or sound. the faint smudge
of tawny yellow Of the three electric
lights on the edge Of the shaft seemed
to rise above us and. standing silent
In the box. wc sank into blackness I'm
utterable. Instantly sense Of direction
was gone. I'VE could see nothing. We
could not even see through the bulls
eyes Of our helmets the walls of the
shaft. almost within arms reach
Once held my light pointed close
against the bullseye Of my helmet and
found q sudden relief In its yellow
glare
We had expected that we should feei
the slight shock as we hit bottom
Notwithstanding the fact that the en-
gineer OH top would calculate our po.
sition exactly and would bring us slow
" to rest. bat our arrival WAS puZ-
zlIng, for there was no jar. and. In ad-
dition, the box landed ON an angle
when It should have rested square!y
on the floor Of the air shaft. For a
few seconds we remained in our places,
silent and wondering: then. one by
one. we climbed over the side. As !
stepped over the edge Of the box. TAX
Ing care that the tubes OF my appara-
tus did not catch on any projections.
my feet almost slipped from under me.
for It seemed as though had placed
them on a slippery mattress.
One by one we crawled out and over
the strange. soft object that lay under
the box. and then. pecring closely In
the faint light of our torches, we saw
that we had landed on the bloated
bodies Of two mules which had evi.
IDENTIFY fed before the smoke and fire
when the mine was abandoned and
had died seeking the last breath Of air
at the foot of the airshaft.
There was about foot Of water at
the bottom of the shaft, for we had
pumped water down the sides to pre-
vent the heat from ignitng the thin
board lining. and through the water
and over the bodies Of the mules we
groped our way to the small door a
yard away that led In to the foot OF
the escapement. One by one we crawl
ed through the door. wriggllng to gel
our shoulders and our knapsacks
through its small confines and vet with
constant care that the tubes Of the
apparatus and the knnpsack and bel
met did not touch anything. for the
words of the chemist. that ninety sec
onds' Of tho gas won'd kill. were never
for an Instant forgotten. The foot OF
the cscapemcnt was little lower thar
the bottom OF the air shaft and the wa
ter corrcspnntlingly deeper. With tht
| rlenr sp!ashing In contrast to the dull
hess nf thr darkness. we CROPPED for the
| second door nnd passed through II Into
| p entry. As lifted NJ, my shoulders
| On tho ot':,i side of the doorway sud
| den heat struck me. and l realized tina
the fire had been nearer the mine bot
| tom than we had supposed.
II Al. z~A a<.fN