Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-02-25

think ] smou ure J" " e""S'
entry known rs second west souin
and US we neared this spot the strong
smell OF the wood smoke that was Al
ready visible In the air told us that tue
fire must he In the woodwork OF The
air split itself Then suddenly the
smoke grew thick and enveloped Us.
and mingled with the smell OF burning
wood we caught for the first time the
oily smell Of burning coal The hre
was In the uir split. and. famed by tie
strong uir current from the mir course
behind II. the entire framework aud the
door itself were In blaze. and around
the walls coal was already glowing.
So RAPIDLY the Dire Increased that II
was now beyond our control with such
means Of fighting 1t rs were al hand.
and, without stopping. Il dozen VI tue
men turned and ran back down tht
entry to get motor and the watei
carts. Meanwhile the entry beriiIn'
choking with the heavy smoke Down
In the main bottom ut the foot OF the
shafts II now hung in the mir like
thin fog. and by the time that ole oi
the big motors came pushing Il couple
Of water carts down the track the met
at the top of the shafts had detecte,
the smell Of smoke and the alarm U!
fire waS sounded
The suddenneSs Of the fire and the
fact that practically all OF The men
and especially the head men, were at
that time at supper In the town crlp
pled the small force who were endeav
oring to stem Its rapid march down
the entry. Coming strong on the aii
current. but a quarter OF mile SEP
arated IL from the mine bottom. tn
yitals Of the mine. n the fire reached
here all WAS lost By the time tl'
water cnrtS had arrived the volume oi
smoke was 80 dense and the heat 81
intense that their use seemed almost
absurd. and Immediately ar attempt
was begun to connect Il hose line from
the nearest water pipes. Il was al
most half un hour before the couplings
were made. and. blinded by the now
dense smoke and half scorchrd by the
heat OF the dunes, a dozen men en-
deavored Intellectually to stem the nd
vance uf the fire. which now lined tb'
walls OF the entry like an open fur
nuce
For an hour II seemed rs though
they were holding their own. Down al
the mouth N the entry gang OF TIM
| bermen were already building stop
| ping across the mouth Of the entry in
case the men with the hose line FOUND
| il impossible to check the advance Of
the fire Suddenly Tom Cox. who was
| holding the nozzle Of the hrst hose.
| sank To his knees. and In the second
that followed four men beside him
caught their hands to their necks and
fell beside him along the track. Th"
water and the fire had generated IN the
200 yards OF now burning entry a wall
~ the invisible white damp. and
this. driven like the smoke by the air.
| suddenly oyercame the men who were
| fighting at the edge Of the flames. The
question OF life and death now entered.
for the fire. unchecked. was rapidly
marching down the tunnel toward the
bodies OF the unconscious men. From
the mouth Of the entry the hmbermen.
bending low to catch the clean air be-
low the smoke. fought up into the heat
and dragged out the bodies OF their un
conscious companions and then. with
frenzied haste. continued their work
On the hnlf completed stopping.
II was known that In some parts OF
the mine men were still al work who
were unconscious Of the fire. and II
was necessary to warn them that they
might make their escape. Besides
these. there was another ba nd Of half
dozen men who had endeavored tn
reach the Hre from the other side and
who. ignorant of the sudden danger
must also be warned With three neil
Charley Swenson determined to visit
the working parts Of the mIne which
lay To the left of the burning entry
and extended far behind II. Here there
were men working. Within half al
hour the alarm hud been given. ant
the warning party started back. Hall
mile froui the mine bottom the party
stopppd for an instant as the sound o.
an explosion reached their ears. ant
they realized that the gas generated BY
the burning coal was beginning to ex
plode somewhere In the mine. 10 then
II was no longer a question OF savini
the mine. but Of preserving their owl
lives.
Beside the track stood one Of tn
electric locomotives Swenson noticed
and stopped behind his companions
thinking that BY using the locomotive
the, could get more quickly to bottom
lie jumped into the low drivers se''
Uetvrs hs noticed that the trolley pol