Middletown transcript., 1915-12-18
Ipl[
8yGEORGE pANDOI.pH CII[STLP
and LILLIAN CHESTER w.,
(5SSSSs::@ 5;sSss::a., nLUSTRkTED II C.DRHoDES
~ "a
! ILLUSTRATED 6oC.DRHODES Il Il

tlul6t 10 cOHpESHeuu ulp Hlh6AiNuuo.
( what have we to dig with?" The
voice Of Rev. Smith Boyd, and there
was note of eagerness in 1t.
THE benches up in front here"
yelled Mccarthy, and there was rip
ping sound as he tore the seat from
one OF them.
Pardon me-" 1t was the voice Of
the rector, up in front.
"The balance Of you sit down, and
keep rested" ordered Allison, now
also up in front. mccarthy, Boyd
and i go first"
The long struggle began. The girls
grouped together in the back OF the
car. moving but very little, for there
was much broken glass about. Up in
front the three men could be heard
making an opening into the debris
through the forward windows. They
talked great deal, at first, strong,
capable voices. They we're interfer-
ing with each other, then helping,
combining their strength to move
heavy stones and the like, then they
were silent. working independently, or
in effective unison.
Tim German was the possessor Of a
hosphorescentfaced watch, with ~
jewels on the inside and ruby on
the winding stem, and he constituted
himself timekeeper.
Thirty min1tes," he called out. Its
our shift"
The men crawled in from outside
but they stayed in the front compart
ment The, air was growing a trifie
close, and eYA breathed heavily.
"Goodsbs called the gayly fu
nereal voice 81 ned Teasdale. Illus
band is going 70 worh
Another intermins rait, while
the air grew more stla There wal
no further levity. after dncoln and thu
motorman and MCCARTHY had com
! back; for the condition was becoming
serious Some air must undoubtedl,
! be finding its way to the car through
the loose debris, but the carbonic aci
| gas exhaled from a dozen pairs 0
3 lungs was beginning to pocket. an
3 the opening ahead, though steadil
pushing forward, displayed no sign
a of lessening solidity.
!. They established shorter shifts now
e a quarter of an hour. The men cam
y silently in. and out, and as SILENT
f worked, and as silently rested, Will
# the girls carried that heavy burden {
l. womens hardest labor, waiting!
s Gregory was the first to give ou
e then the injured motorman. Whe
their turns came, they had not th
If strength nor the air in their lung
Strong Mccarthy was the next to joi
e them.
The shifts had reduced to two. (
r two men each, by now; Ted and o
d. Tim, and Allison and the rector; az
these latter two worked double tim
Their lips and tdeiF tongues we
r. parched and cracking, and in the
periods of rest they sat motionless
L? facing each other, with wheeze
III the drawing Of their breath. The
stentorian breathing could be hea
ne from the forward end of their litt
at tunnel clear back into the car, whe
ad the three girls were battling to pl
"a serve their senses against the poisC
Mt Gus gases which we're now all tn
nd they had to breathe. Acting on t
re rectorst advice, they had stood up
1T the car to eseape the gradually risi
IN level of the carbonic gas, stood, as t
time progressed, with their mout
he aeape and their breasts heaving a
ng sharp pains in their lungs at eve
breath. Arly dropped, silently cru
We pling to the floor; then, a few minui
later, Lucille, and, panic-stricken
cir the thought that they had gone und
rt. Gail felt her own senses reeling, wh
ne suddenly. looking ahead through e!
ew which were staring, she saw cra
he of blessed light!
bly, There was hoarse cry from abe;
The crack of light widened Anotl
ed one appeared, some four feet to
e." right Of it, and Gail already fame
the that she could feel freshening of
air she breathed with such tear
ex. pain. Against the light of the OF
IND ings, two figures, the only two VIII
Of were left to work, strove, at first "
it's the slow, limp motions of exhaust
It " and then with the renewed vigor
nly approaching triumph. She could
ler. tinguish them clearly now, by
rk: light which streamed in, the stoC
had strong figure Of Allison and the
few sinewy figure Of the rector. They "
elo- working frartically, Allison with
did coat off. and the rector with his (
ms and vest hota removed, and one sic
lev torn almost ENTIRELY from his shirt
9Th vealing His swelling biccps, ans
was long, red scratch Calls senses v
iirit numbed, so that they were reduces
irst almost merely optical conseiousa