Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-05-11


haustion. From Murphy, who had been
the faster, Meade took the two tripod
| legs, stout oak slaves about an inch
and a half thick, with sharp metal
points. He jammed them down into
! the ground about five feet from the
i edge of the Kicking Horse ravine and
about fifteen feet apart.
Holes, there" he shouted, deep
enough for five cartridges"
Funaro nodded. He knew exactly
what to do Murphy had often seen
the explosive gang at work. He was
quick-witted and he had only to follow
tire Italians actions. The work was
simple. Selling their spades the two
men cut into the sod, using the pick
TO dislodge small powders and break
up the earth. The soil was light and
porous, and it had been well soaked
by the rain. After they had made an
excavation about two feet deep. they
laid aside their shovels, and with the
iron range pole as q starter and the
bigger tripod stakes to follow, they
made two deep holes in the ground,
forcing the pole and then the stake
into the EARTH which the continuing
rain tended to soften more and more.
They made these holes about four feet
deep below the excavation, driving in
and twisting and churning the stakes
by main strength.
They could by no means have accom-
plished this save for the softening as
Sistance of the rain and the furious
energy they applied. They had been
working since four in the morning at
the dam, they had made that difficult
run at headlong speed, yet they labored
like men possessed. They even wasted
breath to call challengingly and pro-
vOlIingly and to set forth their progress
each to the other In almost less time
than it takes to tell it, they had COM
Ipleted the holes and so informed the
engineer triumphantly.
Meade. as usual. had reserved to
himself the more dangerous, if less ar
duous task. Covering himself with
big Murphy's discarded slicker which
fell over him like q shelter tent as he
llnelt down, he opened the box of
, detOnatOrs, selected one, and attached
the fuse in position carefully. Then
he unfolded the paper about one of the
cartridges and placed the detonator,
wrapping the paper around it there
after. He prepared two cartridges
this way with the greatest care.
The men rapidly but carefully cut
Sits in the covering of the cartridges
and lowered four cartridges down each
hole, forcing them gently into place
with the butt ends of the tripod stakes
and compressing them so that they
filed the holes completely Then
Meade placed his two prepared sticks
with the detonators on top of the other
four. He cut the fuse to the proper
L length in each case. and. keeping il
!" carefully covered with the raincoat. he
{ held it while the others filled in the
| holes and the excavations and care
; fully tamped down the earth. All thai
: remained was the lighting of the fuse
And then? Would the dynamite gC
y off? With fuses it was uncertain in it.
action at best, and although thest
y fuses were supposed to be so prepared
u as to be independent of weather con
i ditions. more often than not rail-
= spoiled blast. If this blast failed /
/ was good-by dam-good-by everything
t Meade drew out from the pocket O
/ his flannel shirt box of matches. 81
t had to light the farther cartridge fuse
= then run fifteen feet and light tn
nearer one. and then make his escape
l. He had made the nearer fuse littl
y shorter so as to secure d Simultaneou
u explosion if possible.
a Tony Funaro now interposed ga
u lantly.
Is "Giva me da light" he demanded, ez
tending his hand.
1t "G'wan wild ye." shouted the bi
d. Irishman eagerly; ''lemme do it, sor.
n, "Stand back both of you" erie
"a Meade. succeeding after some troubl
ct in striking q match.
lie He had cut off a shorter length G
re fuse for torch, the better to carry tn
e. fire from one blast to another. AS
re sputtered into flame, he touched tn
he first fuse, then the second, and turne
Of and ran for his life after Murphy an
Mt Funaro. They had just got a safe di
he tance away when with muffied roG
CT the two blasts went off nearly togethe
ID When they ran back they saw tht
d. twO-thirds of the hillock on that sid
Is of the ravine had gone. A wall {
IN earth through which water was alread
d. trickling rose between the great ga
ne they had blown out and the lake, IL
IT. upper level of which was much hight
VI than the bottom of the great crate
'y they had opened.
y "Hurrah," yelled Meade, the othel
&c joining in his triumphant shout. "NoN
"S another hole right there" he pointed
er the foot of the bank. "Drive it
Ut slanting and it will do the job"
IL ''Will the dam be after holdin' VI
lie sOr?" asked Mike Murphy, seizing h
on pick.
wv 81 hope so, but, for Gods SAX
m hurry"
ce With two men working, the last no
're was completed before Meade w
ue ready. Funaro, indeed, came to h
as assistance in preparing the cartridg
OK Presently all was completed. Rejet
ly- ing the pleas of both men, Mea
We struck the match, and this time sin
.er there was but one blast to be fired,
touched it directly to the fuse al
eu waited q second to see that it hi
DIS caught and ran as before.
iut At a safe distance they drew ba
and waited. Nothing happened. A fl
zen seconds dragged on. They saw no 81
me of life in the fuse, no light. In spi
ain of the care they had taken, it had g
ere wet. 1t would not work. The precio
the moments were flying. They star
'is- agonizingly at the fuse through t
lie rain.
ar 'I'H have to take look at it," Sc
ide Meade desperately.
md FunarO and Murphy caught him
)rt- the arms. They all knew the tremt
ire dous risk in a nearer approach. 7
in fuse might be alight still. At any S
the ond the flame might flash to the de
wn natOr and then Yet Meade had
wa go. That charge had to be exploded
br bond ho