The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-07-28

Silcei VI TIE special, ana his fireman
were trying to break into the crushed
cab Of the 416.
The old major, the boss, and | stood
by to help Kirgan, and the minute
his head came up through the chopped
hole we saw that he needed help. He
had pried the screaming man loose,
somehow, andWas trying to drag him
up out of the smoking furnace. 1t was
done, amongst us, some way or other.
Kirgan had wrapped the man up in a
Pullman blanket to keep the fire from
getting at him any worse than it al
ready had, and as we were taking him
out the blanket slipped aside from his
face and | saw who it was that the
maSter-mechanic had risked his life
for. 1t was Hatch, himself, and he
died in our arms, the majors and
mine, while we were carrying him out
to where Mrs. Sheila was tearing one
of the Pullman sheets that had got
hold of into strips to make bandages
for the wounded.
With the chance of saving maybe
another one or two, we couldn't stay to
help the brave little woman who was
trying to be doctor and nurse to half
a dozen poor wretcheS at once. But
she took time to ask me one single
breathless question:
"Have they found him yet?-you
know the one l mean, Jimmie?"
NO. l said. They're digging away
at that side now" and then l ran back
to jump in again.
Though the fire was now licking at
everything in sight, kirgan, who had
taken the ak from our fireman, had
managed to cut some of the Car tim
bers out of the way so that we could
see down into the tangle Of things
where the cab of the 416 ought to have
been. There wasn't much left Of the
cab. The water-gauge was broken,
along with everything else, but in
spite Of the reek of smoke and steam
we could see that Hogan and his fire.
man were not there. But down under
the coal that had shifted forward at
the impact Of the collision we could
make out the other mantle murder
Manufacturing on his back, black IN
the face and gasping.
That was enough for the boss. 1t
looked like certain death for anybody
to crawl down into that kissing steam.
bath, but he did it. wriggling through
the hole that Kirgan had chopped
while two or three of us ran to the
little creek that trickled down on the
far side Of the "Y" and brought back
soaking Pullman blankets to try to de-
lay the encroaching fire and smother
the steam-jets.
| couldn't see very well what the
boss was doing; the smoke and steam
were so binding. But when ! did gel
a glimpse l saw that he was digging
frantically with his bare hands at the
shifted coal, and that he had sue
ceeded in freeing the head and shout
ders Of the buried man, who was still
alive enough to choke and gasp in TIN
furnace-like heat.
Kirgan stood it as long as he could
until the licking flames were about u
drive us all away.
you'll be burnt alive-cOme up on
of that" he yelled to the boss; bu
| knew it wouldn't do any good. Witt
| Collingwood still buried down Their
and still with the breath of life il
him, the boss was going to stay an'
keep on trying to dig him out, even |
he, himself, got burned to a crisp do
ing it. Loving Mrs. Sheila the way h
did. he couldn't do any less.
1t was awful, those next two o
three minutes. We were all RUNNING
frantically back and forth, now, be
tween the wreck and the creek, soak
ing the blankets and doing our leve
hest to beat the fire back and keep
from cutting off the only way Their
was for the boss to climb out. But W
could only fight gaspingly on the SUI
face Of things, as you might say. Dow
underneath, the fire was workin
around in front and behind In spite Q
all we could do Some Of it had 60
TO the coal, and the heavy sulphurou
smoke was oozing up to make US a
choke and strangle.
| Honestly, you couldn't have tol
that the boss was a white man Whe
he crawled up out Of that pit of dealt
Juggling and lifting the crushed an
broken body of the mailman, and mai
ing us take 1t out before he woul
come out himself. We got them bot
away from the fire as quickly as "
could and around to the other side
things, Kirgan and Jones carryin
Collingw00d.
The poor little lady we had lei
alone with the rescued ones had don
all she could, and she was waitln
for US. When we put Collingwoo
dow she sat down on the groun
and took his head in her lap an
cried over him just like his mothf
might have, and when the boss kne e
down beside her ! heard what
said: THAT'S right, little woman
that's Just as it should be. Deaf
wines out all scores. did my best
Won must always believe that ! d
| my best"
, She choked again at that, and salt
"rhere is no hope?" and he said: II
: afraid not. He was dying when ! g