Evening star., 1922-06-10
Kennedy as he stopped the telegra.


ly. what could happen? I'll an
swer my own question by telling
what actually did happen. Oil that
was smoky at lower point than
it's flash was being used In the ma
! chinery-not really three-hundred-
jacket had been tampered with, too.
More than that. there is joint in
| the pipe leading down into the tun-
| mel. where explosive gases can col
lect. 1t is well known fact in the
use of compressed air that such a
/ condition is the best possible way to
| secure an explosion.
| 1T would all seem so natural. even
| if discovered" explained Kennedy
| rapidly. The smoking oil-smok-
| ing just as an automobile often
does-is passed into the compressed
and gases collect in the joint. and
perhaps they line the whole distance
| of the pipe. A spark from the low
! grade oil-and they are ignited
! What takes place is the same thing
J that occurs in the cylinder of an
automobile where the air is COM
pressed with gasoline vapor. Only
! here we have compressed air charged
! with vapor of oil. The flame pro-
! ceeds down the pipe exploding
! through the pipe, if it happens to
be not strong enough. This pipe,
c,
! flame is in this case shoots out at the
! open end of the pipe. down near the
! shield. and if the air is the tunnel
happens also to be surcharged with
| oil vapor, an explosion takes place
! in the tunnel-the river bottom is
! blown out-then God help the sand
! hogs
| That's how your accidents took
/ place. Orton." concluded Kennedy
in triumph. "and that impure air
not impure from carbon dioxide, but
! from this oil-vapor miXture-in-
! creased the liability of the men for
, the bends. Capps knew about 1t.
! He was careful while he was there
! To see that the air was made as pure
| as possible under the circumstances.
I He was so careful that he wouldn' t
! even let Mr.. Jameson smoke in the
! tunnel But as soon as he went to
( the surface the same deadly mixture
| was pumped down again. caught
! some of it in this flash, and
! My God, Paddy's down there
now cried Orton. suddenly seizing
] his telephone. Operator. give me
! the south tube-qulck-wha
. don't answer?
i out in the river above the end of
! the heading, where short time be-
TIRE there had been only few bub-
/ hles on the surface of the water,
! could see what looked like huge
! geys ser of water spouting up. l pulled
| Craig over to me and pointed.
\ blowout" cried Kennedy. as ne
rushed to the door. only to be met by
| group of blanchrd-faced workers
who had come breathleSS to the Office
! to deliver the news.
| Craig acted quickly. Hold these
men,, he ordered. pointing to Capps
! and Shelton, until we come back.
/ orton. while we are gone. go over
! the entire days record on the tele-
n IA, |
! Taylor will find something there tha t
will interest you"
He sprang down the ladder to the
tunnel air-lock, not waiting for the
! elevator. In front of the closed dooG
of the lock an excited group CT ms II
was gathered. One of them was peer
ing through the dim, thick, glass
portfolio IN the door.
There he is. standin' by the door.
with Il club, an the mems crowdi,l'
none can get in at all. He's beatin'
'em back with the stick. Now, he's
got the door clear and has dragged
one Door fellow in. It's Jimmy Rourke.
him with the eight childer. Now he's
dragged in a Polack. Now he's fightIn'
! back a big Jamaica nigger who's Try
in to shove ahead of a little Italian"
It's Paddy" cried Craig. "If he
can bring them all out safely with
out the loss of life he'll save the
day yet Tor Orton. AND neIl DO II,
too. Walter"
Instantly / reconstructed in my mind
the scene in the tunnel-the explosion
OF the oil-vapor. the mad race up tn,
tube. perhaps the failure of the
emergency curtain to work. the fran
tic efforts of the men. in panic. all to
crowd through the narrow little door
at once; the rapidly rising water
and above all. the heroic Paddy. cool
to the last, standing at the door sim
gle handed beating the men back with
a club 50 that they could go through
one at a time.
Only when the water had reached
the level Of the door of the lock did
Paddy bang 1t shut as he dragged the
last man in. Then followed an inter-
, minable wait for the air in the lock
to be exhausted. When at last the
door at our end of the lock swung
open the men with a cheer seized
Paddy. and, in spite of his struggles,
hoisted him on their shoulders and
carried him off. still struggling, in
triumph up the construction elevator
to the open air above.
The scene i'll Orton'S office was dra-
matte as the men entered with Paddy.
Vivian Taylor was standing defiantly,
with burning eyes. facing Capps. who
stared sullenly at the floor before
him Shelton was plainly abashed.
"kennedy," cried Orton, vainly try
ing to rise, listen. Have you still
that place on the telegraphone rec
ord. Vivian?"
Miss Taylor started the tsle-
, graphone, while we all crowded
around. leaning forward. eagerly.
presidents office? oh. hello. This is
Capps talking. How are you? Oh.
you've heard about Orton, have you?
Not so bad, Ell? Well. I'm arranging
with the man Shelton here for the
hot
you can COMPROMISE with the Five
Borough on your own terms. 1 think
| have argued Taylor and Morris into
the right frame of mind for 1t II we
have one more big accident. Whats s
+, that? How is my love affair? Well,
why went into this deal. When you
put me into his place after the COM
promise l think 1 will pull strong
with her. Saw her last night. She
feels pretty bad about Orton, but
she'll get over it. Besides. the pater
will never let her marry a man who's
! down and out. By the way, you've
! got to do something handsome for
! Shelton. All right. I'll see you to-
| night and tell you some more. Watch
| the papers in the meantime for the
| grand finale. Goodbye"
! An angry growl rose from one or
i two of the more quick-witted men.
: Kennedy reached over and pulled
me with him quickly through the
! crowd.
Hurry, Walter" he whispered
hoarsely. hustle Shelton and Capps
! out quick before the rest of the men
| wake up to what it's all about or we
shall have a lynching instead of an
arrest"
| AS we showed and pushed them
/ out 1 saw the rough and grimy sand
| hogs in the rear move quickly aside.
and off came their muddy, frayed
hats. A dainty figure fitted among