The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-09-25

1 found Il a. crooked az noun
tain goat trail. and as rough.
II began TO get lower had "a
double up. bending back and iegr
TO Keep from striking the Jaggcd
tinhcn overhead.
Hot and stifling'
Sweat was pouring of my bois
IN streams. The absence OF oxygen
IN the air made breathing difficult
Already I felt weak and sick. My
muscles were not tuned 10 this kind
81 work. | pictured myself being
carried out unconscious.
think We were about 500 feet
from tho s.soo.foot level station
when the man In charge % our
gang told me 20 stop, The DRIFT was
wiier al that place. There was
enough space 10 allow a whecihar
row 10 be turned up against tho
wall nf the drlft while a FUN one
could be wheeled past.
AN you have 20 do" he said.
Is 20 take the FUN harrow from
here TO the next station Then
bring hack the empty one here"
II sounded easy. hut l Was al
ready nearly exhausted. sat down
In the mud and waited. Part % tho
men had hcen placed al stations BE-.
hind me, The others went on TO.
ward the end Of tho drift. where
the son. wet muck was being
cleared ort % the shaft.
waited. but not for long. All
was darkness around me except
whore the lamp in my cap threw
light a few feet down the drift.
Down the drift l saw light an.
preaching. Then made out the
wheeiharrow. the man behind 4,
doubled up less than four feet high.
he stopped In front % me and with.
out saying word grabbed the
empty barrow and started back.
WAS stan painting like tired
dos. l took hold Of the barrow,
My hands slipped on she muddy
handles. A few feet and the wheel
missed the planks. which were sub.
merged in the siushy slime. About
$50 feet further ON the next ssa.
ton. Finally | Eot there. Ne took
my fun barrow took his empty
and started hack At my station
a full barrow was waiting.
Then realized Why the men
only worked In half hour shifsS. !
also realized why had heen ad.
vised to sc, Job IN the lumber
woods or on farm.
i;iindly wheeled bsrrows
back and forth. Wa filled
with n great desire Ia fall that
In the muck. I was no longer
man. A beast propelled By
sight ef the hsrrows and
vague knowledge that they
must be wheeled.
Several tunes fell In the I
mud.
Each time something made use
get up and start on.
! staggered from side 70 ride.
striking tho Jagged sides Of the
drift with my head. my arms and
my back. by my own mere mo.
ton. not BY any conscious effort.
WINS ! moving.
Finally the end Of the half hour
came. could scarcely crawl hack
10 the station and rest. AZ the alta.
tion fell fiat on my back. breath.
ing the foul gas.fillcd air In an At.
tempt to get hack my breath. The
other men sat around talking and
smoking. Some OF them werc look
tnE at me. One laughed.
That's what you set for getting
drunk"
That pleased me- After all. I had
some pride left. would father
have them think was sick from
drink than that was unable 10 do
what they considered a mans work.
After the first half hour Of the
rest period was breathing more
easily. still the air was foul. I'm.
satisfying. Twenty men were NJ
tho station. nearly ali OF them
smoking. Yet the air WINS no fun
Of gas fumes that the cigaret smoke
was not noticeable.
The air was dead. stiIi. The
smoke curled slowly upward. Not
an odor In the afr except Gas.
Little wisps OF gas could be seen
floating thru the air like minia.
iure clouds. sicksnins only. no,
eeadiy.
The crew that had relieved US
now wss relieved by the other
bunch. The men Just Off duty stag.
gered into the station. was not the
only man hard MI by the griIlins
strain.
"fou lose your breath. you
can't catch H." one OF the men
kept repeating. lie Hoped
down ON mouidy plank. shak-
ing IN every limb.
I'm shaking, but not because
I'm scared" I've said.
Another man lay doubled up on
the ground. where hR face showed
thru the muck " wae yellow.
deathiy.
Scarcely word was spoken
about their entombed comrades.
RESCUE WORK 10 them wHa merely
labor. 1t had 10 be done.
Perhaps little more necessary
than some work.
But, nevertheless. work for which
they we're paid. The chance OF
winning the $1,000 reward for
breaking thru flrst was little dis.
cussed.
I'VE are working as hard as we
can. Nobody knows just where we
are working. 40 what's the use Of
thinking about the $4,000. IL won't
amount 10 anything when It's 81.
vided among $50 men"
That was the sentiment OF those
who expressed an opinion.
The Italians talked among them
selves. could get very little from
them except that they hated the
work In the mine and that they,