Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-01-06
Patrick Flynn,
Mechanic
By FRANK M. SAVAGE


as office and commissary for my con-
struction camp was opened and quiet
ly closed, but l did not look up till
heard a scrape Of tool laid on the
floor
There stood an old man, unmistak-
ably Irish. "Whefe can find the boss,
sir?" he inquired.
"Stand by the stove and warm your
self" ordered tersely. "You may
talk to me-"
DO YOU want to hire a mcdaniel"
he asked simply.
NV eyes turned to what he had laid
on the floor when he entered 1t was
bundle Of shovels, the blades
wrapped in bag.
"a mechanic with a shovel?" l
quered, half aloud.
Eyes, sir, a mechanic. I'm shovel
er."
what Is your name!
patrick Flynn, mechanic"
"Why do you call yourself me-
chanic?"
because, sir, a man that handles
the tools Of his trade in the best KIND
of way is a mechanic"
"Give me demonstration" sug-
gested.
He unwrapped the bag and carefully
wiped the blades of his shOvels. They
shone like polished steel, and the
wooden handle of each shovel was
smooth and oiled.
"You see, sir. It's like this"
With imaginary ground at his feet
he gave me an exhibition that was a
revelation to me- He ceased work and
stood with his foot on the shank OF
shovel, both hands resting on its
handle. He looked inquiringly at me.
My timekeeper entered.
EFT this man with warm clothes,
rubber boots, and a slicker; take him
to foundation three; tell the superln-
tendent he's to teach those Dagoes
how to use their shOvels."
Foundation three was the "key-
stone" of the structure was building;
the excavation must@be completed and
the concrete poured before flood.
l feared a Chinook wind. One would
melt the early fall snow on the noun
tains, and floods would follow, wash
ing out the cOfferdam.
One night as the excavators neared
the bottom of the pit they cut through
the clay into a pocket of quicksand.
The night foreman's efforts to repair
the damage were futile. Suddenly
section of the undermined plank side
of the cofferdam caved into the pit
burying the foreman underneath.
A cry went up for Flynn! Pat!
The commotion awakened me, and,
hastily drawing on my clothes, l ran
to the pit. Now aroused, the whole
camp tumbled from their hunks and
rushed to the scene of the disaster
Climbing down into the pit, | dis
covered Patrick crawling from under
the tangled planks.
Ellis heads above water, SIR" he
told me, quietly. Then he cried to the
foreman of the barge crew outside the
pit: Get your big suction pump
workin' quick and turn this sand-tlow
away from here!"
He grabbed his shovel, and, turning
to the men who had started digging for
the imprisoned foreman, ordered:
"Quit that! Youll murder the man
with your bunglin' work -
Patrick crawled under the wreck.
He was clad only in his overalls, and
the muscles of his withered arms stood
out like knots as he worked rapidly,
delicate, turned the devilish quicksand
into the flow toward the suction of
the powerful pump.
Get a rope!' he called to me in a
voice hardly above whisper.
Patrick tied the rope around the
'oren,an and called for steady pull,
meanwhile, crawling farther beneath
the wreck. He reached deeply into the
water and worked with his shovel to
loosen only the sand which now held
othe mans legs,
After the foreman was dragged to
safety, ordered Patrick to crawl out,
but he seemed unable to eXtricate him
self. l slowly drew him by the heels
till he was back in the pit from under
the planks. He was completely ex-
hausted, and l ordered him carried
TO his bunk.
AS the last shovelful of mucky clay
was being loaded into buckets which
raised it, machinery was loading cars
with concrete which ran, double-head-
ed, and dumped their charges into the
pit. The anxiety of the situation had
caused me to forget my mechanic
till the concrete safely protected the
foundation against any food. Then
asked for Patrick.
"Sick!" l was informed. Been TAX
ing uuinine-in bad SHAPED"
| went to the bunk-house where he
slept and found him in his bunk.
When I removed the bandana hand
kerchief which covered his face he
asked in a weak voice:
Unid tho foreman live hOSST'