| Show lr tl py 9 0 11 e 41 57 41 po a I 1 2 00 a 0 0 9 C ro 3 4 4 I 1 t 0 T 0 7 4 Q a vo 41 t ig 10 ff 0 S in ff J 10 0 10 4 4 0 44 fu 4 a 4 10 0 john hart or as the men called him for his mirth loving nature stood in the doorway door way of the engine room lounging easily against the frame set in the heavy brick walls and sur beying the scene about the iron mine behind were three vertical blowing engines which ran contina bously all the 5 ear to make the blast they were gigantic old fashioned walking beam engines with the steam cylinder at one end of the bem and the air cylinder on the other each vert icle and twelve feet in length taking an oil can he began the rounds when an unusual noise caught his attention there was a snap then a crash at the crash he sprang forward to the throttle valve on no one engine and before she bad had turned over to make another corn coin stroke he bad had stopped her he thought he knew what had bap hap bened and before investigating he put the other two engines to their maximum speed that the air pressure might be maintained it if possible to keep the air pressure or blast steadily on the furnaces was the most lindor tant work the engines had to do then seized a lamp and a wrench and ran through the arch into the compressor room where the three air cylinders stood in a row fifteen feet apart he ran up the stairway to the upper floor chere he looked down at the cylinder attached to the mo tl onless engine it was as he had supposed the yoke holding the manhole plate and gasket in position bad had broken and the whole arrangement had dropped into the cylinder sprang to the walking beam slid down the be connect ingrad ing rod to the crosshead cross head and down the piston rod to the cylinder head standing there a moment on the im mense casting which was five feet in diameter without a thought of danger he squatted down stuck his feet through the small oblong opening and wriggled through to his shoulders holding up his arms with the wrench and lamp in bis his hands he reached out with his toes and touched the air piston the engine being at less than middle stroke this was a third ot of the way up in the cylinder drawing his arms through he crouched down and so gained the in herfor of the cylinder it was like an oven the gleaming polished walls reflected his light he could not touch any part it was all too hot and he moved his lamp over the t top OP of the looking tor for the broken yoke and plate A moment after had dropped out ot of sight dennison Denn lson the boss fur entered the engine room ex he had missed the familiar beat of one machine and feared a diminution of the blast he shouted looking round 0 then he went to the throttle valve and took up the starting bar meanwhile gathered up the broken yoke and reached up to lay it on top of the head shoving his hands throng the narrow opening the plate was a heavier piece and he shouldered it first it was a severe strain in the close hot cylinder to push it through at arm s length As he laid it beside the broken yoke he felt the piston beneath his feet move lor t or an instant his heart stopped beat ing the piston went down slowly with a hesitating motion it would go down about tour four feet more II 11 the engine had been started and then rush up twelve feet and flatten him against the iron head this he realized but when the piston had moved down two feet it stopped the manhole by which he had entered was now almost five feet above his head he gave a hoarse cry of terror but it only reverberated in his ears above the jar pound and scream of the other engines he could hardly hope to make himself heard hoping to attract attention he threw the wrench out of the manhole it disappeared the piston continued to descend in an agony of apprehension cast the lamp alter after the wrench meanwhile the polished hot walls radiant with heat and the piston burned his feet if he could only jump and catch the manhole but butin in tl tle narrow space be he was unable to spring more than a few inches tak leg off his jumper he tried to throw it through but it fell back on him then threw bis his keys his knife and his hat through the h hole ole at last out flew his beloved watch it sailed in a high curve and disappeared outside something fell on the stone floor near dennison Denn lson and broke with a crash he looked down A watch I 1 watch dellison Den LISOn looked round for the young fellow and saw the other things s keys knife lamp hat and wrench but where was dennison deciding that something was wrong shut oft off the steam then running up the tho steps which had ascended b but ut a few minutes before be lie looked and called for the young engineer seeing the open manhole he went to the top ot of the head he called bending over the hollow echoing cy cylinder lindet yes im here answered dennison Denn lson lying out full length on the head reached down his hand and grasped it As dennison Denn lson blow slow ly rose to his knees with his burden ascended inside until h he was shead able to grasp the edge of the head and with the s assistance he emerged streaming with per spira tion and so weak with fright that he could hardly stand close call young fellow dennl son observed grimly close enough returned help me get this manhole head in position so I 1 can start up if you had known how you d have had me flattened out long ago phil more in youths youth s companion |
