"
Mr. Burnham put away a few papers, wrote a hurried letter to his wife,
took his hat and went out and down the steps.
"Send Dr. Gunther up to the breaker at once," he said, as he made
ready to start.
The fleet horses drew him rapidly out through the suburbs and up the
hill, and in less than twenty minutes he had reached the breaker, and
stopped at the mouth of the shaft.
Many people had already assembled, and others were coming from all
directions. Women whose husbands and sons worked in the mine were
there, with pale faces and beseeching words. There was much confusion.
It was difficult to keep the crowd from pressing in against the mouth
of the shaft. Men were busy clearing a space about the opening when
Robert Burnham arrived.
"How did it happen?" he said to the mine boss as he stepped from his
wagon. "Where was it?"
"Up in the north tier, sir. We don't know how it happened. Some one
must 'a' gone in below, where the fire-damp was, with a naked lamp,
an' touched it off; an' then, most like, it run along the roof to the
chambers where the men was a-workin'. I can't account for it in no
other way."
"Has any one come out from there?"
"Yes, Billy Williams. He was a-comin' out when it went off. We found
him up in the headin', senseless. He ain't come to yet."
"And the others?"
"We've tried to git to 'em, sir, but the after-damp is awful, an' we
couldn't stan' it; we had to come out."
"How many men are up there?"
"Five, as we count 'em; the rest are all out.
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