18 - Young Railroaders by Francis Lovell Coombs

Teen telegraphers battle bandits, derail disasters, and outsmart thieves in Young Railroaders, a thrilling ride through America’s emerging West. Grit, brains, and bravery light the tracks.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Young Railroaders by F. Lovell Coombs, chapter seventeen. Wilson
again distinguishes himself. It was decidedly warm the following Monday
noon at Bonepile, and Wilson, Jennings his coat off but
wearing the fancy Mexican sombrero that the bar O cowman

(00:21):
had given him, sat in the open window to catch
the breeze that blew through from the rear. From the window,
Wilson could not see the wagon trail toward the hills
to the west. Thus it was that the low thud
of hoofs first told him of someone's hurried approach. Starting
to his feet, he stepped to the end of the
platform at sight of a horseman coming toward him at

(00:43):
full speed and leading a second horse, saddled but riderless.
Wilson gazed in surprise, wondering creased when as the rider
drew nearer, he recognized Muskoka Jones, the big barrow cowman.
What is it, Muskoka, he shouted. As the ponies approached,
the cowpuncher pulled up, all standing within a foot of

(01:06):
the platform. There's been an explosion at the pine load,
kid and ten men are bottled up somewhere in the
lower level, two men got into a small hole. The
mouth of the mine is blocked, and one of them
is tappin on the iron pump pipe. Bartlet, the mine
boss thinks it may be telegraph tickin that. Maybe young

(01:26):
knows somethin about that. Will you come up an listen.
You see, if they knew what was what inside, they'd
know what they could do. They are afraid to blast
the big rock that's blocking the mouth for fear of
bringing loosened stuff down on the men who have been caught.
Wilson was running for the station door. I'll explain to

(01:46):
the dispatcher, he shouted over his shoulder. I I X,
responded the dispatcher. There's been an explosion in the pine
load mine, sent Wilson rapidly, and a man has been
and then to take me there to try and read
some tapping from the men inside. Can you give one
forty four the male clearance from Q and let me

(02:08):
go up some tapping? What oh? I understand? Okay, go ahead,
tick the dispatcher, get back as soon as possible. I
will all right, Muskoki, cried Wilson, hastening forth, struggling into
his coat. As he ran. Get round there, shouted the cowboy,

(02:32):
swinging the spare pony to the platform. Wilson went into
the saddle with a neat bound Say you've seen a
horse before, kid, observed Muskoka with surprise as he threw
over the reins. Sure, I have used to spend my
summer vacations on a farm. Can ride a bit standing up,
said Wilson with pride. They swung their animals about together

(02:56):
and were off on the jump. As the two ponies
stretched out to their full the cowboy eyed Wilson's easy
seat with approval. Well, kid, he observed, after a moment's silence.
Next time I come across a dude, I'll get him
to do his tricks before I brand him. I don't see,
but what you sit about as good as I do.

(03:17):
Wilson's pleased smile gave place to gravity as he returned
to the subject of the explosion. When did it happen,
he asked, early this morning, just after the men went in.
They're not sure, but think it was powder stored at
the foot of the shaft down to the lower level.
The main lead of the pine load, you know, runs

(03:39):
straight into the mountain, not down and the shaft to
the lower level is aways in. We heard the noise
at the barrow. There's nothing much to see or do, though,
the cowboy added. As they raced along neck and neck,
a big rock just over the entrance came down, and
when they got the dirt away, they found it. The

(04:00):
thing up like a cork. It's that they are afraid
to blast until they know how. The men are fixed inside.
Hoover and Young got in through a small hole at
the top. Hoover about half an hour before Young. He
started tapping on the pipe too, then stopped. They don't
know what's happened to him. Twenty minutes hard riding brought

(04:21):
them to the foothills. Still at the gallop, the ponies
were urged up a winding, rocky trail, and finally a
tall black chimney and a group of rough buildings came
into view. There, it is, said the cowboy, indicating a
ledge just above. As they went forward, still at full speed,
Wilson gazed toward the mine entrance with some astonishment. Mind

(04:44):
disasters he had always thought of as scenes of great excitement,
people running to and fro wringing their hands. Excited crowds
held back by ropes and men calling and shouting. Here
about a spot but little distinguished from the rest of
the rocky varsley treed mountain side was gathered a group
of perhaps fifty men, some sitting on beams and rocks,

(05:07):
others moving quietly about, all smoking on their being discovered. However,
there was a stir and as Muskoka and the boy
dismounted at the foot of a rough path and ascended,
there was a general movement of the miners and cowmen
to meet them. I got him, Muskoka announced briefly to
a grizzle haired man who met them at the top.

(05:28):
This is Bartlett, the mine boss, he said to Wilson
by way of introduction. The boss nodded. It tappings going on, yet,
is it, Joe? No, it stopped, just like Hoover's did,
was the gloomy response. And just when we were getting
onto it ourselves, the speaker held up a small board

(05:51):
penciled with figures and letters read, and there hit on
the idea that maybe young was knocking out the numbers
of letters in the alphabet. And we made this table
and just found out we had it right. When the
tapping stopped. That was twenty minutes ago, and we haven't
had another knock since. Let's see it. What did you

(06:14):
get up there? Twenty seven five, twenty twenty one sixteen
tea get up? Something about can't get up? We figured it,
but it's not enough to be of any use, and
there's not another man here. Can wriggle in through the hole?

(06:36):
Went on the boss, turning toward the great rock which
sealed the mouth of the mine. A dozen of them
tried it, and Redding got stuck, so we had to
get a rope on him, nearly pulled his legs off.
Wilson made his way forward and examined the strangely blocked entrance.
The small hole referred to was a triangular shaped opening

(06:57):
about a foot in height and some sixteen inches in width,
apparently just at the roof of the gallery. Some minutes
Wilson stood studying it, pondering. Finally, he turned about with
an air of decision and returned to Muskoka and the
mind boss. I have a plan, he announced, If you
will go back to the station again, Muskoki, I'll send

(07:20):
for another operator and go in the mind myself. Two
operators could talk backwards and forwards easily on the pipe.
And and but where's the other operator? Interrupted the cowboy.
There is a freight do at the station in about
twenty five minutes. I can give you a message to
hand the engineer for the operator at Ledges the next station,

(07:43):
a message asking the dispatcher to send the Ledges operator
down on the mail someone could wait for him, or
if there is no hit, she'd be here inside of
an hour and a half. That'll work, exclaimed the boss.
That's it, you'll go, Muskoki. Certainly, I'll get a fresh
hoss and wait for him myself. Wilson, finding an envelope

(08:06):
in his pocket, dropped to a boulder and began writing
WBJ Exeter. He scribbled, am at the mine, the tapping
is stopped. No one else can go in, So I'm
going myself. Please send down operator from Ledges to read
my tapping if I'm unable to return jettings reading. Where's red?

(08:30):
Shouted Muskoka as he folded the message. Here what I'm
going back to the station for another operator. I'm gonna
take your Johnny hoss. Mine's blowed. Sure, yes, agreed the owner,
and with a good luck kid. Muskoka was clattering down
the path. Now, mister Bartlett, will you please explain the

(08:53):
plan of things inside, just how the tunnel runs, requested Wilson.
Have a and I'll draw it, said the boss, setting
the example. He turned the board bearing the fragmentary message
and Wilson dropped down beside him. The main gallery. The
old lead runs straight in at about this dip down,

(09:15):
he said, drawing as he spoke, runs back five hundred
fifty feet and ends. That was where the old lead
petered out. Here, about two hundred feet from the entrance
is a vertical shaft ninety feet that we put down
to pick up the old pine knot lead. It's from

(09:35):
the foot of that the new gallery. The lower level starts.
It slopes off just under the old lead, so three
hundred and thirty feet. There's a fault, and it cants
up twelve feet, so then on down again at a
bit sharper dip nearly six hundred feet. That another fault

(09:57):
and a drop, and about fifty feet more it's down
there at the end. We think most of the men
have been caught, but some may have been near the
shaft the pumping pipe where Hoover and Young must have
been tapping is here, halfway between the first and second faults,
where it comes down through a boring from the old gallery.

(10:18):
It must have been at that point because we had
disconnected two leaking sections just below there only this morning.
How do you get down the shaft to the lower level,
Wilson asked. There was a ladder, but it was smashed
by the explosion. Hoover, the first man in came out
for a rope, so I suppose that's there now. Young

(10:41):
must have gone down by it. Hoover also reported that
the roof of the old gallery was in bad shape
just over the shaft. That's the particular reason we are
afraid to blast the rock here until we know whether
any of the men were caught at the bottom of
the pit. Wilson arose and began removing his collar. How

(11:01):
about water, mister Bartlett, since the pump is not working,
he inquired, a less the explosion tapped new water. There'll
be no danger over twenty four hours at least, but
if the drain channel of the lower gallery has been filled,
the floor will be very slippery. The mine boss added,
it's slate, and we left it smooth as a runway

(11:24):
for the oar boxes. As the young operator removed his
spotless collar, one similar to that which had so aroused
the cowman's derision on his first day at Bonepile, without
a smile. One of the very men who had formed
the welcoming committee that day rubbed his hands on his shirt,
took it carefully, and placed it on a clean plank.

(11:46):
You'll want a lamp. Somebody give the boy a cap
and lamp, the boss directed. A dozen of the miners,
whipped off caps with attached lamps, and trying several, Wilson
found one to fit. Then, buttoning his coat and turning
up the collar, he made his way to the rock
sealed entrance and climbed up to the narrow opening out tap.

(12:09):
As soon as I reached the pipe, he said, so long,
and without more Ado crawled head first within and disappeared
the lamp on his cap. Lighting up the narrow trough
like tunnel, Wilson easily wormed his way forward ten or
twelve feet. Then the passage contracted and became broken and twisted. However,

(12:31):
given confidence by the knowledge that others had passed through,
Wilson squeezed on. There presently came a widening of the hole,
then a black opening, and with a final effort, he
found himself projecting into the black depths of the empty
gallery below him, the debris sloped to the floor. Pulling
himself free, he slid and scrambled down and quickly was

(12:54):
on his feet, breathing with relief, only pausing to brush
some of the dust from his clothes. Wilson hastened forward.
Two hundred feet distant, a windlass took shape and the obscurity.
He reached it, and the black opening of the shaft
to the lower level was at his feet. Looking he
found the rope the mind boss had spoken of. It

(13:16):
was secured to one of the windless supports and disappeared
into the depths. On the opposite side of the pit.
Directly below was the shattered wreck of the latter. Leaning over,
Wilson shouted Hello, Hello. The words crashed and echoed in
the shaft and about him, but there was no reply.

(13:37):
Once more, he shouted, then, resolutely, suppressing his instinctive shrinking,
he made his way about to the rope, carefully lowered
himself and began descending hand under hand. Wilson had not
gone far when, with apprehension, he found the rope becoming
wet and slippery with drip from the rocks above. Despite

(13:59):
a tightened grip, his hands began to slip. In alarm,
he wound his feet about the rope. Still he slipped
to dry a hand on his sleeve. He freed it
instantly with a cry. He found himself shooting downward. He
clutched with hands, feet and knees, but onward he plunged.
In the light of his lamp, the jagged, broken timbers
of the shoring shot up by him. He would be

(14:21):
dashed to pieces, but desperately he fought, and at last
got the rope clamped against the corner of a heel,
and the speed was retarded. A moment after, he landed
with an impact that broke his hold on the rope
and sent him in a heap on his back. Rising,
Wilson thankfully discovered he had escaped injury other than a

(14:42):
few bruises, and gazed about him. At first sight, he
appeared to be in the bottom of a well filled
with broken water, soaked timbers, and gray, dripping rock. He
knew there must be an exit, however, and set about
looking for it at the same time, listening and why
watching shrinkingly for signs of anyone buried in the heap

(15:03):
of stone and timber. Not a sound, save the monotonous
drip of seeping water, was to be heard. However, and
presently behind a shield of planking, he located the black
mouth of a small opening. Dropping to his knees, he
crawled through and stood upright in a downward sloping gallery
similar to that above the lower level. Once more, he

(15:27):
shouted hello, Hello. The clashing echoes died away without response,
and he started forward. Scarcely had he taken a half
dozen steps, when without warning, his feet shot out from
under him, and he went down on his back with
a crash, barely saving his head with his hands. The smooth,

(15:48):
hard rock was as slippery as ice from the water
flowing over it. Wondering if this icy declivity had anything
to do with the failure of Hoover and Young to return,
Wilson arose and went on more cautiously. As he proceeded,
the walking became more and more treacherous. Several times he
again went down, saving himself by sinking onto his outstretched hands.

(16:12):
On rising from one of these falls, Wilson discovered something
which sent him ahead with new concern. A few yards farther.
He halted with an exclamation, on the brink of a
yellow stretch of water that met the gallery roof twenty
feet beyond him. Blankly, he gazed at it. Then he
recalled the fault the mind boss had spoken of, and

(16:34):
abrupt rise of the gallery twelve feet This must be it.
Its drain had choked and filled it with water, But
both Hoover and Young had passed it. The pipe they
had tapped upon was beyond. They must have waded boldly
in dove or ducked down and come up on the
other side. At the thought of following them in this,

(16:56):
Wilson drew back. Had he not better return? Could he? Though?
Could he ascend a rope down which he had been
unable to prevent himself sliding? The answer was obvious. Desperately,
Wilson decided to venture the water to reach those he
now knew were on the other side and the pumping pipe.

(17:18):
In preparation, he first securely wrapped the matches he carried
in notepaper taken from an envelope and placed them in
the top of the miner's hat. Then, removing his shoes
to give him firmer footing, he stepped into the yellow
pool and carefully made his way forward. Six feet from
the point at which the water met the top of
the gallery. The water was up to his chin, and

(17:40):
he saw h must swim for it and dive without
pause lest he should lose his nerve. He struck out,
reached the roof, took a deep breath, and ducked down.
Three quick, hard strokes, and he arose, and with a gasp,
found himself at the surface again. A few strokes onward
in the darkness, and his hands met a rough wall

(18:02):
over which the water was draining, as over the brink
of a dam. At the same moment, a sound of
dull blows reached his ears. Spluttering and blinking, Wilson drew
himself up. A shout broke from him. Far distant and
below was a point of light. Hello, Hello, he cried.

(18:23):
Immediately came a chorus of response, as though many were
excitedly shouting at once. Unable to distinguish anything from the
jangle of echoes, Wilson cried back, are you all safe? Again?
Came the clashing incomprehensible shout. I'm coming down, he called,
though not sure that they heard him. Producing the matches

(18:46):
from the crown of the hat. He found they had
come through dry, and after some difficulty lighting one against
the side of another, he ReLit the lamp. While at
this voices continued to come up to him, evidently shouting
so but try as he could, he was unable to
make out what was said. It was all a reverberating clamor,

(19:07):
as though a hundred people were talking at once. As
the lamp spluttered up after the ducking which had extinguished it,
Wilson gazed down the gallery before him with a touch
of new dismay. The water was flowing over it in
a thin, glossy coat, and it was considerably steeper than
on the outer side of the fault. Apparently the only

(19:28):
thing to do was to slide. Working about into a
sitting position, facing down the slope with feet spread out
as though steering a sleigh, Wilson allowed himself to go.
The rapidity with which he gained momentum startled him. Soon
the gray damp walls were passing upward like a glistening mist.

(19:49):
With difficulty, he kept his feet foremost. Meantime, the voices
from below had continued shouting. Onward, he slid, and the
sounds became clearer. At last, the words came to him.
They were the pipe, the pipe, catch, the pump pipe.
Then Wilson suddenly recollected that the pipe was but halfway

(20:10):
down the slope. Digging with his heels, he sought to
slow up, gazing first at one flitting wall, then the other.
On the right, a vertical streak of black appeared. He
clutched with heels and hands and sought to steer toward it.
He swept nearer and reached with outstretched hand. The effort
swung him sideways, his fingers just grazed the iron, and

(20:34):
twisting about, he shot downward, head first, at greater speed
than ever. A moment after there was a chorus of shouts,
a sharp cry in his ears, an impact, a rolling
and tumbling, a second crash, and Wilson felt himself dragged
to his feet. About him, in a single flickering light,

(20:54):
was a group of strange faces while he gazed, dazed,
rubbing a bruised head. All talked excitedly, even angrily. Why
didn't you hang on, you idiot, demanded a voice. Who
is it anyway? It's a stranger and a boy, said another.

(21:15):
Wilson recovered his scattered wits and quickly explained who he
was and what he had come for. Immediately there was
a joyful shout. We'll be out inside of an hour,
cried one. But how am I going to get up
to the pipe? Demanded Wilson. We are cutting footholds up
the incline. Why get back on the job, directed the speaker,

(21:39):
whom Wilson later learned was the fire boss. You brought
him down with you, he added to the boy. The
man spoken to began creeping up the water covered slope,
dragging a pick, and Wilson turned to look about him.
The eleven men in the party, not including the men
on the slope, were together on the level floor of

(22:01):
what evidently was the lower fault of the lead. From
the darkness beyond came the sound of water trickling to
a lower level. Are all here and no one hurt?
He asked, Hoover and young and everybody, and not one scratched,
responded the fireboss. You were the one nearest hurt. You

(22:23):
were a mighty plucky youngster, he added. To come through
that water up there, Wilson interrupted a chorus of hearty ascent.
What happened to Hoover and Young at the pipe. He
inquired that mystified everybody outside. They both caught it coming down,
but Hoover lost his hole trying to change hands for tapping,

(22:45):
and Young dropped the knife he was knocking with and
slipped fishing for it. The fire boss explained meantime at
the entrance to the mine, a half hour having passed
without a knocking on the pipe to announce the arrival.
Inside of the young operator, anxiety began to be felt
for his safety. Also, when another half hour had passed

(23:07):
and there was still no response to frequent tappings of inquiry,
the mind boss Bartlet began to stride up and down
before the blocked entrance. I shouldn't have allowed him to
go in, he muttered, repeatedly. He was only a boy.
When at length Muskoka Jones reappeared on the scene and

(23:27):
with him the operator from Ledges. Bartlett met them with
a gloomy vase. At that very moment, however, there was
a shout from the men gathered about the pumping pipe.
He's knocking, cried a voice. Bartlet, Muskoka and the Ledges
operator went forward on the run. The latter dropped to
his knees and placed his ear to the pipe. At

(23:48):
the quick smile of comprehension which came into his face,
a great cheer went up. It was immediately stilled by
a gesture from the operator an intense silence. He caught
up a stone, tapped back a signal, then read aloud
Wilson's strangely telegraphed words of the safety of the men below,
their situation and the means to be taken to reach them.

(24:12):
And just at sunset, the bedraggled but joyful, cheering party
of rescuers and rescued emerged from the entrance Wilson to
a reception he will remember as long as he lives.
The most important result of Wilson's courage and resourcefulness, however,
was an interview Alex Ward had that evening at Exeter
with a division superintendent. Following a recital of Wilson's feet

(24:36):
at the mine, Alex added, you said last week, mister Cameron,
that I might suggest a third operator for the Yellow
Creek construction advance guard of operators. I'd like to suggest Jennings, Sir.
He is appointed, then said the superintendent. Go and tell
him yourself. End of chapter