Leominster High School - Magnet Yearbook (Leominster, MA)

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THE MAGNET 9 In the Mud=-Rush T came at last, pouring down the shaft; the mud rushed along with a low, gurgling sound. For five months Murilla had worked in a long tunnel through the diamond-bearing blue clay. He tore the firm, grayish earth from the sides of the tunnel with a small pick and threw it into a small cart, which was taken to one of the shafts. There, upon a large elevating- car, it was rapidly lifted to the surface and taken to the great works of the De Beeres Mines, the greatest diamond mines inthe world. After the clay had been softened by several processes, it was carefully picked over by ma- chinery, and when it finally came from the great factory not a single tiny diamond was hidden in it. The clay was now so mixed with water that it flowed easily away from the huge buildings and settled near the mines. Some disturbance—a blast, perhaps—had loosened the whole mass, and now it had rushed into the main shaft, pouring down and imprisoning all who could not gain access to the auxiliary shaft. Such rushes were not— and, indeed, are not at present—infrequent in these places, where the life of the South African is held almost worthless. The mud advanced in the horizontal tunnels, called stopes, like a wall, inclining gently back. Murilla, a native, fled along the stope in which he was working. Soon he came to the auxiliary shaft, but the crowd of fright- ened miners was so great that the small elevator seemed scarcely to be carry- ing any to safety upon the surface far above. Looking down, he could see one, two, yes, three openings below in the shaft, and there were crowds of gesticulating and crying natives waiting to be carried up on the small ele- vator. Far above was the opening, where showed a patch of blue sky, the last sight of the world that many wereto have. For the mud, though it trav- eled slowly, advanced surely through the stopes, and before long emerged from the lowest opening, soon grasping the natives in its terrible grip. Then it slowly rose to the second opening. The elevator hastened up and down the long shaft, bearing men to safety, until only Murilla and three other men were left. The mud was now - even with the opening of the stope in which they were standing. What is that noise? They strain their eyes, looking back into the tun- nel behind them, and see there the terrible mud advancing slowly. They look anxiously up at the descending elevator. At last it isalmost down to where they are; but now a new danger threatens. The rising mud keeps the car from descending to the level of the stope, and so the men can barely touch the edge of the door sill. What is to be done? Murilla has made a decision. He will sacrifice himself for his friends! Without a word, he lifts one of his companions until he can pull himself to the car, then another, and then the last. Then they try to pull him up on to the car, but the mud has risen now to his waist, and they are unable to lift him one inch. Sorrowfully they leave him, giving the signal for the

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8 THE MAGNET HE exhibition of rowdyism following the football game at Fitchburg on October 2, should impress upon every member of our school the disgrace into which a school, as a whole, falls when any of its members indulge in such exhibitions. To be sure, all the blame does not fall upon our school. But the willingness of many to join in the flag-snatching and the dis- turbance that followed shows that Leominster is falling into the class of schools that we look down upon for that very reason. There are a few towns which our team plays each year, from which we always expect such treatment. But certainly Leominster does not want to lose her reputation and become one of that class. The members of the upper classes of our school should take it Those from the lower classes follow the example of those before them. If they saw that their actions were not approved by the rest of the school, they would very soon make an end of them. upon themselves to restrain the underclassmen. We hope that in the future in the games with the teams playing at Leominster we will show more courtesy to the players and fol- lowers of the team than has been before shown either to us or by us in the past. ’ Raymonp B. Lapoo, ’I1o. The Storm All day long the angry waters tossed and And when over the earth the dark night raged, As in mortal combat the furies were engaged. Down in torrents poured the beating rain, Swelling the already overflowing bosom of the main. Prey of mountainous waves, the boat rolled from side to side, As if in fear of being swallowed by the hungry tide. descended, The storm roared on, with the black dark- ness blended. But hush! As from the crow’s-nest the bell chimes, | Suddenly the rain ceases and, through clouds, the moon shines. Thus in the storms of life, if we are patient on the darkest night, The moon will break forth, flooding the inky waters with its silvery light. PAULINE P, PATON, ‘Io.

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10 THE MAGNET car to be pulled up. They rise out of sight, and now the.rising mud covers the self-sacrificing victim! Up above, as soon as the noise of the falling mud was heard, men rushed to the shaft head, and immediately the elevator was put in operation. Crowds of women and children stood along the huge engines and pumps, wailing for their loved ones suffocating far below. As load after load of natives were hoisted, many of the people regained their self-control, and some even went away rejoicing, with a brother or husband safely brought to the surface. However, upon calling the roll, it was found that about forty had suffocated below in the thick mud. Murilla’s friends told the sad story of his self-sacrifice, and every one was so touched by the tale that a collection was taken for the benefit of his wife and children. Even the hardened old engineer “chipped in”. Silently, sadly, and slowly sank the huge red sun and the crowd dispersed to their lodgings. Three days passed. One morning a native with a bruised, scratched face entered the pound or inclosure where natives were searched for hidden diamonds, before leaving the mines, and asked for sick-leave. | “Name, please?’’ asked the guard, in the gutteral native tongue. ‘Murilla.” “ Murilla!” was the astonished reply. Natives crowded around. The news soon spread over the whole district. Murilla was safe! Then came the story of Murilla’s escape from his terrible prison. He had retreated into the stope before the final rise of the mud, and had, in a wild frenzy, struck the wall of the tunnel a huge blow with his fist. Mirabile visu! his hand went right through the clay! Hastily he broke a hole large enough for his body to pass through, and found himself ina long tunnel. Inky darkness was all around. MHurriedly he turned to go upward, but soon a great fallen rock checked his progress. Evidently the tunnel had never been discovered since the opening of the mine. Turning, Mu- rilla hastened down the tunnel again, and discovered, to his dismay, that the mud had oozed through the hole so inuch that he could hardly pass. In climbing by, he fell and severely bruised his face. However, he did not dare to stop, but hastened on and soon saw ahead a dim light. At last he reached an open space where the tunnel ended. Far above was an opening where the blue sky could be seen. How was hetoclimbup? Here, onthe side, were rude notches or steps on which he was able to slowly climb up. Night came, but still he worked on. At daybreak he was very weak, and hardly able to keep from falling. But to fall meant certain death, and . he would not give up now. So climb, climb, step after step, up he slowly went, until at last, almost dead with hunger and fatigue, he emerged from ‘his prison. He was scratched in a large clump of bushes behind the great sorting house. To this day no one knows what the unknown tunnel was used for;—was it, perhaps, a secret passage of a king ruling in long-past ages, or a mine of some thrifty people, in the rich diamond-bearing clay? Whatever it had been, at last it had served its purpose,—the saving of a human life. ARTHUR B. Hussey, ’10.