266 DAY ALLEN WILLEY 



his teeth, and from it comes a shrill whistle. Turn your head 

 and follow the glance. He is looking at what seems to be a 

 huge wheel suspended from a long rod which comes slowly 

 toward him. In front walks a workman to warn his fellows, 

 for below the wheel dangles a chain, a blow from which would 

 knock a man's brains out. You don't need to be told so — one 

 of its links is as long as your arm. 



As it stops in front of the furnace two of the men spring 

 forward, catch the loose ends of the chain, and bolt them 

 under a cylinder as large around as a hogshead, resembling 

 the hub of a gigantic wheel, for to it is fastened a sort of axle. 

 Another man picks up a long rod, another a length of hose. 

 Those who wrapped the chain about the cylinder jump back 

 as the links tighten, and up it moves until opposite the fiery 

 opening. The man with the glasses blows his whistle and in 

 it goes. On either side a man with a rod guides its course as 

 it grasps a mass of something the outlines of which you can 

 just make out. 



From the opening comes a shower of light — stars, dots, 

 dashes, even tiny balls of fire which fly high in the air, and, 

 descending in a miniature cascade, break into dazzling atoms 

 as they reach the ground. Some even strike the workmen, 

 but they do not wince from the bath of fire. The only danger 

 is to the eye, for they bound off the bodies like rubber balls. 

 It is a huge hand which has gripped the mass and is now 

 pulling it out inch by inch. 



As fast as it appears the hoseman pours a stream of 

 water on it, which rims along the white hot surface, boiling 

 and bubbling like grease in a frying pan. Occasionally he 

 turns the stream on some of the panting figures, ready to 

 drop from the blistering heat which strikes them in waves as 

 they scrape the ashes and "scale" off the casting with their 

 "hoes." This is a case where one burns. Perspiration does 

 not relieve and heavy woolens wrap the men to the neck to 

 keep them from scorching. 



Now the mass is swinging in the air as it starts off to an- 

 other part of the works. The steel door is rolled back in 

 place, shutting out the miniature hades from view. As the 

 eye becomes accustomed to the semi-darkness it watches the 



