Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-05-09

nassinp across the stage, was arrested by the
voice Of a new actrcss-a voice that had I'm
ore red in my ear in spite Of every thing. ne
earne stness of my gaze was observed by one o.
nv fellow workmen, who informed me the ia"y
whom | seemed 10 admire so much was NrS.
-, Mrs. -! She was married. iorSo'
at the rnomen, my situation, my dress, inc pro
priedes Of time and place, and rushea 'o'
ward TO demand from her own lips connriha'
ton or deni4l Of the truth of what had nea'u,
That motion saved my life. There was hea,u
il the instant sound which cannot oescri',
by crash, or roar, or any other lmltatl'e WIZ
in the language; it was no loud, nor shriil' nor
hollow: perhaps its associations IN my memory
with what followed may have liked its pee "i,ar
character in my mind-but can only descrloe
it to the imagination by likening II to one
conception Of the harsh, grating, su'len, ye,
abrupt noise of the grave-s,one when Il shai
be suddenly raised from its sandy, clammy oeu,
at The sounding uf the last trumpet one o,
the actors rushed across the stage, ana Gal
out by The side-door. or the rest, those VINO
were speaking stopped in the middle OF "ofo'
the hand raised in passion was not droppeu'
the moving crowd of human beings $1,000 sum-
as il by one i'm 2ulsc;-ihere was pause OF TWO
or three seconds. Some, whose mind was more
present, raised their eyes 10 the ROOT; but the
re ST were molionless, even in the vagrant or
cans of vision, and stood mute and still like a
gallery Of statues. cannot attempt 10 des-
cribe the sound which awoke the scene from
this Appear ance Of death, only to give 1t the
reality. | would liken it TO thunder, II you
could mingle the idea Of The explosion With
that Of its efitcts-or 10 the rush OF mighty
yorren, if you could fancy amalg amaed, as 1t
were, in It's roar, the typical voices OF pain, *
horror, and confu sion, and struggling, dea n.
staggered back, and nearly fell into an abyss
that was cloven into The floor by fragment OF
the iron roof on the very spot where had
stood but moment before. While rushing
up the side of the newly formed precipiee to
regain my footing, by the single terrific glance
had time and light to cast behind, saw that
the iron and wood were wet with blood and
brains and the other horrible mysteries OF a
mans inner body, and that the living soul /
had Just talked to was not 10 be recognized by
the sight, as ever having borne the external
characteristics ola human being.
The light wa, suddenly shut out-and yet
So slowly as 10 inflicl upon my sight that
which will ever stand between it and the sun.
Fragment after fragment rushed furiously from
the roof, but vet so thokly intcrming'ed hat
| cannot al this moment say whether or no.
the mass of the roof was disunted al all in its
descent Then the bursting of the walIs-the
grating Of The stones and bricks as they were
ground into powdrr-the rending Of the planks
and wooden parti,ions-the Kissing sound OF
the lamps and brasswork-the damp crush OF
human bodics-and the yells OF mortal agony
from u hundred hearts, which seemed wilder
and stronger even than the inanima,e sounds
k,I,a
conquer, and silence the forever.
All was dark. A weight was upon my Shout
der which an Atlas could not have moved; my
left leg was fixed between two planks, and, as
/ discovered BY feeling with my hand before the
pain announced il, it was broken and distort-
ed; the side outline of the narrow chamber 10
which sal would have nearly described right
ang!ed triangle, the hypolhenuse leaning on
my back; above, could extend my ann at full
length without an obstacle, Blu, the aperturr
could not have ADMITTED any thing thicker than
the arm; before me was wall apparently solid
iron, and below, and at the sides, the surface,
consisting of iron, brick, stones and wooG, was
broken into narrow inlerstLes.
When the united sounds ] have described
had subsidized into a distant hum, a single
voice rose upon my ear: ii was The voice Of
the lady mentioned. above, il was one wild,
.hrIll, unbroken scream do no, know how
long i, lasted | do not even know whether il
was human voice at all; i, did not stop for
breath: its way was not impeded, like thai oil
the rest, by h, Intervention Of the ruins; mi
mute after minute il continued, aid every mi
mute il became wilder and shriIler, piercing,
like an arrow, through my had and heart, Till
my tortured senses found temporary relief in
insen,b;liy
My fainting fit probably lasted a considera-
bic tlne, for, when | recovered, it was long
before could Understand my situation, or re,
Call any thing thu, h ID happe ned TO my mem
DRY. Al length piece by piece, the truth came
before me, and could feel The cold swea, trio,
king down my brow. The voice had heard
existed probably only in Imagination, for i,
was now silent.-A low deep sound was huns
ming in my ears, which could at length dis
tipguish BE- the simultaneous groans Of hu-
man beings, separated from me either oy dis.
lance or some thick and impenelrable barrier.
My ear endeavoured in vain TO divide it into lis
component parts, * 10 recognize the voices OF
those knew; and there was something more
horrible in this vague, mysterious monotony