Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-08-22


rounded them, they were bewildercd
and al variance, Wright vehemenily in
sisted that they should proceed in one
direction, the miner con,ending wiki e.
quail warmth that the other was the
ush' one.
The violence of Wright prevailed o.
yer the doubts Of bis follower, who al
lowed himsel!to be governed by the for
mcr especially when The desper ate man
offered to lead the way, SO as to be the
llrst to encounter the pits, supposng he
should be wrong. An expedicnt for
testing the safety Of the path, which
Wright hit upon, had also It's eject on
his compauion's miod ; he proposed, as
he crew!ed alcng OH his hands aud lcet,
the Only way they dare a;temp, to pro-
coed in the dark over the broken floor,
10 throw stones before him, by means Of
which it would be easy TO tel! when
pit lay in his way. The miner, accord
ingiy. though with many. misgivingS,
suffered himself 10 be ruled, and follow
ed at Wrighrs heels, the latter every
moment hurting stone before him, and
at every throw uttering some hurried
exclamation, now a prayer, now word
oil counsel or encouragement 20 his com
Panion, though always expressive OF the
deepest agitation and disorder OF mind.
They had proceeded in this way for
several moments, until even the miner
himself, believing that if they were in
error they had crawled far enough TO
reach the pits. became convinced his
employer was IN the right path when
suddenly the clang Of one oil the stones
cast by Wright; falling as if on the solid
iloor, was succeeded by rushing sound,
he clatter of loose rocks rolling down a
deciivity, and then a heavy hollow crash
at depth beneath.
He called TO Wright 10 answer was
returned; all was dismal silence no, {.
ven grosn from The wreiched employer
replied to the call His fate the terri
fled miner understood in moment; the
first OF the pits was, at one part of its
brink, shelving, on the declivity thus
formed the stone cast by Wright had
lodged, but Wright had slipped from it
into the pit, and slipped SO suddenly as
not to have time TO utter one cry Of hor>
ror. The poor miner, overcome with
horror, after calling again and again
without receiving an answer, or hearing
any sound whatever, turned in the OPP
posite direction and endeavo red TO effect
his escape from the cave. He wander
ed about many hours, now sinking down
in despair, now struggling again Tor life,
until at last yielding to his fate, in ex-
haustion of mind aud body, incapable Of
making any further exeriicus, sudden
ray Of light sparkled in his lace. He
rushed forward-it was the morning
star shining through the mouth Of the
cave The alarm was immediately Civ.
en-. Mr.. Gatewood, with party OF his
laborers, hurried 10 the cave and 10 the
pit on whose shelving edges were seen
evidence enough of some heavy body
having lately rolled into it. Tie offer
OF reward conquered the teT!oIs Of one
OF one Of the work men, who was low
cred with ropes 10 The bottom Of the pit,
q depth Of fifty or sixty feet; and
Wrisht's ffeltss bod was drawn out.
The above ,Fasical incident we have
heard confirmed by ;he lips of several
different persons: one Of whom how
ever, contested the ight Of the morning
star 10 figure in ii (; affirming that the
mimer made his way out before night,
and that il was the light Of day shining
at distance like a star, W hich gave rise
to that poetica embellishments. We be
Iieve he was light ii is thus Ike star
the ioveicst Of all the lamps that
sparkle in The vault OF night-lbat day
light breaks from a(ar upon the adventu>
rer, returning from the d:plh Of the
Mammoth Cave.