The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1851-02-13
Adventure In a Mill.

enjoying the luxury of a cool sea breeze
on hot summers night. The subject
of conversation was the narrow es.
capes from death that are often expe.
ffenced By mankind in the ups and
downs of life.
When my father, said he, emigrated
to Jefferson county, in the days of its
first settlement, he located with his
family in one of the southern towns
Among other Improvements on his
| premises there had been erected one of
the first essentials of a new settlement
"a saw mill 1t was one of those old
fashioned concerns, common in those
days, rugged with the huge undershot
waterwheel, long heavy pitman. and
cumbrous saw-frame Those unwieldy
wheels are now quite forgotten in the
Improvements that have been made in
these agents, but shall never forget
the one attached to my fathers mill.
was engaged in setting out lumber,
when an accident happened to the wa
ter-works, and | went alone the next
day to repair the damage. Carelessly
kneeling upon one of the float-boards
of the wheel without observing the
position of the crank, I proceeded to
survey the nature of the arrangement
While thus occupied, | did not observe
the Slight motion towards a revolution
which had commenced by the wheel,
caused by my weight, and my atten
ton was first called to the nature of my
situation by slow heavy pressure
above my knee. AT glance | COM
pretended the peril that | was in and
made an effort 10 extricate myself, but
it was too late | was fast wedging be-
tween the floats of the wheel and the
still of the fume.
With considerable alarm I now OBJ
served that the crank of the wheel was
turned up, and that my weight had
slightly moved it from the perpendicu-
lar. A moments reflection increased
my alarm, as l fully comprehended that
the heavy pltman, and the saw-frame
above that, were pressing with their
combined weight upon the crank.
To increase the horror of my situa-
tion, l perceived that the crank was
moving almost imperceptibly, and l
knew that without instant relief should
inevitable be crushed to death between
the wheel and the fume | gazed
around and called loudly for help; but
no human being was near, and no an
swer was given to my cries. My eyes
fell again upon the crank; ii was still
moving and drawing me into that aw-
full death. | now looked around for
some object to interpose between the
wheel and the hume. and saw an axe
that I had brought with me lying at
one end of the wheel but the Joy that
was lit up within me by the sight of
this object was dispelled in a moment
on finding thai with my utmost exer-
tions could not reach IL In my des-
peration then tried TO wrench some
thing from the wheel, but every thing
resisted my utmost strength. NV last
hope was, that somebody might pass
upon the road which ran along the op-
posite bank of the stream: this hope
died within me when I reflected how
seldom it was that travellers came that
way.
The crankhad now reached an in
clination of about thirty degrees, and
I knew that its motion would become
fearfully accelerated Ny limbs had
gradually benumbed, as the circulation
of the blood was interrupted, and in
sort of listless despair | lay back upon
the wheel; and then, in obedience to
instruction, calledon Heaven
for help. While thnsI lay, half sup
plicating, my thoughts turned with a
sort of impious alacrity from the AL
mighty TO noise upon the bridge that
crossed the stream below the mill, and
] fairly screamed with delight as i re-
cognised the sound to be that of a
horses tread. After crossing the bridge
the horse commenced slow trot and / |
knew there must be rider upon him. |
although the bushes on the roadside |
me from seeing him. When |
the sounds came opposite the mill
followed as | supposed loud enough to
be heard forty timesthe distance to the
road but owing to exhaustion my voice
could not have reached far, for he did |
not stop Still the sounds moved on,
and as ] fell back in utter despair upon
the wheel it seemed to me that the |
LOtoO uAAS ALo Ai0Oij III sAlus eaCduy u GIL "
tramp - tramp. were barbarously
upon my heart.
This disappointment was so great |
that, for while, | settled into a partial |
unconseiousness A squeak of the pit
man upon the crank, however, recalled |
me again to the horrors Of my situation
My limbs had been gradually drawn |
down SO that the wheels would asoen |
crushing my body; the |
crank would in a minute or two. attain |
a horizontal position, after which the
wheel would revolye with fearful ra-
pidity, and was utterly without hope.
Then my heart went up to Heaven in
an earnest heartfelt prayer, and / re-
preached myself for the selfish manner
in which had looked up TO the Great
Throne but a moment before. The
scenes of my past life fitted palpably
before my vision, and with deep hu-
initiation I besought forgiveness for
the errors Of my way. This communi-
cation gradually reconciled me to my
fate and feeling no pain in my reyery,