Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1851-07-03
EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE,

The Abingdon Virginian con,ans The fol-
/ lowing account: % N aa'is8 Greg s5f
Tho children of Mr.. George Hickman, a
citizen of Scou county. We're playing ncar
The mouth Of u falhonlcss sink-boe,-ln
their gamDolS, one Of Them, a boy eight or
ten years of agc, pushed his lille brother,
about four yrc,s Of uge, headlong over ,he
edge and down into the deep dark pit below.
1t was some time alier The child was missed,
before 'any certain information could be
drawn from the others as 70 wha, had be-
come Of him; and II was only by threats Of
severe punishment tha, finally overca,ne
iheir fear and exlor,ed lrcm ,be boy WHO did
Ilhe deed, q couiession OF what had ;iappef-
ed. An effort was made Immediately 10 us.
cerlain lie shiiation of the little fellow; ;-and
afford him relief if he was no, beyond us
power. Ropes were lied together with
stone attached 10 one end, and AN attempt
was made TO lalhom The depth beneath, bu,
more than sixty leo, of rope were employed
IN vain; no bottom could be reached. A
lighted candle was then le, down, bu, is
lighI gave no hopeful indication, except that
the pit was free from choke damp or impure
air, as far down as the candle jescended.-
Night came on and all further efforts had 10
be for The lime abandoned. On The next
day further efforts were made of the depih
of the pit, but with no better success In
desnair the frantic parents were abou, 10 give
up all hopes of recovering or relieving their
little innocent, and preparations were beng
~ aHn IN ploc,l IN th, ,nn,,tk IF III -,
preven, like occurrence IN the future.
when il was suggested and agreed upon. that
ano,her and fpal effort should be nude by
leulng some individual down by ropes 10 ex.
anime the nature Of The nbyss and ascertain
II there was any encouragement for further
efforts TO be found Lelow. Abrolher of the
lost child undertook the awful task. Cords
we're fastened round his wais, aud limbs. and
one 10 his wrist, by which he might indicate
to those above his wishes either TO descend
or to DO drawn up, lie was swung off and
slowly lowered, until having gone to the
depth of about fifty feet, he locked below
him. and there shone through The darkness
two glsIening eyes looking inlenly upward.
In another moment he was standing on IL
o"St W ouk'C ih tuC SIuIt WIFI tle Cnllu
clasped 10 his bosom. lie fastened the liuIe
fellow securely to his own body, and bidding
him take the rope firmly in his hands, the
signal was given 10 draw up. The child
held convusively to the rope and in few
minutes they rose within view of the hun.
dred anxious spectators, who had assembled
TO witness the result; and when the frs,
glance OF The il,le fellow alive cnugh, their
eager gaze, screams and Shouts of Joy from
the eager multitude filled the air, and big
Tears Of sympathy started from the eyes Of
every beholder. Afier the first paroxysms
Of deligh, had subsded, the child was ex-
amined 10 sec if i, had sustained any injury.
and extraordinary 10 tell, With tie exception
OF liule bruse on the back OF lis head, it
was perfectly sound and unhurl. The only
complaint thar il made was that il was hun
CRY, being nearly wenly.seven hours under
ground. TO inquiries made Of il, it replied
tha, il saw light and heard il thunder. From
the nature of the pit, it appeared ,ha, the liue
fellow had lallen perpendicular course Of
40 feet, upon a slope or bend in The shaft,
and from that place had slid down go fee,
farther 10 the place where he was found lean.
ing against sort Of pillar or wall, and
gazing upward. How he escaped ins,an, de-
sIruc.ion is beyond all account.