Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1851-06-12
Miraculous Preservation.

Miraculous Preservation.
The following from the Abingdon Viz
ginian, is truly an affecting marathon.
though it ended so happily. "a.
A child of Mr.. George Hicken was
pushed down fathomless sinkhoIe. 1t
was some time before the lad who push
ed him down would tell what become of
the child. An effort was made immedl>
ately to ascertain the situation of the lit
tic fellow, and afford him relief if he was
not beyond its power. Ropes were tied
together with stone attached to one end
and an attempt was made to fathom the
depth beneath, but more than sixty feet
of rope were employed in vain; no bot.
tom could be reached. A lighted candle
was then let down. but its light gave no
hopeful indication, except that the pit
was free from choked damp or impure
air, as far down as the candle descended.
Night came on and all further efforts had
to be for the time abandoned.
On the next day further trials were
made of the depth Of the pit, but with
no better success. In despair the trans
tic parents were ab,ut to give up all
hopes of recovery or relieving their littla
innocent, and preparations were being
made to close up the mouth Of The pit to
prevent like occurrence in the future,
when it was suggested and agreed uron
that another and a final effort should be
made by letting some individual down by
ropes to examine the nature of the abyss
and ascertain if there was any encourages
ment for further efforts to be found be-
low. A brother of the lost child under
took the fearful task. Cords were fas-
tened around his waist aud limbs, and one
to his wrist, by which he might indicate
to those above his wishes either to de-
scend or to be drawn up.
He was swung of and slowly lowered un>
til having gone to the depth Of fifty feet, he
looked below him, ard there sbonc through
the darkness two glistening eyes intently
looking upward. In another moment he
was standing on a shelf or angle in the shaft,
with the child clasped to his bosom. He
fastened the little fellow securely to his own
body and billing him take the rope firmly in
his hands, the signal was given to draw up.
The child hung convulsively to the rope,
and IN few minutes they arose within
view of the hundred anxious spectators who
had assembled to witness the result; and
when the first glimpse OF the little fellow
alive caught their eager gaze. screams aud
shouts Of Joy from tho excited multitude
filled the air, and big tears OF sympathy
of rtn IN nj hail.
After the first paroxysms Of delight had
subsidized, The child was examined to see if
1t had sustained any injury, aud extrao',i
nary to tell, with the exception of Il little
bruise on the back of the head, it was per-
factly sound and unhurt, The only com
plant it made was that it was hungry, be-
ing nearly 81 hours under the ground. TO
inquiries made OF it, it replied that 1t saw
light and heard it thunder. From the na.
ture of the pit, it appeared that the little
fellow had fallen perpendicular distance of
40 feet, upon a slope or bend in the shaft,
and from that place had sided down 90 feet
further to the spot where he was found
leaning against sort OF pillar or wall, and
gazing upward. How he escaped instant
destruction is beyond all account.
ExTRA0RDINARY EscAPE.-In Worces.
ter, two little boys, a son Of Mr.. Solomon
Hall, aged five, and u son of Mr.. JOSEPH,
Copp. about the same age, were at play
under the carriage mandatory of MFR.
Moses L. Breck, on Union street, and
where there is shaft extending under
the street to the Union Mill opposite,
and propelled by steam engine in tho
latter. The Copp boy playfulIy under-
took to stop the shaft which was making
l5c revolutions per minute but after
making one trial and finding his hand
burnt by the friction, he took his apron
and throwing it around the shaft to pro-
tect his hands, was thus drawn over SO
as to be tightly confined to the shaft with
his face towards it and his body clingibg
round it. In this position he was carri-
ed around for the space of about three
minutes. making no less than $50 evolu>
tons before the other boy could give the
alarm and have the steam shut off. The
space between the shaft and the beam
overhead was only IA inches, and less
than that between the shaft and the
ground beneath, the latter being worn
away by the boys body as he turned on
the shaft. The strangest thing of all is,
that the little fellow. though badly bruis'
ed, is in fair way of speedy recovery
Worcester Transcript.
~~>-~>----- q. E&
A BRAVE WoMAN.--On Sunday last