Washington telegraph., 1851-06-25
MosT ExTRAoRDINARY ESCAPE. We

|
account Of more remarkable escape
than is related in the following from the
Abingdon Virginian. The particulars are
so thrillingly interesting that we cannot
resist the temptation of giving them to
our readers in full. Our readers will
agree with US, that the salvation of the
child seems almost miraculous;
The children of Mr.. George Hickman,
citizen of Scott county, were playing
| together in field. and near the mouth of
fathomless sink-hole. In their gamhols
one Of chem boy, about eight or ten
years of age, pushed his little brother.
about four years old, headlong over
the edge and down into the deep,
dark pit below. It was some time after
the child was missed before any certain
Information could be drawn from the
Others as to what had become of him.
and it was only by threats of severe pun
ishment that finally overcame their fear,
and extorIed from the boy who did the
deed confession of what had happened.
An effort was made Immediately 10 as
certain the situation Of the little fellow,
and afford him rellef,.i he was not be-
yond its power. Ropes were tied to-
gether with a stone at one end, and an
attempt was made to fathom the depth
benealh but more than sixty feet of rope
were employed in vain--no bottom
could be reached A lighted candle was
then let down, but its light gave no
hopeful Indication, except that the pit
was free from choke damp, or impure
air, as far down as the candle descended
Night came OIL, and all their efforts had
to be for the time abandoned. On the
next day further trials were made of the
depth of the pitt but with no better sue
cess. In despair the frantic parents were
Or relieving their little innocent, and pre-
parations were being made to close up
the mouth of the pit, TO prevent a like
occurrence in the future, when it was
suggested and agreed upon, that another
and a final effort should be made by let
ting some individual down by ropes to
examine the nature of the abyss, and
ascertain if there was any encourage
ment for further efforts to be found be-
lOW
A brother of the lost child undertook
the fearfu! task. Cords were fastened
around his waist and limbs, aud one to
his wrist, by which he might indicate to
those above his wishes either TO descend
or to be drawn up. lie was swung off
and slowly lowered, until having gone
TO the depth of about fifty feet, he looked
below him, and there shone through the
thick darkness glistening eyes intently
looking upward. In another moment he
was standing on shelf or angle in the
shaft with the child clasped to his bosom
He fastened the little fellow securely to
his own body, and bidding him take the
rope firmly in his hands, the signal was
givin TO draw up. The child hung cou-
vulslvely to the rope, and III few mill
utes they arose within view Of the hum
dred anxious spectators, who had assem-
bled to witness the result; and when the
first glimpse of the little fellow alive
caught their eager gaze, screams and
shouts OF JOY from the excited multitude
filed the air, and big tears Of sympathy
started from the eyes OF every behoder
After the first paroxysm of delight had
subsidized, the child was examined to
see if it had sustained any injury, and ex-
traordinary to tell, with the exception of
a little bruise on the back of its head it
was perfectly sound and unhurt. The
only complaint it made was that it was
hungry, being nearly twenty-seven hours
under the ground. To inquiries made of
it, it replied that it saw light and heard
it thunder. From the nature Of tie pi..
il appeared that the l:.,.;tiie fellow had fall
len perpendicular distance of forty feet,
upon slope or bend in the shaft, and
from that place had Sided down twenty
feet farther to the spot where he was
found, leaning against sort Of pillar or
wall. and gazing upward. How he es-
capped instant destruction is beyond all
accour,.
-N~~~~~-~~>>~~-~o~~0~~~-
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT "A Man Ground
to Poapler.-One of the most horrible
accidents it ever befel us to record happen