Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-09-15
MISCEl.!It .
An Adventure in IA Tunnel.
A PERILOuS POSITION.

PERILOUs POSITION.
a irightlul accident which occurred few
weeks since to some of the workncn employed
in the llalshaw Moor Tunnel. ON the Ian.
cashire and Yorkshire Railway. England, re-
| minds us of an adventure. as related Ia the
| editor of Eliza Cook S Journal. not long ago.
| by person in the employ of the telegraph
company. lie had been engaged in the in
spcction and repair Of the telegraph wires
and their iXings, which are subject to many
accidents, and require constant looking after
to insure their integrity and efficiency Even
when carried through tunnels in gutta pcrcha
castings, embedded in lcadcn tubes. tncv are
liable to accidents from passing wagons. or.
III winter, from Jumps Of Ice falling down the
sides ol the shafts, and damaging the tubes
1t appears one day that the door OF a coal
wagon had got loose III the long tunnel of the
--- railway, and, daShing back against
the sides Of it, had torn the tube. and even
cut across the wires in many places. The
telegraph was, therefore. broken it could
not be worked, and several worimcn were
sent into the tunnel to execute the necessary
repairs. The person who related the follow.
ing adventure. acted in thc capacity of in
spector, and it was necessary for him to VISIT
the workmcm, ascertain the nature Of the
damage that had been done, and give direc-
:.
sity for completing which was OF the greatest
urgency.
- knew very we'll, said he, - that the
tunnel was of great angth-rathcr more than
two miles long-and that the workmen, who
had set out III the morning from the station
nearest, had entered 1t 10y its south end SO
| determined to follow aud ovrrtakc them,
which | would doubtless be able To do some
where III the tunnel, where they would be at
work was accompanied by little dog,
which trotted behind ut my feet. After
walking about Il mile, reached the entrance,
over which Irowned the ciigy ola grim lion ;
head, cut in stone.
There We're, as usual, two lines of rails
the up line and the down line, and deter
mined to walk along the former, that | might
see before the approaching lights ON an ad-
yancing train, which would take care to
avoid by stepping ON to the opposite line Of
rails, at the same time that | should thus
avoid being run over by any tram coming up
behind from the opposite direction, and which
! might not see Ill time TO avoid. | had.
however, taken the prccaution 10 ascertain
that no tram was expected to pass along the
up line, over which | was proceeding, for
about two hours; but was aware that that
could not be depended upon, and therefore
resolved to keep Il good lookout ahead.
| Along the down line, knew that a passenger
train was shortly to pass-indecd it was even
now due; but by keeping the opposite line OF
rails felt was safe, SO far as that was CON
cerned.
81 had never been in II tunnel of such
| length as this before, and | confess felt
somewhat dismayed when the light which had
accompanied me SO far into entrance. began
| to grow fainter and fainter. After walk inp
Tor short distance, proceeded on in almost
total darkness. Behind me there was tn,
distant light streaming in at the tunnel
mouth before me almost impcnetr.blc dark
ness But, by walking in e. straight line.
knew that coul,m miss my way, and IT,,
rails between which walked, and which
occasionally touched with my feet, served t,
keep me in the road In a short time wa,
able to discern Il seeming spot of rht, whicl
gradually swellcd into a broader CLEAN
though still at "A great distance before me
and knew it to he the opcninU'nr the nearest
shaft. 1t was "A mere pIimtncr amid tn,
Thick and almost palpahlr darkness that en-.
vclopcd me. As walked ON. | heard my
little dog pantin,, M INV heels and tLr sound
of NV tread rc-erhocd rr,n, tho ,,uItoJ rnnr
Save these sounds norC,ct silence ro;gnad
When | stood st;II ,o iI;.to, LoarI ,Est;,,ot
" the loud BEATING of nv heart
-.
Srar'nnS 'no"g"t Sudo'hiy occurred t'
"n "to nu' = H''"s 'ri'h S"ou'n Snn''h'N
SnooI 'nrougn 'ho tui'hei' nlohS th' hh' o'
""i'" WAS 'ro'eeulhS' "hli' tne passenger
tra'h, now que came ON IN the opposite
"I','.'o" ! "au not thonSht 3i 'hlS ",''r'