Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1855-09-20
Extraordinary EScapel


an, the following account Of one Of the
most remarkable escapes probably on re-
cord. 1t was almost miraculous:
1.-THE children of Mr. George Hackman,
a citizen of Scott county. were playing
toge ther in field. near the mouth of a
faihomless sink hole. In their gombols,
one Of them, boy Of 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. 1t was some time after the child
wos missed before any certain information
could be drawn from the others as TO
! what had become Of him, and i. was only
by threats Of severe punishment that fl
nally overcame their fear. and extorted
from the boy who did the deed confess
sion Of what had happened. An effor,
was made Immediately TO ascertain the
situation of the little fellow. and afford
him relief If il was not bevond its pow
En- Ropes were tied together. with
stone attached to one end. and an at
tempt was made 10 fathom the depth be-
meath. but more than sixty feet Of rope
were employed in vain, TO 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. OF impure air. as far
down as the candle descended. Night
came on and all further efforts had for the
time to be abandoned. On the next day
further trials were made of the depth OF
the pit. but with no better success. In
despair the frantic parents were about to
give upsall hopes OF recovery or relieving
their little innocent. and preparations
were being made to close up the mouth
of the pit. to prevent like occurrence
in future, when it was suggested and
agreed upon .hat another and a final ef
for, should be made. by letting some in
dividual down by ropes TO examine the
ma ture of the abyss, and ascertain if there
was any encouragement for farther efforts
to be found below. A brother Of the lost
child undertook the fearful task.
Cords were fastened around his waist
and limbs. and one to his wrist, by which
he might indicate to those above his wish.
es either to descend or to be drawn up
He was swung off and slowly lowered.
until having gone to the depth of about
| fifty feet, he looked below him, and there
shown through the thick darkness two
glistening eyes intensely looking upward
In another moment he was standing on
shelf or angle ia the shaft with the child
clasped to his bosom. He fastened the
little fellow securely 10 his own body, and,
bidding him to 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 rose
within view of the hundred anxious spec
tators, who had asse embed to witness the
result. and with glimpse Of the little
fellow being alive caught their eager gaze,
screams and shouts of JOY from the e1ci,-
! ed multitude filled the air. and big tears
of sympathy started from the eyes OF every
beholder. After the first paroxysms Of
delight had subsidized. the child was exa
mined TO see il it had sustained any inju-
ry. and, extraordinary to tell. with The ex
ception Of a little bruise on the back of
the head. il was perfectly sound and un-
hurt. The Only complaint il made was
that il was hungry. being "a hours under
the ground. To inquiries made Of il. it
replied that il saw a light and heard it
thunder. From the nature of the pit it
appeared that the little fellow had fallen
a perpendicular distance of forty feet,
upon a slope or bend in the shaft. and
IRON that place had sided down twenty
feet further TO the spot where he was
found. leaning agains, sort of a pillar or
wall. and g,zing upward. How he es-
capped insian. destruction is beyond all &C
count"