Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-04-18

weights and rise.
My weights could not be loosened-I
pulled at them with frantic exertions, but
could not loosen them The iron fastcn-
ings had grown stiff One of them
wrested off in my convulsive efforts, bu,
the other still kept me down The tube,
also, was lying down still in my passage
way through the machine rooms. | did
not know this until | had exhausted my
strength, and almost my hope, in vain
efforts to loosen the weight, and still the
horror of that scene in the cabin rested
upon me-
Where was Rimmers The thought
flashed across me. He was not here. -
He had returned. Two weights lay near
which seemed thrown off in terrible haste
Yes, Rimmcr had gone. | looked up
there lay the boat, tossing and rolling
among the waves.
rushed down into the machine-room
to go back, so as to loosen my tube. |
had gone through passages carelessly,
and this lay there, for it was unrollcd
from above as went on. | went back
in haste 10 cxtrcate myself; | could stay
here no longer; for If all the gold OF
Golconda was in the vessel, | would not
stay in company with the dreadful dead
Back--fcar lent wings to my feet, l
hurried down the stairs, into the lower
hold once moro, and retraccd my steps
through the passages below. l walked
back to the place into which had first
descended. 1t was dark new feeling
of horror shot through me looked up.
TIE aperturc aeas clsSed,
Heavens. was it closed Is mortal
hand: Had Kimmer, in his panic flight
blindly thrown down the trap-door, which
/ now remembered to have seen open
wnon l descended: or had some fearful
being from the eabin-:Aat demon who
sprung towards me-
l started back in terror
But could not wait here ; must 60;
must escape from this dea of horrors.
sprans up the ladder, and tried to raise
the door. It resisted ny efforts put
my helmeted head against it, and tried to
raise it. the rung Of the ladder broke be-
aaath me, but the door was not raised ;
my tube came down through it and kept
it partly open, for it was a strong tube,
and kept strongly expanded by close
wound wire.
seized a bar Of iron, and tried to pry
it up; raised it slightly, but there was
10 way to get it up further. looked
around, and found some blocks; with
these / raised the heavy door, little Jy lit
tie, pl@oias block IN, TO keep what [
lad ssined. But the work Vas slow and
laborious. and had worked long while
before had it raised four inches.
The sea rolled m9ge and more. The
sudm9r ed vessel felt It's power, ana rock
cd. Suddenly it whcaled over, and lay
upon its side.
ran around to get on the deck above.
to Try and lift up the door. Bat when
cane to the other outlet, knew it was
impossible; for the tube would not per
NIT me to go so far, and then ] would
rather have died thousand deaths than
have ventUrcd again so near the cabin.
returned to the fallen door; l sat
down in despair anl waited for death. [
saw no hope of escape. This, then, Wa
to De my md.
Bat the steamer gave a sudden lurch.
again acted upon by the power of the
waves. She had been balanced upon a
rock, IN such way that sllght acton
of the water was Sufficient to tip hel
over.
She creaked, and groaned, and labored
and then turned upon her side.
| rose; | chung to the ladder; | press
ed the ,rap-door open, while the steamer
lay with her deck perpendicular to the
ground. | sprang olt, and touched the
bottom of the sea. 1t was in good time;
for nom ent after, the mass went ovc1
back again.
Then, with last effort, twisted the
iron fastcnings of the weight which kept
me down; Ijerked it. ltwas loosed. it
broke, it fell. In moment began to
ascend, and in few minutes, was float
ing on the water-for the air which is
pressed down for the diver consumption
constitutes buoyant mass, which raises
him up from the sea.
Thanks to heaven! There was the
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