Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-05-03
Try, NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PA-SATURDAY MAY 8, 1856.

rolled. Down in these awful depths the swell
would not be very strong unless II should in.
crease with ten'old fury above. But n had
been increasing though had not noticed it
and the motion of the water began to be felt
in these abysses. Suddenly the steamer was
shaken and rocked by these swells.
AT this the hidpous forms were shaken and
fell. The heaps Of people rolled assunder.-
That demon on the table seemed to make
spring directly towards me- fed shrieking
all were after me, / thought. Irushed out,
with no purpose but to escape. / sought to
throw off my weights and rise.
My weights could not be loosened-I pulled
at them with frantic exertion, but could not
loosen them. The iron fnstenings had grown
stiff One Of them ! wrested of in my con.
vulsive efforts but the other still kept me
down. The tube, also was lying down still
in my passage way through the machine
rooma. ! did not know this unit! had ex-
hausted 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 Rmmer7 The thought flashed
across me. He was not here. He had re-
turned. Two weights lay near. which seemed
thrown of in terrible haste. Yes, Rimmer
bad gone. l looked mp; there lay the boat,
tossing and rolling among the waves.
rushed down into the machine room, to
90 back so as to loosen my tshe. had gone
through the passages carelessly, and this lay
there. for it was unrolled from above as
went on. ] went back in haste to extricate
myself; could stay here no longer; for il
all the gold of Goconda was in the vessel, i
wonld not stay in company with 'he dreadful
dead
Back-fear lent wings to my feet. hur-
ried down the stairs into the lower hold once
more. and retraced my steps through the pas
sages below. ] walked back to the place into
which had descended 1t was dark ; new
feeling Of horror shot through me looked
up. The aperture wds closed.
Heavens was it closed by mortal hand =?
Had Rimmer. in his panic fight blindIy
thrown down the trap door which now re-
mPmhered to have seen omen when descen-
ded ? or had some fearful being from the ca
hin, thi demon who sprung towards me---?
started back in terror.
But could not wait here; ] must GO; |
must escape from this den Of horrors. !
sprang MP the ladder and tried to raise the
door 1t resisted my efforts. put my hend
against it. and tried to raise it; the rung Of
the ladder broke beneath me. hut the door
WAS not raised my tube came down through
it and kept it partly open, for it was strong
tube, and kept strongly empandcd oy close
wound wire.
seized bar of iron and tried TO pry it
mp; raised il slightly bnt there was no way
to get it up further. looked around and
found some blocks: with these | raised the
heavy door liitle: pl;cing block in TO keep
what had gained. But the work was slow,
and aborious, and had worked long while
harOra | ha6 II raisa1 Tplr inphpg
The sea rolled more and more. The SUD
merged vessel felt its power. and rocked
Suddenly i, wheeled over, and lay upon its
side. ,,o deck anove, 10
try and feBb 'iheTS the GuS,' ." ' Dut when I came
| to the outlet. knew il was impossible, FOR
the tube vould not permit m" to 60 so FAR
and then ! would rather have died Thousand
deaths than have rentured agaic so near the
cabin.
] returned to the fallen door; ] sa, dowT
in despair and waited for death. ] saw nc
hope Of escape. This, then, was TO he my
end
Bnt the steamer gave sudden lurch, agar
again acted upon by the power OF the waves
She had been balanced upon rock, in snci
n wav that a slight action Of the water was Il
trip her over.
She ereaked and groaned, and labored, ant
then turned upon her side.
rose clung to the ladder; pressed
the trap door open while the steamer Ia
with her deck perpendicular TO the ground -
| sprang out. and touched the bottom OF th
sea- 1t was in good time; for a moment al
ter. the mass went over back again.
Then. with last effort. ] twisted the iro'
fastenings of the weight which kept me down
jerked il. It was loosed, it broke, it fell
In moments was floating on the water
for the air which is pressed down for the d
vers' consumption constitutes buoyan
mass. which raises him MP from the sea.
Thanks 20 heaven! There was the stron
; boat with my bold brave men ! They FELT M
rising; they saw NE, and came and save
, me.
Rimmer had fed from the horrid seer
! when I entered the cabin. but remained
the boat to lend his aid. He never wei
down again. hut became sea captain
for me still go down but only to VesSe
a whose crews have been saved.
1t is needless to say that the Marmion ";
! never again visited.
IA