The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-05-14
D COUNTY, oH1o "WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY H. 1856.

Where was Rimmer The thought
flashed across me- He was not there
He had returned. Two weights lay
near, which seemed thrown off in terri
Bile haste. Yes, Rimmer had gone.
looked up; there lay the boat, tossing
and rolling among the waves.
rushed down into the machine-reom
to go back SO as to loosen my tube. I
had gone through passages carelessly,
and this lay there, for it was unrolled
from above as 1 went on. 1 went back
in hast to extricate myself; I could stay
here no longer; for if all the gold of
Golconda was in the vessel, I would cot
stay in company with the dreadful deadl
Back-fear lent wings to my feet. 1
hurried down the stairs, into the lower
hold once more, and retraced my steps
through the passages below. 1 walked
back to the place into which 1 had first
descended. It was dark; new feeling
of horror saot through me; I looked up,
The aperture 1ras closed!
Heavens was it closed by mortal
hand? Had Rimmer in his panic flight,
blindly thrown down the trap door,
which I now remembered to have seen
open when I descended ? or had some
fearful being from the cabin-that de-
mon who sprung towards me-s
I started back in terror.
But could not wait here; must go;
must escape from this den of horrors,
sprang up the ladder and tried to raise
the door. 1t resisted my efforts; I put
my helmesed head against it, and tried
to raise it; the rung of the ladder broke
beneath me, but the door was not raised.
My tube came down through it and kept
it partly open, for it was strong tube,
and kept strongly expanded by close
wound wire. I seized bar of iron, and
tried to rry it up I raised it slightly,
but there was no way to get up further,
looked around and found some blocks;
with these 1 raised the heavy door, lit
tie by little, placing block in to keep
what 1 had gained. But the work was
slow and laborious, and I had worked a
long while before could get it raised
four inches.
The sea rolled moro aud more. The
submerged vessel fel. its power and rock
ed. Suddenly it whneled over, aud lay
upon it's side. 1 ssah around to get on
the deck above, 20 try aud lift up the
door. But when 1 came to the other
outlet, knew it was impossible; for tie
tube would not permit me to go SO far,
and then I would rather have died a
thousand deaths than have ventured
again SO near the cabin. l returned to
the fallen door; sat down in dispair
and waited for death. I saw no hope of
escape. This, then, was to be my end
But the steamer gave sudden lurch,
again acted upon by the power of the
waves. She had been balanced upon
rock in such way that slight action
of the water was sufficient to tip her
over. She creaked and groaned, and
labored, and then turned upon her side.
1 rose; clung to the ladder 1 pressed
the trap door open; while the steamer
lay with her deck perpendicular to the
ground 1 sprang out, and touched the
bottom of the sea. Itwas good time;
for a moment after the mass went over
back again. Then, with last effort. l
twisted the iron fastening of the weight
which kept me down [ jerked it. 1t
was Tossed, it broke, it fell. In mo-
ment began to ascend, and in few
minutes 1 was floating on the water-for
the air Which is pressed down for the di-
ver's consumption constitutes buoyant
mass, which raises him up from the sea.
Thanks to heaven there was a strong
boat, with my bold, brave men They
| felt me rising they saw me and came
and saved me.
Rimmer had fed from the horrid scene
( when I entered the cabin, but remained
in the boat to lend his aid. He never
went down again, but became sea-cap-
tain. AS for me, I still go down, but
only t, vessels whose crews have been
saved 1t is needless to say that the
Marmion was never again visited.