The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-11-09
AeTFiaic Adventure iM the Palermo
Coal ssOle.

couple OF days ago ayouHg gentleman of
TINS city, who never trembled at mortal peril. .
| beng upon the river bank just below the city
IN company with Prof. Y. and Others, deter
| mined, no matter hat the dangers and difficult
ties might be, to explore the depths of large
ho'e ~ the ground made by party OF English
miners digging for coal.
Mr.. ", "the enterpt.inr PROPRIETOR Of the
hole, procured long rope Of great strength
Tor the purpose" The arrangements being soon
competed, the rore, with heavy tub "a tach-
ca TO II, was let down and swung to and fro to
disloaEe any loose PARTICLES ofclay or tiint that
would be likely to fall at The touch: several
were thus dislodged," and the long continued
listening, without hearing any distant thunder
below proclaimed the depth OF the horrid
chasm. "Ihen the young hero Of the occa-
SION, with wide brimmed hat drawn over his
head to protect 1t" from few tons Of rock and
earth falling from above" and several night
caps poured into bis throat to protect it from
any unpleasant sensations and with one foot in
the tub and one hand on the rope, "took mis-
place over the awful pit and was let down into
the Zimmerman gloom" We have, from his
own lips, an account OF his descent "Oeca-
slonaiiy masses of earth and rock" didn't ssgo
Whizxng past, but some of the earth stuck fast
to his clothes About four feet from the ton he
came to ledge from which, he should Judge.
shere were not any avenues leading off in diff
ferent directions" About thirty feet ..from the
top . cataract from the side Of the Dit went
rushing down the abyss" over small shingle,
and as he descended by the side of the water,
IN the midst OF the spray he ielt some appre-
hension lest the starch should be taken out Of
his irt collar. .'He was landed at the bottom
OF the top, sixty feet ieet from the bit. and
found it almost perfectly circular" about three
ieet IN diameter. with small opening made
oy diiil leading somewhere down below, HE
found Beautiful specimens or soft soar stone
ana also multitude Of exquisite" particles OF
sulphur "as pure and yellow a. virgin eream.n--
Making himself heard with great effort. he
told his friends to pull him partly up" s.reach.
ing the mouth Of an immense cave he swung
ms arm into II, with much exertion, and found
u blocked with an impassabie avalanche of
SOFIA earth. Holding the rope in the other
hahd, ne incautionsiy failed to let 60 il. much
70 Tue regret OF his friends, who now COM
mehcea the exceedingly severe pub" Of getting
MN up. but soon he was in new and dread.
full PERIL When he was about fifteen feet from
the top, ''swaying and swinging" in the tub "he
heard rapid and excited words above" and soon
learned that some one had arrived with bottle
OF WHISKY, "and that those who were hauling
MN up; had stopped to take drink. .'Seve-
rai moments Of awful suspense ensued," when
Ne was made aware of the startling fact that the
bottle was empty, which only served to increase
MS "hor ors." The delay still continued, and
our hero became duly impressed and terribly
oppressed with the knowledge that there we're
more bottles above, which knowledge he gained
by dodsing the empty ones as they came to-
ward him on their way below. lie was doably
anxious, partly to participate in the scene above
and mostly for fear he should be left in the tub
below. Finally, the party above, almost ex-
hausted oy their iabors, succeeded in drawing
aini 10 the top He was as calm and self pos
s.ssed as upon his entrance into the hole, but
an ms companions, overcome with whisky, sank
upon ne ground, and lis friend, Prof y
bad 10 be carried home. THE Young adyenturer
lett his tracks in the depths OF the hole--tbe
tracks OF the last person that ever caz.a nnon
iis mysteries. Palermo Kansas Leader.