The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-10-16


ions, .rrr
Ansr ihc bdef dglay ocoasioned By the ca
animation aDd removal u the body OF Che
Tubher' the company pTurUungu, under me
direction Of Mr. btogdon, along the lateral
gOrae towards the HlaCe where the Couiedpr-
ate robber bad disappeared between the pro
leeiiug lodges Of rock, A. point opposite
she supposed case hley dismOunted and &C.
curing lheif horses among che bushes, began
20 climb zap the steep ACTIVITY, la n lev
-lpmsnla, arriving by different routes, the
men Hnd dogs we're all assembled az tics lcs-
ignatcd point Tho evidences Of human in
habliAHCy we're unmlstakBblo, The ground
immediately In front Of the rocks was trpd-
den and hard, Worn paths hmnohed oil la
aeKrud directions from the spot The en-
trance, narrow passage helWeeu thu Two
projecting rocks, ran inNar'lly, and the ave
nue, eEosp, for Few feet NJ The opening, was
dark and entirely imponelrahle 10 tho. eye
" ~ 80 = 4ds4-I!y .s.ia ~ caAr AZ Aaliell al4el
shelter Of some sort, which the party prepsr-
I'D ~ once Ia explore
Jry branches Of trees and& dead under
growth we're gathered, tied into bundles and
lighted with fire kindled by flint and finder.
with these Tor torches, aN Oi the more fcao-
lJite me1 entered the opening between the
rocks with the view Of exploring the interior
10 whichit led. Tho passage was 40 narrow
that only two could walk abreast. Two men
la font bore torches, a. did thr two Ia the
rear. The middle couple carried muAkots
heavily charged.
A. they advanced the passage rapidly MID
cncd, and the roof HpranR up 10 a great
height overhead. They had gone about
twenty PAGES from the entrance when q blaze
Of lirhi, accompanied by the almost simulta-
neous report Of fire arms, flashed forth from
q distant, interior point Of the cave, Tie
two men IN front fell 20 the earth, Dis
charging their muskrts Ia the direction Of
the fash, the others retreated from the cave,
dragging their fallen companions after them,
one of Whom was seriously wounded and the
other entirely dead,
Enraged at the spectacle Of blood and
death, the beaiegers began more rcsolutely
- the work Of assault upon the cave. for such IL
was now nsccrtained 20 be, aud OF eonsidcra-
bic Dimensions, too An eilnrt Mas made IN
induce the dogs 10 enter, The more rcs1-
lutte advanced few PAGES, and then ran back
iu apparent alarm. The majority stood at
the entrance aud harkcd, but could not be
vnticed, by words or blows, 10 go further.
Another cxpcdcnt WAS tried. A large
tree was cut down and riyon into bolts Of
considerable length and thickness. A double
raw OF these tlmbera was placed upright Ecross
the entrance passage, some twenty feet from
tho opening aud securely wedged and bruced
80 as 20 form powerful barricndo or wall.
The powder Ia all the horns aud laskt, OK
eept q few rounds reserved IN each, was pour
in o pile Oh the ground near the upright tim
bcrs. Another barricadc, similar 10 the inner
one was constructed IN front and close Ia the
powder a train being first laid from the pile,
through notch in the umbers, 10 the outer
edge oi the hauicudc. A line Of dry leaves
was formed, extending from the powder seye-
raj feet outside the entrance.
The crowd having retired 10 q safe distance,
or lad behind trees aud rocks, tie train OF
leaves wua fired by man who quickly gained
tho shelter Of a large tree close 10y the cave.
In q few moments u terrific explosion fairly
shook the mountain and illod the air with
sulphurous vapor. A still breeze, blowing
directly into tho mouth of the cave, soon dis
sipptod the smoke, when il was found that
both barricadea had been thrown down by
the concufsion, hut the sides aud roof Of the
cave remained unframed.
Night was now coming on. A detachment
of the men WIS sent back TO the settlement
ir provisions aud such materials as would /
he needed IN the execution Of the next plan
of assault which 1t was decided to pursue
The rest remained Us guard over the now b
imprisoned robbsrs. building large lire
near The entrance OF the cave, they watched
and slept by turns until morning.
At daylight the recruiting party returned, T.
bringing more men. provisions for man and
horse, and materials for the further prosccu-
ton OF the assault upon the cave.
After eating husty meal and feeding their /
horscs. the assaans collected large guam
THY OF wood, green and dry, and then, begin |
ming as far inwardly in the entrance TO the
cAvo ~ they could venture to go, they piled |
it up in successive layers, intcrspcrsing dried .
tobacco leaves and sulphur in great abund- /
nnre, =ailirinf the Traus until u EFFIHit space
only was left between the top Of thCp pile 4 the
root of the passage. Tho outer end of the /
heap was then set on fire. \ strong wind,
still blowing directly into the mouth of the
cave, spread the ilunes rapidly through the
pile, aud drove the smoke in dense column
into the cave, the narrow avenue between
the wood aud the roof serving as iluc to
conduct it To the interior
No .vOicc or sound came from the cave, or,
il any were uttered It was lost in the roar OF
the fire, which blazed, aud crncklcd, and
famed in the narrow passage until il glo'rod
and shot forth sparklrs and smoke like the
crater of "A volcano during an eruption. For
several hours the fire ragged with undated
violence, fresh fuel being constantly supplied
from the adjacent wood The smoke, huving
filed the cave, streamcd out in dense masses
and noated off in the direction of the wind to
the upper heights Of the mountain.
At length the fire was permitted to burn
down. A steam of water issuing close by,
furnished the ready means for cooling the
rocks and oxtnguishing the smouldering
ombcrH. But il was not until late hour in
the evening that the smoke had escaped nom
the cave sufficiently 10 permit the entrance
TO be made.
With lighted torches, and armed with guns
and pistols, the crowd crcpt cautiously into
the gloomy cavern. The passage which led
TO it, widening rapidly rs they advanced,
spread out into spacious room Into this
ante-chamher several small lateral assures or
apartments opened. The cave, though pro-
duocd by some CONFUSION of nature, possess.
81 the regularity and the proportions Utmost
~ nF No. IL, eh., a.
the roof were all Of solid rock. The torch.
light, rrddenirg in the smoke and reflected