The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-12-07
Thrilling Cave Adventure.

mining operations, at the time OF the eVenI
which am now going to narrote, was In
narrow valley, lying close to the foot Of a
cliff of rock about one hun
dred feet high. On its bare sides neither
grass Hor shrub was to be seen, and scarce
any equality was visible, whereOn the
oot of the climber might find resting place.
fact, it was considered unscalable for
distance of two miles, when it sunk down
gradually OF either end of the level of the |
plane. Ascending the cliff, one beheld on
the summit q wide plain, stretching off in
the distance from the sharp edge Of the pre-.
cipice, and from that dizzy point could look
down upon the works OF the miners below,
close under its sides.
Upon the top of the cliff which have
been describing, was strolling listleSsly.
late one Sunday afternoon, thinking OF
strange and sad circumstance which had
happened about year ago in cur family
NV only brother, q lad of fifteen, had gone
out early one summer m,rniUg to shoot Plo
yer on the heights, and from that hour had
never been heard OF. When last seen, he
was mounting the cliff from the eastern side
andAhough (when alarmed ut his long della! }
we made immediate search and Inquiry, We
never gained further in ormation. 10 Speak
of cur family distress and my own he.rt
grevng for my well. beloved you"g brother,
is not now my purpose; but it was the only
object of my thought on that quiet summer
evening, when all The noise 'rcm the works
ho shed, and the stiffness seemed tenuld BY
contrast.
approached very near the edge OF the
cliff. was now at the etc, pest part, and
looking down ito smooth sides, | thought
how terrible the fall would bc; but Iny bro
thcr caud not have failed down. In TINT
csse his mangIed body, at least, would have
besn 'oumd.
Twas recalled to myself by strunge sink
iogul my iect. My fret confused idea was
that the soil was giving awSy trom The edge
OF the cliff, upon whose verge stood, and
that was about to be precipitated to the
bottom. became dizzy with horror,tor telt
at once tn It ] could not recover myself, 80
sudden was the caving il. OF TIE ehr,h DE-
uegth me made one stumble forward, in
u wild st,ul,le to rave myos II, Ieil rlngi" Z
and crushing ia my ears, 4nd then 'oot all
further strsatIun.
Ii must have been many hIu:s before
was s, fl3ientIy conscious to know int !
still existed. Sick md bruised, was long
unable to tai.e myself from the PROSTATE
position 10 which become aware at last,
thet | was lying. 1t was qui:e dark and
every portion Of earth Or stone that touch
ed was wet, ard smell OF damp Sat perva
dcd the close u,mos pbere. thought had
fallen into an txhaustt salt mine, but soon
re remembered that had been standing on the
edye of the cI #. 1t wns an impossibIiiy
Then came the iteu that | must have fallen
to the bottom end loose stones ind earth hae
, rulen over me. That, too, ! soon iouht
oualy unlikely and utter Cropping uoou
$ some tine on my hands and knees, (eVer'
3 moment one OF intense "sony) | became
4 sure that my prison was cave vi some eX
tent, Too weak to move further, l lay dowi
E and endebvored to think OF my position /
seemed hopeless one. l WIS., certainly il
), one Of those caves formed in the salt rocks
' and sometimes found by miners, running frl
below the earih's suriace. ! had no ice
; how for had fallen; it might be few tee'
it mieh, be many hundred. AS yet cou
II find no truce Of the passage through wh'c
| hid dropped. bu, remembered that ha
case of matches in my pocket, and 1t W"
no, long before | succeeded in draggln
them cut, though it was rXcruciatDg pain
!, nv bruised limbs to move them.
u Having no pOper, | determined to be Ve'
a careful OF the matches, end to improve Ii
short moment of light, during which OF
. would last, rubbed it very carefully again
the sole of my boot, then ha der, then II
, riousIy-but il would not ign'e. Then
81 tried another with no better success. The
y. vert too damp-everything was damp; IL
N matches were useless. With faint hoI
-, of dry,pg them in time, put the box in
H., nv breast, and buttoned my vest over it,
I, What with my tulure in psocuring ligf
\, and the poin OF my bruises, added to my tie
49, rur and bewilderment OF mind, | suffered
,.nsely. Through all it become clear
8, me that instead OF falling 0ver, hid iaIl'
=, through the cliff-strange as il wus that he
low ground should occur 50 near the edg
~ without the external wal! Of the clitf caVI
ri. in toward il. The space through which
~, had fallen must have been narrow, for I
bndv was bruised and the skin torn from {
I'd sides, with strips OF my clothing; that cot
feel. Oh! for light to examine bet
- into nv mis- erab'e position; but, after all
-. did not feel without hope. could not le
90 the idea that / was TO hit upon some mea
no or way of escape, il only could get
,,o matches to ignite and show me the size
ia form OF the cave. ....
III Worn cut with pain and thought ! MI
tie have slept. swoke with raging thi
~, and almost at the same time, became st
,de that heard the dropping of wster. dr'
:. ged myself toward the sound, stretched {
he my hand, and drops from above dropped
IL; eagerly / swallowed few which burn