Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-11-11
MISCEILAN Y
From The Home Journal.
Thrilling Cave Adventure.

I was born and brought up in the neigh
borhood of the salt-works Of Nj. My
father was second engineer, and filled the
office of assistant. The scene Of or min
ing operations at the time of the event
which | am going to narrate, was in mar
row valley lying close to the foot of per-
pendicular cliff of rock about one hundred
feet high. On It's bare sides neither grass
nor shrub was to be seen, and scarcely any
inequality was visible whereon the foot of
the climber might find a resting place. In
fact. il was considered unscalable for the
distance of two miles. when it sunk gradu-
ally to the level Of the plain. Ascending
the cliff one beheld on IFS summit wide
nlain. stretching off in the distance from the
sharp edge of the precpice, and from that
dizzy point could look down upon the mi
rers below, close under its sides.
Upon the top of the cliff which have
been describing, | was strolling listlessly,
late one Sunday afternoon, thinking Of a
strange and sad circumstance which had
happened in our family about year ago.
Nv only brother, a lad Of about fifteen, had
rome out carly one summer morning TO
shoot plover on the heights, and from that
hour had never been heard of. When last
seen. he was mounting the cliff from the
eastern side. and though (when alarmed at
his long delay) we made immediate search
and inquiry, we never gained any further
information. To speak of our family dis
tress and nv own heart-grieying fol my
welI-beloved young brother, is not new my
purpose; but it was the only subject OF my
4 thoughts on that quiet summer evening
when all the roise of the world was hushed
and the stiffness seemed tenfold by contrast
/ approached very near the edge OF the
/ cliff / was now at its steepest part, anc
looking down its smooth sides, | though
how terrible fall would be but my broth
er could not have fallen doan. In tina
case his maugled boly, at least, would have
been found.
was recalled 10 myself by sirang'
sinking of my feet. My first confused ldei
was that the soil had given way from the
cliff. upon whose utmost verge | stood, an'
that | was about to he precipitated TO TIN
bottom. became dizzy with horror, for
felt at once | could not recover myself, s.
sudden was the caving in OF the earth DC
nootb mo. | made one stumble forward
in wild struggle TO save myself, felt a ring
inc and crushing in my ears, and tae"
lost al further sensation.
Il must have been many hours before
was sufficiently conscious to know that
! st;lI existed. Sick and bruised, l was lon
nnable TO raise myself from the pros'rat
nosition in which became aware. at las
that I was lying. 1t was quite dark an
every portion of earth or stone that
to,cbed was wet and smell of damp sa
, nervaded the close atmosphere. thonsi
| had fallen into an exhausted salt mln'
bu, soon remembered that had been stant
;nq on the edge of the cliff. II was an IN
possibility. Then came the idea thar mus
have fallen TO the bottom, and tue ioos
Garth and stones had fallen over me. ina
too I soon found equally unlikely, and, aHt
qrop;nq about for some time on my nahu
and knees, (every movement one o. ih'eh'
oeonvA I became sure that my prison WI
n cave of scme extent. Too weak 70 moN
farther. lay down ard endeTored TO thin
of nav nos;tien. i; seemed hopeless on
7 was certainly in one of those caves iorn
ell in the salt rocks, and sometimes iound =
miners. running far below the eartifs su
face. / had no idea how far had faller
= il might be few feet; it might be mar
bundled. As yet 1 conld fud no trace
passage through which had dr'pPe
Y but remembered | had case OF maich
a IN my pocket. and II was not long before
Of snc.,eeded ii dragging them out, though
1 was excru:iating pain to my bruised linn
q 10 move tliem-
Having no taper ] determined to be ve, &c,
c careful of the matches, and TO improve q
short moment Of light during which O
would last. | rubbed it vefy careful
AGAINST the sole Of my boot, then hard'
lien furiously-but it would not igni'
's Then tried another with no better succei
y Z; They we're too damp; the matches We
useless. With q faint hope of drying the
in time. | put the box into my breast a
= buttoned my vest over II. What with
r sailare in procuring light, and and {
sa;4 AZ nv bruises, added TO my terror a