The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-04-12

Of the water threw every one into such
excessive agitations and rawlings, that, un-
able to resist this violent impulse of ma
ture, none could wait to be regularly
served, but each man battled with the ut
most feroclty againstthose who were likely
to get before him and in these conflicts,
many were either pressed to death by the
efforts of others, or suffocated by their
own. This scene, instead Of exciting COM
passion in the guard without, only ava
kened their mirth and they held up
lights to the bars in order to have the di-
abolical satisfaction of seeing the deplora-
BILE contention of the sufferers within,
who finding it impossible to get any water
whilst it was thus furiously disputed, at
length suffered those who were nearest
the windows to convey it in their hats to
those behind them. 1t proved no relief
either to their thirst or their sufferings,
for the fever increased every moment with
the increasing depravity of the air of the
dungeon, which had been SO often respi-
red, and was saturated with the hot and
deleterious effiuvia of putrefying bodies,
of which the stencil was little less than
mortal
"Before midnight, all who were alive,
and had not partaken of the air of the
windows, were either in lethargic stupe-
faction or raving with delirium. Every
kind of invective and abuse was uttered,
in hope of provoking the guard to put an
end to their miscries by firing into the
dungeon and whilst some were blaspbe-
ming their Creator with frantic cxecra-
tons of torment in despair, Heaven was
lorol l,- bor -,+h -,il1 onl hn
rent prayers. until the weaker, exhausted
by these agitations, at length lay down
quietly and expired on the bodies of their
dead and agonizing friends. Those who
still survived in the inward part of the
dungeon, finding that the water afforded
them no relief, made last effort to obtain
air, by endeavoring to scramble over the
heads of those who stood between them
and windows, where the utmost strength
of every one was employed for two hours
either in maintaining his own ground, or
endeavoring to get that of which others
were in possession. All regards of COM
passion and affection were lost, and no one
would rccede or give way for the relief Of
another. Eaintness sometimes gave short
pauses of quiet, but the first motion of any
one renewed the struggle through all, un-
der which ever and anon some one sunk
to rise no more. At two o'clock, not more
than fifty remained alive; but even this
number was too many to partake of the
saving air, the contest for which and life
continued until the morn, long implored
began to break, and with hope of relief,
gave the survivors a view of the dead
The survivors then at the window, seeing
that their entreaties could not prevail on
the guard to open the door, it occurred to
Mr.. Cook, the secretary to the council,
that Mr.. Howell, if alive might have more
influence to obtain their relief; and two
of the company undertaking the search,
discovered him, having still some signs of
| life but when they brought him near the
window, every one refused to quit his
place, excepting Captain Mills, who, with
rare generosity, offered to resign his, on
which the rest likewise agreed to make
room. He had scarcely begun to recover
his senses, before an officer, sent by the
nabob, came and inquired if the English
chief survived and soon after the same
man returned with an order to open the
prison. The dead were so thronged, and
the survivors had so little strength remain
| ing, that they were employed for nearly
half an hour in removing the bodies which
lay against the door before they could
clear a passage to get out one by one ;
when, of one hundred and torty-six who
went in, no more than tacenty-three came
out alive, the ghastliest forms that ever
were seen on earth The nabob's troops
beheld them and the havoc of death from
which they had escaped with perfect in
difference, but did not prevent them from
removing to a distance, and were immedi-
ately obliged, by the intolera5le stencil, to
clear the dungeon, whilst others dug a
ditch on the outside of the fort, into
which all the dead bodies were promiscu-
ously thrown
The success of the barbarian who in
ficted these sufferings was short-hved.-
Calcutta was retaken year after by Give
and others.