Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-09-22
THE MAN IN THE BELL.

In my younger days. bell ringing was much
more in fashion among the young men, than it is
now. Some fifty years ago, about twenty Of us,
who dwelt in the vicinity of the Cathedral, formed
a club which used to ring every peal that was call.
ed for. But my tell ringing practice was short
ened by a singular accident. which not only stop
ped my performance, but made even the 81 und Of
a bell terrible to my ears.
One Sunday l went with another to the belfry
to ring for noon prayers, but the second stroke we
pulled showed us that the clapper os the bell we
were at was mufled. The remedy was easy. Jack.
said my companion, step up to the loft and cut
off the hat for the way we had Of mufling was
by tying o piece of an old hat, or Of cloth, 1.-THE
former was preferred) to one side of the olapper,
which deadened every second toll.
l compiled, and mounting into the belfry crept
as usual into the bell, and began to cut away. The
hat had been tied on in q moro complicated man
ner than usual, and I was three or four minutes
getting it off during which time my companion
was hastily called, and his place supplied by a
brother # the club, who. knowing tina. the time
had come for ringing for service, and not thinking
that there was any one above, began to pull.
At this moment | was just getting out, when l
felt the bell moving | guessed the reason at once
it was a moment Of terror but by a aasty and
almost convulsive effort, l succeeded in jumping
down, and throwing myself on the fat of my back
under the bell. The room in which it hung was
little more than sufficient to contain it, the bottom
of the bell coming within a couple of feet from
the floor of lath as l lay it was within an inch OF
my face. l had not laid myself down a second
when the ringing began. 1t was a dreadful situa-
ton.
Over me swung an immense mass OF metal, one
touch of which would have crushed me to pieces
the floor under me- was principally composed of
crazy latas, and if they gave way / should be pre-
cipitated to tho distance Of so feet upon a loft,
which would, in all probability, have sunk under
the impulse of my fall, and sent me to be dashed
to atoms upon the marble floor of the chanceI
a hundred feet below.
Every moment l saw the bell sweep within an
inch of my face and my eyes--I could net close
them, though to look at the object was bitter as
death-followed it instinctiVely in its osoillating
progress until it came back again. 1t was in vain
that | said to myself it will come no nearer at any
future swing than it did at first every time it de-
cended / endeavored to shrink into the very floor
to avoid being buried under the down sweeping
mass ; and then rejecting on the danger Of press
ing too ~weigh;ily or my frail support, I would
cover up again as far as l dared.
The roaring Of the bell confused my brain, ant
my fancy soon began to tecm with all sorts o.
strange and terrifying ideas. The bell pealinG
above, andDpening its jaws with a hideous clam
or, seemed to me at one time to be q ravening mon
ster, raging to devour me at another, a whirlpool
ready to suck me into its believing abyss. | of
ten thought that l was 10 a hurricane at sea. ant
that the vessel in which l was embarked tossed
under me with the most furious vehemence.
l trembled lest reason should utterly desert me
lest when entirely deprived Of my senses, shOulc
rise to 90 which was every moment tempted b.
the strango feeling which calls on a man who's
head is dizzy from standing on the %batElement 0
some high castle to precipitate himself from it
and then death would be instant and tremendous
When | thought of this | became desperate.
caught the floor with a grasp that drove tho bloc,
from my nails and / yelled with the cry of des
pair.
| called for help / prayed, I shouted but al
the eGorts Of my voice we're, of eouree, droWne'
in the bell, AS it passed over my mouth, IL odca
sienally echoed my cries, which mixed not wit
it's own tounds but preserved their distinct charac
ter. Perhaps this was but fancy. To me howe7
er, they sounded like the shoGting, bowling 0
laughing Of the tends with which my imagination
had peopled the gloomy cave which swung abOv
me.
10 twenty minutes the ringing was done. Hal
of that time passed over me without power Of CON
, putation. the other half appeared an age. Whe
the bell stopped, ! was aroused a little by the hop