Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-07-13
THRILLING CAVE ADVENTURE.

WIS uutN auu oIuuEhA w ~ tHe
Of the salt works Of NJ
My father was second engineer, and
filed the situation Of assistant. The
scene of our mining operations at The i
time Of the event which am going 10
narrate, was in a narrow valley, lying
close to the foot of perpendicular cliff of
rocks about one hundred feet high. On
its bare sides neither grass nor shrub was
to be seen aud scarce any inequality was
visible, whereon the foot OF the climber
might find resting place. In fact, i'll
was considered unscalable for the dis
tance of two miles, when it sunk down
gradually at either end to the level of the
plain. Ascending the cliff, one beholds
on its summit wide plain, stretching off
in the distance from the sharp edge OF
the precipice 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 a
strange circumstance which had hap
pened about year ago in our family
My Oldest brother, lad of fifteen, had
gone out early one summer morning to
shoot plover on the nights, and from that
hour had never been heard of. When
last seen he was mounting the diff from
the eastern side, and though-when
alarmed at his long delay-we made i'm
mediate search and inquiry, we never
gained any further information.
| approached very near the edge of
the cliff. was now at its steepest part,
and looking down its smooth sides,
thought how terrible fall would be; but
my brother could not have fallen down.
In that case, his mangled body, at least,
would have been found.
/ was called TO myself by strange
sinking Of my feet. My first confused
idea was that the soil had given way
from the edge of the cliff, upon whose
utmost verge / stood, and that was
about to be precipitated to,the bottom.
became dizzy with horror, for felt that
could not recover myself, so sudden wa,
the caving of the earth beneath me, made
stumble forward, in wild struggle iC
save myself, felt ringing and crushing
) in my ears, and then lost all further sen.
sation.
1t must have been hours before / wa,
sufficiently conscious to know that still
existed. Sick and bruised, ! was lons
. unable to raise myself from the prostrai'
position in which | became aware, a
! least, that was lying 1t was quit,
5 dark, and every portion of earth or stonr
j that ] touched was wet and small DAM
5 salt pervaded.the close atmosphere.
] thought that had fallen into an ex
hausted salt mine, but soon remembers,
that ! had been standing on the edge 0
? the cliff. 1t was an impossibilily. Thel
came the idea that must have fallen 4
the bottom, and the loose stones an
earth had fallen over me-. That too,
found equally unlikely, and after gro
a ping about for some time or my hand
: and knees-every moment one of intens
= agony-I became sure that my priso
!, was a cave of some extent.
Too weak to move further, ! lay dow
q and endeavored to think Of my position
= 1t seemed hopeless one. was Gel
q tainly in one of those caves formed j
# the salt rocks, and sometimes found b
n miners, running far below the surface
a | had no idea how far had fallen
Y might be many hundred. As yet
e could find no trace Of the passae
ie through which had dropped, but ] r.
At membered that had case Of match,
is in my pocket, and it was not long befol
10 succeeded in getting them out, though
ID was exeruciating pain to my bruisc
" limbs to move them.
= Having no taper, ] had to be vel
= careful Of the matches, and to impro'
/; the short moment Of light, during whit
one would last. ! rubbed il very car
ful against the sole of my boot, but
would not ignite. Then ! tried anotb
with 70 better success. They we're &
damp--eyeryihing was damf, the match
were useless. With a faint hope OF DIR
ing them in time, | put the box into 4
: vest over it, What with my failure
procuring light, and the pain Of Z
9 bruises, added to my terror and bewild'
% ment Of mind ! suffered intensely.
iu- Through ali, it became clear 70 me Il
yer instead Of falling over, had fall
re- through the eliff-strsnge as it was II
ief hollow ground should occur 50 near |
edge without the external wall Of