The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-03-06

not live ailing, and make a die of it
ius. out Of spite, when told they mast
ret well. es, fellows as fond of the
good things of earth as you or /, yet
who'd rush like mad over the gang
plank Of lite, if once brought to believe
that they had to stay in it whether
they wanted to leave it or not. Thur
der and bees if snch fellow as that
| had heard the cocks crow as ! did,
awakened. TO find darkness about him
darkness so thick that you might cut
it with knife-heard other sounds,
/ too. TO tell him that it was morning,
and ScramOling to tumble for that man
hole, found it, too, black-clo8ed-black
and even as the rest of the iron coffin
around him-closed, with not even a
rive'-hole to let Gods light and air in
swooned right down on
the spot, as | did, and | amt asham-
ed to own it to no white man"
The big drops actually stood upon
the poor fellows brow,as he now paus-
ed for moment in the recital Of his
terrible story. He passed his hand
over his rough features, and resumed
it with less agitation of manner.
" How long / may have remained
there senseess, | don't know. The
doctors have since told me that it must
nave been a sort Of a fit--more like an
apoplexy than sWoon, for the attack
finally passed off in a sleep. Yes, |
! slept know that, for | dreamed
dreamed aheap o things afore awoke.
There is but one dream, however,
that [ have been able to recall with
distinctness,a and it must have come on
shortly before I recovered my con
seriousness. My resting place through
the night had been, as have told you,
at the far end OF the boiler. Well,
now dreamed that the man>hole was
still open; and what seems curious,
rather than Imaginable, if on take it in
connection with other things, fancied
my legs had been stretched in the long
walk had taken the evening before,
that they now reached the whole length
Of the boiler, and extended through
the opening.
At first I'm my dreaming refeotions,)
it was comfortable thought that no
one could now shut up the man hole
without awakening me. But soon it
seemed rs if my feet, which We're on
the outside, were becoming drenched
in the storm which had originally driv-
en- ne to seek this shelter. | felt the
chilling rain on my extremities They
grew colder and colder, and their numb.
ness gradually extended to other parts
OF my body. 1t seemed, however, that
il wa> only the under side of my per-
son that was thus strangely visited. I
had upon my back, and it must have
been : species Of nightmare that afflic-
ted me, for | knew at least that | was
dreaming, yet felt it impossible to
rouse myself. A violent tit of coughs
ing restored at last my powers Of vo-
litlon. The water, which had slowly
irisen around M, had rus0ed into my
mouth ! awoko to hear the rapid
strokes Of the pump, which was driy-
ing INTO the boiler? My whole condi-
tion-no not ali of it--not yet--my
present condition flashed with new
horror upon me. But did not again
swoon. The choking sensation which
bad made me faint when / firtt discov-
cred how / was entombed, gave way
10 liyelier, though less oyerpowering
emotion | shrieked even as | start
ed from my slumber. The previous
discovery OF the closed aperture, with
thc instant oblivion that followed,
seemed only a part of my dream, and
threw my arms about and looked ca
geriy for the opening by which | en-
tered the horrid pIace-yes, looked
for il, and felt for it, though it was a
terrible conviction that it vas closed
"a second tile brought nome to me
that prompted my trenzied cry. ev-
cry sense seemed to have tenfold
acutcness, yet no one to act in unIson
With another. / shrieked again ard
again--imploringly, desperately, say
a4oly, filled the hollow chamber with
my yrjrs, till its iron walls seemed to
tin2ie around me. The dull strokes
Of the accmsed pump seemed only to
uUct, III while they deadened my
screams,
At last ] gave myself up. 1t is
the struggle against oul fate that tren-
zes the mind. We cease to fear when
we cease to hope. | gave myself up,
aud then | grew calm.
- was resigned to die-resigned
even 10 my mode Of death. It was
not, thought, so very new, after all,
rs IT, awaken unwouted horror in
imam. Thousands have been sunk to
the orran shut up in the holds of yes
Seis- beating themselves against the
battened hatches-dragged down from
| he upper world shrieking not for life
| buJ for death only beneath the eye and
amid the breath Of heaven. Thous-
ands have endured that appalling kind
OF sutfocation. | would die only as
many better man bad died before
me. could meet such death. |
said sol thought sol felt so--felt
SO, mean, for a minute, or more-ten
minutes it may have been--or but an
instant Of time. | know not, nor does
il matter if I could compute it. There
yus 4 time, ther, when | was resigned
to nay tate. But good God was | re
,jgned to it in the shape in which it
came next to appaIl. Stranger, felt
the water getting hot about my limbs,
though it was but middling deep,
teit it, and in the same moment heard
the roar of the furnace that was to
turn it into steam before it could get
deep enough to drown one!
:" You >hudder-it was hideous.
But did I shrink and shrivel, and crum-
Die down upon that iron floor, and lose
NY senses in that agony of fear? No!
though my brain swan and the life
blood that curdled at my heart seem
ed about to stagnate there forever,
-..L! ]!