Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-03-01

q The hig dr0ps actually stood ppon the
poor felloW'a brew as he now paused for q
moment in the recital Of his terrible story.
He passed his hand over his rough fea-
laEss end resumed It Viib lsss agitation
Of manner.
"HoW long may have remained there
behseless don't know. The doctors have |
since told me that Il must have been In q |
sort Of 9 ft-more like an apOplexy than g |
swoon for the attack hnally passed of in |
q sleep-I know that for | dreamed
dreamed heap O. things sfore | woke.
There Is but one dream, however, that
have been able 70 recall with distinenessI
and that mVel haVs come on shortly before |
recovered ID eonsciousness. Ny resting
place through the night had been, as have
told you, at the far end Of the boiler. Well
I now dreamed that the man-hole Was stih
open and whatBeems curious, rather than
lauEhable, if you take il in connection
with other things, l fanoied that 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.
aAt hrst lin my dreaming refeetion) IL
WRs 9 comfortable thought that no enc could
now shut up the msn.hol without awaken
ing me. But soon il seemed as II my feet,
which we're on the outside, we're becoming
drenched in the storm which had original
ly driven me to seek this shelter. l felt
the chilling rain upon my extremiteR.
They grew colder and colder, and their
numbness gradually extended to other
parts Of my body. It seemed, however,
/ that 1t was only the under side Of my per-
son that was thus strangely visited. laid
upon my back, and it must have been
species Of nightmare that afflicted me, for
I knew at least that was dreaming, yet
| felt it impossible to rouse myself A VIC
lent ft Of coughing restored ct last my
powers Of Volition. The water which had
| slowly risen around me, had rushed into my
mouth. IsWoke to hear the rapid strokes
Of the pump, which was driving water
into the boiler Ny whole condition. no
not all Of it-not yet-my present condition
flashed with new horror upon me. But
did not again sWoon. The choking sen.
sstion which hsd made me faint when l
Arst discovered how Ess entombed, gave
way 70 q ivelier, though less overpoWering
emotion. 1 shriekei even 90 | started from
my Hlumber. The previous discovery Of
the closed aperture, with the instant obliV-
lion that followed, seemed only part Of
my dream, and threw my arms abeutsnd
looked eagerly for the opening BY which |
entered that borrid plaee-yes, looked for
it, and felt for Il, though it was terrible
conviction that It was elosed-a second
lime brought home to me-that prompted
my frenEied cry. Every sense seemed TO
have tenfold scuteness, yet no one to act in
unison with another. l shieked again and
again-implOringly, desperately, ssvagely.
/ I filed the hollow chamber with my cries
| till its iron walls seemed TO tingle around
me. The dull strokes Of the acoursed pump
seemed only to mock at while they deaden-
cd my screams.
"At last 1 gave myself up. 1t is the
struggle against our fate which frenEies the
mind. We cease to fear when We cease to
hope. 1 gave myself up, and then grew
calml
Il vas resigned to die-resigned sven
TO my mode Of death. It was not, thought,
80 very new, after al, as to awaken un-
Z Wonted horror in q man. Thousands have
] been sunk 70 the bottom Of the ocean shut
/ up in the holds Of Vessels-beatiDg them
] selves against the bettened hatohes-drsg-
Eed down from the upper world shrieking,
not for life, but for death only beneath the
/ eve and amid the breath Of heaven. Ihous-
| ands have endured that appalling kind OF
suffocstion. l would die only as many bet
ter men have died before me. l could meet
such 8 death said go Il thought so-I
felt so-felt 50, 1 mean, for q minute, or
more-ten minutes, it may have been-or
4 but an instant Of time, know not nor
does it matter if could compute 1t. There
/ vas time, then, when / Was resigned to
/ it in the shape in which it came next to
| appall. Stranger, l felt that water growing
hot about my limbs, though it was but mid
ding deepl l felt it. and in the same mo.
ment heard the rosr Of the furnace thss
was to turn it into steam before it could get
deep enough to drown onel
at Was this: l remembered having
msrlin-spike in my pocket and in less
| time than have taken in hinting ct the
Oonsequenceof Of thus using it 1 made amin
preston on the sides Of the boiler, and
soon succeeded in driving il through. Ths
water gushed through the aperture-Would
they see it7 No the jet could only plsy
against wooden partition which would
hide it from view, and it must triokle down
upon the decks before the leakage could be
discovered. Should try to drive another
hole to make that leakage greater2 Why,
the water seemed already to be sensibly
diminished-so hot had that become which
remsined. Should more escape, would not
hear it bubble and hiss upon the fiery
plates Of iron that were already scorching
the soles Of my feet.
HYou shudder-it was hideous. But did
1 shrink and shriVel, and orumble doWu
upon that iron floor, and loose my senses in
that horrid agony Of fsarl Mol though my
brain swan and the life blood thst curdled
at my heart seemed about to stsgnate there
forever, still kneWl Wss too hosrse-
too hopeless from my previous efforts, to
cry out more. But Istruek-feebly at FIRST,
then more strongly-With my clenohed
fists against the sides Of the boiler. There
we're people moving near who must hear
my bloEsl Could not hear the grating Of
chains, the shutting Of feet, the very rustic
Of the ropes-hesr them all, within few
inches Of me2 l did-but the gurgling
water that was growing hotter and hotter !
around my extremities, made more noise |
within the steam cauldron, than did my
frenzied blows against it's sides,
uLstterly / had not changed my position, |
but now the growing hsat Of the water
splsshed me to and fro; lifting myself
wholly out Of It was impossible, but could |
not remain quiet. stumbled upon ssme
thing-it was q malletl chance tool the |
smith had left there by accident With |
what Joy did siezs it-With what renewed |
confidence did now deal my fret blows
with it against the walls Of my prison. But
scarce had intermitted them for q mo
ment when heard the elsng Of the door
as the fireman flung it wide open 10 feed
tn flames that we're to torture me. My
knocking was unhsaId, though could hear
them toss the stick into the furnace below
me, and drive to the door when his infer
nal oven vas fully orammed.
nHad I yet hope had. but it rose in