Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-06-07

though it was the terrible conviction
that it was closed--a second time
brought home to me--that prompted
my frenzied cry. Every sense seemed
to have tenfold acuteness, yet not one
to act in unison with another. I shrek
ed again and sgain--imploringly. des-
perately, savagely. I filed the hnl-
low chamber with my cries till its iron
walls seemed to tingle around me-
The dull strokes of the accursed pump
seemed only to mock at while they
deadened my screams.
CAT last l gave myself up. 1t is
the struggle against our tate that fren-
zies the mind. We cease to fear when
we cease TO hope. I gave myself up,
and then l grew calm!
81 was resigned to die--resigned
even to my mode Of death. It was
not, thought, so very new, after all,
as to awaken unwonted horror in a
man. Thousands have been sunk to
the bottom of the ocean, shut mp in
the holds Of vessels--beating them
selves against the battened hatches-
dragged down from the upper world
shrieking, not for life, but for death,
only beneath the eye and amid the
breath Of heaven. Thousands have
endured that appalling kind Of suffoca-
tion. would die only as many bet
ter man had died before me. I could
meet such a death. [ said SOL felt
so--felt so, mean for minute or
more--ten minutes it may have been
Or but all instant of time. / know
not, nor does it matter, if could COM
pute it. There ao0s time, then, when
was resigned to my fate. But, good
God ! was l resigned to the shape i'll
which it came next to appa!? Stran-
ger, felt the water growing hot about
my limbs, though it was but mid-leg
deep. felt it, and in the same mo-
ment heard the roar of the furnace
that was to turn it into steam before it.
could get near enough to drown me.
| "You shudder-it was hideous.-
But did | shrink and shrivel, and crum-
bic down upon that iron floor, and lose
my senses in that horrid agony Of fear?
No! though my brain swan and the
| lllc UlOOu tudt 1t lJ4 tC1t
seemed about to stagnate there forev
err, still k,ae,o! was too hoarse-
too hopeless from my previous efforts
to cry out more. But I struek-tee-
bly, at first, and then strongly-with
my clenched fists against the sides Of
the boiler. There were people moving
near who must hear my blows! could
l not hear the grating of chains, the
shuhling of feet, the very rustic OF a
rope-hear them all, within few inch.
es of me -? l did, but the gurgling wa
ter, that was growing hotter and hot
ter around my extrsnities, made more
noise within the steaming caldron than
my frenzled blows against its sides.
"Latterly had not changed my po-
sition, but now the growing heat of
the water MADE me plash to and fro !;
lifting myself wholly out of it was i'm
possible but could not remain quiet.
I stumbled upon something-it was a
mallet-a chance tool the smith had
left there by accident. With what
wild 10y did | seize it--with what re-
newed confidence did I now deal my
first blows with it against the walls of
my prison! But scarce had / inter-
mitted them for a moment when /
heard the clang of the iron door as the
iremen flung it wide open to feed the
flames that were to torture me. Ny
knocking was unheard, though could
hear him toss the sticks into the fur
mace beneath me, and drive to the door
, when his internal oven was fully cram
med.
Had l yet hope? / had, but it
rose in my mind side by side with the
fear that I might become the agent of
preparing myself more fri.htful death
Yes, when / thought Of that furnace.
with it's fresh-fed flames, curling be-
: neath the iron ON which I stood, a
t more frightfui death even than that oi
: being boiled alive seemed to await me-
t Had / discovered that mallet but a
: short time sooner-but no matter-I
would by its aid resort to the only ex
: pedient now left.
9 "It was this: I remembered having
S marling spike IN my pocket, and ir
, less time than I have taken in limiting
= at the censequerce ce Of thus using it,
v had made an impression on the side:
of the boiler, and soon succeeded in
, driving it through. The water rushed
;. through the aperture--wonld they Sc.
y t it? No: the jet could only play agains
2 a wooden partition, which must hid,
!. it fiom view, and it must trick
le down upon the decks before tn,
!. leakage would be discovered. Shoult
II / drive another hole to make that leak
1 ago greater? Why, the water within
It seemed already to be sensibly dimin
? ished-so hot had that become whicl