Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-10

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as certain victims OF speedy capture to be fol
lowed, doubtless, by dungeons and death.
That faith, however, Was not destined to prove
false or delusye. The means Of their doliyeranco
wsrg "a hand, and about to appear in d shape ai
singular and remarkable as It was unexpected
Two ct ,ho Kings maetodons had been KEEP
that day IN the southeastern part Of the city
and when the eubtefraneous explosion, which
w have described occurred these huge ami
mals 10 would seem, at once t0ok the alarm
broke from their enclosure, and to gain theii
native forests, instlnotiyey made Their way in
the direction OF the western gate, through which
they had been accustomed 70 enter the city
Having become bewldered, however, among the
narrow cross.etreets abounding IN that quarter
they had been considerably delayed IN reaching
the point at which they were aiming But
while thus rushing hlthor and thIther and bear
ing down everything in their way ~ their at
tempts to extrlcate themselves, they happened
to catch SIGH. Of some known object In the
vicinity OF the gate when instantly taking a
fresh start, they came with tremendous force
Numbering down q cross street which opened
into the main one, directly between the be-
5eged party and tae force gasaered before and
around the gate to oppose aud capture them.
Aud tho instant the maddened brutes reached
the great street, they turned short to the left,
and hcedless OF the thr0ug in their way, they
made, side BY side, furious push Tor the well
remembered entrance, tramplug scores of the
completely surprised and SCI echng guards aud
the ab.tting crowd, ike 30 many feeble worms,
into tie earth and breaking through the mas
sye gate with terrible crash, bearing Is down,
as il 1t had been some cobWeO, before them
mado their way INTO the open country, leaving
wide path behind them thickly s.rewed with
the dead and wounded The unlnjured part OF the
crowd tumbli over each other in their Wild
attempts to get out Of the way, or rushing of
and leelng IN the utmost confusion and alright
IRON the strange, and a5 yet scarcely compre-
hended scene
" Centeo.a's God has prevailed ~ exaltirgly
shouted Iulozln. " lie has again lutsrposei
and again opened way for our escape. Lot ui
instantly improve tho favored moment and on
through the gateway before our discounted
plrsuors can rally from then coaiusi0n.
81 saying, be sprang eagerly forward and
loudly called % all lae res, u .he bc.eaguFad
party to follow. And in a moment more the
whole company were rapidly threading their
way along tho death-strewcd Iathway, and over
the ruins Of the PROSTATE and ueasly demolished
gate. Ia another, they had safely passed beyond
the walls and gained the little eminence in the
vicinity, on which, as before described, they had
taken position before entering the city ON the
previous evening and all this was effected be-
fore the guards and assisting thrUng, or those oil
them leit alive and unulured tom the stampede
OF the mastadoas, mad sufficiently recovered from
the terrible panic, into which they had beer
thrown, to think OF iltsrposiDg any resistanos
to the egress o. the intended victims from the
city
Here th7 escaped party supPvsvi urVer wnai
had happened they would be 20 further mo.
llsled, believing that the signal splays o.
Heaven IN their repeated dellyeranoes, which
must have been noted By their foes would deter
the latter from attempting any further pursuit.
Butin this comforting conclusion they soon per
ceyed they were to be disappointed For, IN q
lew moments, formidable array Of the rallied
and freshly reinforced warriors and guards
sweiled by largo numbers Of the fierce and dc
trmlncd crowd, all seemingly inturat9t &c the
strange aud unexpected escape Of those whom
they had looked upon as already within their
grasp. Ntry sen madly rushing through TIE
cumbered gate oay and, as they caught sight
Of their int nded victims unexpectedly halted
50 near At hand, sprlnglng forward, VITA fresh
oubdrsts OF wrath and exultauOn for their
instant seizure. But their career was destined
to be- short one At that critical Instant, the
sense, OF all were assalled by tho noise oil al
explosion, burstln up IRON the hear: Of tn,
city, SO loud and deaienng as to make botL
pursueis and pursued alike recon aghast, staggel
and reel before tbs terrible conclusion while
everywhere around, the soid earth began
violently 90 snake. heaye AMI oscllate, ike the
waves OF au agitated ocean. There was a brief
aud ominous pause and then, In quick succes
sion. came crash upon crash whose uniting
reports sent up thoiT mingllns roar TO the echo
log vault of the shudderng heavens; while, al
the same time, the long lines Of walls, towers
temples aud houses, were seen topping Gnl
tumbhng to the earth, and laying thu whole cit,
ia one vide, wild mas OF undistlngu ulshabl,
ruin. Again were the terrible throes oil tat
troubled elements ausaei into mJmeutary
silence, during which the mingled criss, shrek
and groans OF tho tens OF thousands Of tn,
maugled and dying victims, rose in one long
loud wall of agony from tha extended scene oil
destruction aud woe. Then quickly succeeded
another and still more terrific shock OF the vol
canic earthquake, accompanied with the roar o
ten thousand thunders and conclusions OF tn
earth and heavens, SO stunning and awful, as Il
throw most Of the fugitive party from theii
fees, and so oyerpower their bewlldered senses, a
TO leave them dlmly conscious that the groun
on which they stood, with she whole adjoining
plain, wa, being bodily raised and thrown int
broken swells and ridges, fifty OF huhdre,
feet aooyo the former level.
Partially rallyiug from their CONSERVATION
they eagerly cast their eyes towards the spo
where they last saw their lnturiltod assaiant
rushing forward Tor their capture or destruction
Blt those asslilants were no where TO be seen
| The ground, even where they so0i, togethe
with tho whole line OF the walls OF the city, ha
/ thus suddenly disapl leared aud ~ It's p4c
yawnol wide aud fearful black chasm Iron
which, with loud, his.ng sounds. c0nyoyn
clouds ol minsllng smeko and steam were fierce
I y mounting upward to the deeply shroude
heavens. Aud in that dark and terrible aby.
I those WrathMl and blinded minions OF suporsti
lion and wrong, together with their wAolo city
wish all lts multltudln0us poi ula,lsn, hal gon
down 20 the common grave forever |, ha
been a scene too irightiul for language to POI
/ tray. Bu. the elements had not ceased tae,
I terrible commotion for next was heard, b3neAt
the dark, imp,netr .ble cloud thal hung li,v
vast pail over the deata-deya,e1 spot, the gu,l
lus, boiling sounds mingled with the cltar,
,oAr OF taddeuly breaking up fountains 40
then all seemed sEaiually sauslding into con
par4tye silence. In 4 sh9rJ time that uIou
slowly hl.el and, tn the brisk br5g1o chat suu
leuy sprung up, rolled dasky away 70 tb
slu.h, disol3sns broad, deep, rock Sallc
chasm, whose apparent bottom was oyorsproa
by the still aglmtel and bubbllug waters Of
nowly formed lake, extending over tho whol
site 5t that proud and wicked city which had q
.....N.. "a ,,..t t.rt.ruIv 49, Ais.pt,....