The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-08-01
81 ould be released, and our stock of food

| SHOulu DC releaeeu. anu our stCCA OIL 1000
was very scanty. But this was not tn,
worst evil we had to encounter, for pre-
sently, ms we sat, a low, mysterious rumb
ling came from the bowels of the earth. {
few minutes elapsed, aud then the noise in.
creased-reached the earth rose under
our feet-the whole edtice reeled--thc walls
cracked-and the ladder leading to the trap
split into fragments, and fell among the ne
groes, whose wild and despairing cries rem,
the vault. II was a moment OF intense ag.
ony. We stood all trans6xed With awe, for
we expected nothing else than that the
earth was about to open and swallow us up.
No sooner had the earthquake passed than
new danger menacei us. Through one
of the cracks in the wall water was flowing
rapidly, and the floor of the vault was al
ready covered some inches deep. At first,
neither Mrs. Seu;er nor the negroes seemed
! to comprehend this but as the water rap
idly increased, Mrs Seuter became alive to
her peril.
"Why," she exclaimed, starting up. eve
shall all be drowned lis there no means of
escape9 Can you think of no means of ex-
tricating us" she asked of me-
None whatever replied. ave are
in the hands of God: He can help us if it
is His good pleasure"
The old lady's countenance became ashy
pale, and then she threw up her arms and
shrieked: q can't die won't die! Will
nobody save me I'll give any ,hing.-rll
buy your freedom, and make you rich,' she
continued. turning to the negroes.
"Ess, nam, we save you if we can; we
let no buckra ladies die if we can help it !:
but regger life as good as anybody's, and
bum bye, when de water come ober he
head, We no help ourselves; we all be like
den,-we all be free, and rich too, de Lord
be praise ~
As the water rose, it was quite study to
watch the faces of those about me, particu-
larly of the negroes. The gradual transit
ton from anxiety to fear. and from that to
the widest despair, would have been lu-
dicrous in the extreme, had not our situa-
ton been 50 appalling.
While all around were crying and vail
ing, however, Mary and Grace were perfect-
ly quiet. Their courage did not fail them
for an instant, though the water had now
reached above their knees. In the faces Of
the two girls might be read that uncomplain-
ing patience, that high and enduring forti-
tude, which is a special characteristic of
Anglo-tropical women. The contrast be-
tween their calmness and the wild despair
of Mrs Seuter and the negroes was very
noticeable. 1t was time to try the cour-
age of any one. Mr.. Gordon knew was
not wanting in courage, but his fortitude
seemed t. have forsaken him. His looks
we're wild; the muscles of his mouth
twitched and quivered, and now and then
he muttered something that l could not
hear.
Inch by inch the water rose until it
reached my waistcoat. One by one the but
tons disappeared, as each minute our enemy
gained upon US. Still was 10th to relin-
quish sll hope. Meantime, not word had
been uttered nor an exclamation made by
Mr.. Gordon or his daughters Mrs. Seuter
had ceased her cries, for she had persuaded
tall negro to hoist her upon his shoulders,
where she sat grasping ore of the candles
with great satisfaction. She was in fools
paradise, for she did not remember that the
instinct of life was as strong in the negro
as in herself, and the moment the water rose
high enough to endanaer the life of the
negro, he would in all probability leave her
to her fate. No, there was no help or es-
cape for US, and all we could do was calmly
to wait the approach of that death which
was slowly creeping upon US. A moment
Of more awful suspense could not be con-
templated. / have been through many per-
ills, but never anything like this. A man
may be brave when his blood is hot, and the
tide Of battle carries him on but to stand
still and see the grim destroyer coming
nearer and nearer, minute by minute and
iuch by inch, requires very different sort
of courage.
The water had by this time reached al
10 Oh r 4.
tude giving way wanted to call aloud, to
shrek for help; there was something SO
horrible in the idea Of being thus drowned,
like rats in cellar, that recoiled from it.
All this it takes time to describe but the
rise Of the water was so slow that more
than half an hour had elapsed since it first
entered the vault And now again came
the rumbling Of the earthquake, and the
sickening sensation of its shock the place
shook. the water was agitated, and partially
subsidized. For time | could not believe
my eyes; l expected to see it rise again :
but watched it closely, and found, to my
great joy, that it was rapidly diminishing. It
was certainly q moment of intense relief,
though our danger was not all over. We
were saved from immediate death but how
were we to be extricated from our living
tombg how were we to make our situation
known to others?
For several hours we remained in this
state,-part of the time with the additional
horror of darkness, for the lights had
burned out, and we had no others to replace
them. ! can't tell if or any one else slept,
but | know that after time we all ap-
peared in state of stupor, for not word
was uttered. At one time, fancied my
w R0 Jnn wv 81
filled with strange, unearthly visions.
From this was suddenly aroused by the
most appalling shrieks.
matter ~
!" The water coming in again! Don't you
hear it," cried Mrs Seuter.
listened. There was q noise certainly,
but it did not appear TO be that Of water /;
then it ceased. 1 felt about me but nv
senses were so numbed, that could not tell
if the water was rising or falling, or, in
deed, If there was any water at all. list.
ened again. and most certainly there were
sounds, and that they came from above was
unmistakable. At first they were indistinct
but each moment they became palmer, and
at last l could distinguish the blows Of
picks, then the noise of shovels, and these
at last were mingled with the shouts of hui.
man voices. Help was truly at hand. The
sense of reprieve from such situation was
more than the most stoical could have
borne with indifference, and we all Joined
in the shouts Of the negroes to their COM
rades above. A few minutes after this, ID
our indispensable delight, the trap opened
and CLEAN of light burst in upon us.
shall not attempt to depict our feelings
or the wild joy Of the negroes both above