Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-08-15

going on ABOVE us: all we hnew was that
the noise OF the storm had sensibly d.
mlpished At last, could hold ont no
longer and mounting the ladder, 4 en-,
deaVored to open the trap, that l might
see what was the state Of things above
ground. undid the latch, and essaved
to lift up the door; but nv strength waa
not sufficient to lift it. called up Mr..
uordon and one Of the negroes but our
united strength failed to move it /; and at
last after repeated efforts. we we're fain
to give over, for it became clear that the
ruins of the house had fallen over MS. and
till assistance could be obtained from
ABOVE, we were prisoners. Our position
was by no means an enviable one, for we,
had no idea when, even if ever, we
should be released and our stock of food
Was very scanty. But this was not the
worst evil we had TO encounter, for pres
entity, as we sat, low, mysterious rum.
bling came from the bowels Of the earth. !:
few minutes elapsed, and then the noise
increased-reached us--the earth rose ~,
under our feet-the whole edifce reelel (
the walls creaked-and the ladder les-,
ding to the trap split into fragments, aud - (
fell among the negroes, whose wild and
desparing cries rent the vault 1t was 4
: moment of intense agony. We all stood
/ transfxed with awe, for we expected not!...
ing less than that the earth was about to-.
open and swallow US up ...,... d. -.
No sooner had the earthquake passed,
than new danger menaced US. Through
one of the cracks in the wall, water was
flowing rapidly, and the floor of the vaultH
was already covered some inches deepoo
! At first, neither Mrs. Seuter nor the neg,It
. . roes seemed to comprehend this; but as r
T. = the water rapidly increased, Mrs. Seuter~
n became alive to her peril. se''oF y
J why" she exclaimed. starting up.Ig<
!. I'VE shall all be drowned Is there, no.
. means Of escape? Can you think ofrno,
.. way of extricatiug us ?" she then asked
~ of me. 10 $3.50 2@' .' -a' ''@ w
"None whatever" / replied. "Wcare&
T. T. in the hands of God; he alone can help.
~ ~ us, if it is his good pleasure ,., ed.
~ The old lady countenance became ashy'
. PALE and then she threw up her arms, and
: shrieked: 'lgp. a' ita s 500 .ssa'
A. Il can't die IL will not die! Will
" nobody save me? III give anything.
:, - III buy pour freedom, and make you rich
!, he she continued, turning to the negroes. :
nc Ass maam. we save you if we c1h I'VE"
's no let buokra ladies die if we eau help its1f
~ but ,negger life as good as anyhOdy's, aDaM
" bum-by. when de water come ohcr ,le head 4,
~. ue we no help ourselves; we all be alike delA,
90 we all be free, and rich, too, de Lord be- b,
= nraised ~ old
of AS the water rose. it was quite a study
nd to watch the faces of those bout me. par--
lr, ticularly of the negroes. The gradual n
ed transition from anxiety to fear. and trom
m. that to the widest despair. would have
'ld been ludricrcus in the extreme, hadEbot o
1T our situation been so awful and uppall-
gh ing, v gvsK bgs e5r19 ssfM rsb bod.
ow While all around were crying and wall. T.
ere ling, however, Mary and Grace were per-
ma fectly quiet Their courage did not fail
in. them for a instant, though the water hast
To now reached above their knees, In the
md faces Of these two girls might be red that
fds accomplishing patience, that high and
we enduring fortitudc, which is a special
ed, characteristic Of bAngloItropicol women.
ess The contrast between their ealmuess and
ave the wild despair of Mrs, bSeuter and the
ler- negroes was very noticeable IT was was. 2
ans time to try the couarge Of any one Mr.
ned Cor don. KNEW, was not wanting in cour-
yht age. but his fortitude seemed to have for
uld ssken him. His looks were wild ;the
nall muscles of bis mouth twitchci sand quly,
cred, and now and then be muttercd some
and thing which could not hear. Inch by
lich inch the water rose till it reached my
,-t waistcoat. One by one the buttons disup.
ior- peared, as each minute our enemy galne9
,ofd upon US, Still was 10th to togrsqmnlsh,
g9 81 all hope Meantime. not word bad
the been uttered, or an exclamation made sby
ex- Mr.. Gordon or his daughters. Mrs,
can Seuter had caesed her cries. for she had
way persuaded tall pegro to hoist ahergupoi.
can his shoulders. where she, sat grasplng enc
wo- of the candles with great satisfaction:
nses She was in a fools paradise. for shc did
GAR not remember that the instinct Of life was
va as strong in the negro as inhcrsee, aud
: that the moment the water rose blgl
ford enough to endangcr, the life Of the pf grc
did fhe would IN, all probability leave her Z
her fate. Dsn ~"
pied No, there was no hope nor escape fol
rite us. and all VIC could ,da was calmly n
sur wait the approach Of that death. which
'aplt was slowly creeping upon ", A moment
dies. of more awful suspense could not be con
ling, templatcdP p have been through man,
eve; pcrils, but never anything like this A
us of man maybe brave when his blood is hot
as. and the tide Of. battle carries him 90 yhu
most TO stand still, aud SEQ the grim destroys
, apr coming nearer and nearer, minute by min
lark ute, aud inch by inch, rcquiresa didases
e old, surt of couraeesak nsNa ana tea fzNs
ouhd The water had by this time reachesI ..