Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-08-15
BURIED ALIVE.

vaguely impresses itself upon the present
| think 80. IF not, how do we get that pre-
science of good or evil that SO strongly ele-
Yates with hope or depresses with fear that
throws over our spirits the serenity OF pla-
cid lake, or tho wild agltatons OF a stormy
sea2
From my earliest recollection had always
been afraid of being buried alive. do not
remember that the fear of death had ever
troubled me-only the fear of entering the
| grave while yet a living man, and becoming
| conscious of it when too late. Of all the
horrors which the mind can coniure up, this,
to me, always seemed the most dreadful, and
the fear Of it fastened itself upon me with all
the power of haunting specter and 1t be-
came one of the deep concerns OF my life TO
| guard against it. At twenty-five years OF
| age | ordered my coffin and purchased my
| tomb The coffin was so constructed that a
| living person closed up in it could touch GER
tain springs and throw it all apart (; and the
tomb was contrived with proper ventilation,
and provided with blankets and key inside,
| so that in case of life returning after burial,
| could secure myself against deadly chill
and speedily find my way, out,
! Why had this fear to lead me to these
precautions, unless the coming reality had
cast its shadow upon me 2 My monomania,
as many termed it, was known to all my
| friends, every one of whom had been sepa-
rately charged to see me positively dead be-
| fore burial. But what are precautions taken
| against fate ? l was doomed to be buried
alive after all.
At the time I speak of, I was twenty y-sev
| en- years Of age, and livingin my native place
an inland city Urgent business called me
| to Boston where had only one acquaint-
ance, a very dear friend, who often invited
me to come and make hun long visit In
| fortunately, he was out of town, and expect
ed to be absent several days but his family
insisted on my making their house my home
| during my stay in the city, and would not,
| In fact, permit me to go elsewhere. On the
| third day had finished mr. business, and, as
| it was the last of the week, decided to re-
main two or three days longer, and | should
perhaps get a sight Of my friend before leav-
| ing. :,
| On the following morning was found
| dead In my bed-at least 1t was so reported,
and the strongest evidence | have against 1t
| is the fact that l am living now. The peo-
| pie of the house, of course, we're much ex-
cited and alarmed-their physician was called
| In, and afterward the coroner. 1t was at
| length decided to put me in a coffin, and
! place me in church vault until the return
| of my friend, who would, of course, have my
body conveyed to my native place Tor inter
ment.
Thus it is seen that all my precaution avail
ed me nothing, for abroad, almost among
| strangers j had taken on the scmblance OF
! DEATH and had been cofined and entombed
in the ordinary way.
| returned to consciousness in the night
| in the vault OF the church. Of course, L
knew not where l was. My first impression
wasone of strange pressure and confinement.
! / fancied, as in a dream, that | had been
| seized for a maniac, strait-iacket put upon
me, and then forced into narrow cell. This
idea did not long hOldits place. As my mind
| grew clearer, began to recall what had hap
| pcned the past week-lcaving home, going to
| Boston, transacting my business, and so on.
| remembered being at my friends house,
and Of deciding to remain longer than first
| intended. hoping for his return before my
departure All this gradually became clear,
along with the last pleasant evening had
! spent with his family. But then came q
| blank. What had happened since? And
| where was now? / attempted to rise, and
! found myself shut up in some narrow place
| that scarcely allowed any movement what
| ever How did | get there What did 1t
4 mean
Suddenly my lifelong fear rctured upon
! me with new terror that no language can
express. Perhaps the dread horror had come,
| and ] had been buried alive at last The
| thought was so appalling, that Tor some mo-
ments L remained paralyzed. Then seem
| ed gathered into one great agony, which sent
| forth the most wild, piercing shrleks of de
| spair that ever issued from mortal lips.
| Yes, it was a truth My forebodiDg had
ended in : reality, and / was now the tenant
of coffin, If not grave With another
| shrek | turned In my narrow house, gath
| cred in my strength rs It were, and threw 1t
| ont from me with what seemed the bursting
power of giant. There came a sharp crack ;
my prison seemed slightly to expand, and l
| fancied / felt change of air. | rested 4
moment, prayed God to help me, and repeat
| ed the effort with even greater power. There
was no resisting this The coffin lid was
burst assunder with crash, and my limbs
and body were free In the awful darkness
which enveloped me-the rayless darkness
| Of tomb
In considering this wonderful feat. it
| should be borne In mind that none of my
strength had been exhausted by sickness,
| and that besides beingnaturally very strong,
| powerful man, my physical powers were per-
! haps doubled by my fear and despair.
/ was free now to breathe the damp, de-
| licious air of what | believed to be vault
| or q tomb; but confess my terror was scarce
| " les.ened at the thought of having extend
ed the limits of my prison for after all |
might not be able to escape from this horrl-
bic place and if not, it would only be a pro
| loneation of the agonies of life and death.
Fortunately had been coihned in my own
| garments, and it was a season of the year
when l could not suffer from cold, so that
question of life without escape was reduced
| to two points-sufFocation from foul air, or
starvation. If could escape the first, l
knew there were several days of life before
me, and perhaps the time would be long
enough, with unremitted toll, for me to dig
my way out, like convict from his prison.
/ The first thing for me to ascertain was the
| dimensions of my sepulcher. Whether it
was day or night / could not then tell, for /