The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-05-01

from above, and struck within few inches
of my head. Though my arm panied me
terribly, l did not faint. was helpless.
The dust was sitting. The grain was
whirling and kissing as it slid toward the
vortex few feet distant. heard the
murmur of the machinery in motion and
the rushing sound of the wheat as it rush
ed into the spout. Where | lay, the grain
had not yet begun to move into the little
whirlpool; but knew it would be only
minute or two before ! should be tossing
and struggling in the treacherous quick
sand, and then, stined, mutiated, and
dead, at tho spout. The dust seemed 10
| circle about mo and leave me little air
to gasp.
"Lying thus, hopeless and helpless,
carelessness of death came upon me. My
life came to me again in all its details, It's
lows and sorrows. ! had visions of green
fields. and heard the soft gurgle OF brooks,
and the songs of birds, and the rustling OF
leaves. Then Bessie's sweet face, as it
was when we were married, smiling and
pretty with dimples, seemed to be above
and close to mine, as if waiting for kiss,
as in the olden time, before she was taken
from me, forgot all else but her face. !
had only n consciousness that was going
| to her, that she was waiting for my release
that she might 90 with me on the last great
Journey, 1t seemed as if the great relief
would never come and give me to my dar-
| ling.
az must have been growing unconscious,
I think, for a sudden throb of pain in my
arm robbed me of my wife's face and
brought back the old feeling of resistance
against death. felt that | was going
downward, slowly but irresistibly; that
every grain beneath me was moving, and
shifting, and slowly descending. The
circle of the whirlpool had reached me,
and was dragging me down to torture and
to death. ] couldn't, wouldn't submit
to such a death. / must live. 1t was
horrible agony of soul and of body, sir. |
screamed for help; but the dust entered
my mouth, nose and eyes, stranglcd and
blinded me. | looked for the shovel.
1t had disappeared. | was going too.
Manned and gasping for breath, |
fought against that power that was slowly
but surely dragging me down. plunged
my arm deep into the wheat and tried to
pull myself up. In the dismal, murky
| light of this hdcous den | struggled as but
few men have ever struggled. l was a
giant in my battle for life. / thought no
| more of my broken arm. | was burning
with heat, parchcd with thirst, blinded and
chokcd with the fine dust, but fought and
shriekcd for help all the time. In my
| fiercencss tore my clothes from my body
and flung them away, and the grains of
wheat scraped my wounds and pierced my
naked flesh as | tried to spring forward !:
but nothing hurt me, not even my arm.
"lIard as l struggled, could not get
clean away from the whirlpool. If |
leaped forward, or crawled a little way
over the treachcrous surface, found, when
| stopped, that was swiftly sliding back
again to the old place. 1t seemed as if |
struggled in this way for hours; yet | ac
complished nothing. Tired and GREATNESS,
| looked around, and felt sure that in less
than five minutes | should be in the spout
and dead man. My efforts were in vain.
There was certain circle beyond which |
could not go. Once the thought came TO
nv mind that to save myself from the hor-
rors of the death before me | had better
omen a vein and bleed to death but |
could not find my knife, and had | found
it | might not have been able to use it.
Well. | saw everything plainly. There
was no hope for me. must die, and must
look and wait for my death. When hope
deserted me, kind resignation to my fate
succeeded, and closed my eyes YEARLY,
never thinking to open them again.
"Gradually my body slid downward.
The noise of the grain rushing through the
valve or gate became louder and louder;
the sitting dust was thicker and heavier.
A thousand unseen, irresistible forces were
drawing me to destruction. Suddenly my
body fell several feet. felt the tremen-
dous suction of the whirlpool. The grain
crcpt up my legs; it reached and pressed
heavily upon my breast, as II to squeeze
the life out of me; 1t assembled higher, and
clasped my throat. Then | closed my
eyes and waited death. | no longer fear
ed its terrors.
"At this moment felt that there was
strange silence even in my halt-conscious
condition l realized a change in my sur
roundings. The dust began to settle. |
realized what had happened.
"The valve was closed!
"At the very gate death opened to re-
ccve me there was an obstacle, and |
tainted away with joy. When | became
conscious again, heard voice crying out.
"'Is anybody down there p said this
voice. That question was twice repeated
before ] could answer, and so family that
it was but husky whisper.
"sIt's all humbug, false alarm,
jim said another voice. I'VE are toolinS
away time by travelling up and down these
twenty stories. We can't stop work for
such nonsense
"It IS not humbug,' said the one who
had first spoken. You saw, as /, the sho-
vel, hat, and skirts come through the spout.
There 5 man to follow, this way or that.
IIillo, there.'
1t seemed to me as if | had the night
mare, so hard did try to speak out, but
didn't make a noise. Yet, when l heard
them going awry, leaving me to my horri-
| bic death, the noise in me got the better Of
my throat, and yelled SO that myself
was frightened. The men came back.
al knew he was there said jim. Are
you hurt, man! OF course he is, or he
would not be there. Where the devil is
the ladder? That looks strange-it's hang
ing over the beam. Give me the rope and
lantern
81 saw the light, blessed star Of relief,
come slowly down against the wall OF the
| bin. 4 little later, was raised as tender
~ as possible to the top Of the bin, and
| thence carried TO earth. A surgeon was
soon obtained. He looked at my arm, that
was making me cry with pain.
Modification amputation was the
| Judgment, and the arm was cut off. That
| NJ IL, lie lamar