The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-03-28

every DrlCk Delng SO mucl IKE It's uelGn-
| Dor as to become somewhat monotonous
The lamps, too. began to flicker out
Like the foolish virgins, we had omitted
| to trim them properly, and now we were
left in state of obscurity which was al
most as bewildering as total darkness
One could have imagined he was cross
ing the unknown river with that grim
ferryman whom poets write OF, our
Charon being Mr.. Chesbrough, who look
ed like some grim phantom paving the
air as it seemed, and muttering some
mysterious incantation. The silence be-
came oppressive; the distant growing
from the end of the cavern were magnh-
ed into the noise OF cataract, and our
hearts stood still as we thought how by
some unforeseen accident the t1ood-gates
might be opened To perish like rats
in hole, TO be distributed in the course
of time through the water pipes OF Chi
cago, and be boiled in kettles-we were
not prepared for such a sarihce. Then
again we remembered how DIR. Guilloin
was among the first who persisted by the
Instrument Of death which he invented,
how the man who invented the new drop
was the very first who was hanged upon
it, and other similar instances. How i'll
destiny had also decreed that Mr. Ches-
brorgh was to be drowned in his own tun-
mel 7 To chase away these fears, we sang
the Star Spangled Banner, and listened
voices from the nearest chamber.
In this way we reached the closing
stone, white marble tablet, placed there
by the Mayor own hands. We paused
to scrutinize this closing stone, and here
an unlucky incident occurred, to which
may be attributed the disaster which was
soon to follow. One of the crew, inspir-
ed by frantic wish to 'swrite his name
in water leaned over the edge Of the
fat bottomed boat, which took in lit
tie more than it could conveniently carry.
Then in the process of bailing the crew
got unsettled in their positions and never
quite regained an equilibrium We sue
ceeded, however, in pushing our way at
considerable risk on to a point beyond the
| fifth chamber nearly mile and half
| from the crib.
WEDGED IN.
| Our heads had been gradually ap-
preaching the top of the tunnel as we
pursued our darksome journey to the
shore. From sitting postures each mem
| Der of the party had slowly subsided into
reclining attitudes, and by and by they
were changed into horizontal positions.
/ This in fiat -bottomed boat half full of
water was refreshing Those who were
at each end of the boat were bent s'like
corbels ola building in an attitude Of
devotion. while the other two, with faces
turned heavenward, could feel the rub
bing of the bricks against their noses
Further progress was deemed little too
precarious Still no one was willing to
give out, and our leader manifested a
readiness to go the whole length if desir-
able. 1t was not desirable. In fact it
was not practicable, seeing that the boat
by this time was efectualIv wedged in
between the bricks and the water.
THE CATASTROPHE
| The return necessitated a change of
Epropellers, and the new hands not being
well accustomed to the duty, the unsteadi-
! ness OF cur devoted bark was increased
The water came in on all sides, so we got
on swimmingly after fashion. Only
two lights were left and these but strug-
gled drearily with the darkness. They
were entrusted to the man in the centre
of the boat; another propelled, while the
two at each end set to work to bale out
the water. We had not gone far towards
the crib end again, when symptoms of
uneasiness began to manifest themselves
In spite of all efforts to bale out the wa
ter, the boat seemed to be filling rapidly
We were yet mile at least from the
shaft and the water was nearly breast
deept Suddenly the man at the stern
raised sharp cry of Distress his end was
settling down, he said, and what was tho
use In bai!ing out. The man with the
lamp rose to his feet just as he felt the
boat subsiding. The ma With the buck
ct sprang overheard, and Mr. Chesbsough
foundered. We were shipwrecked
! Then rose from sea to sky the wild fare
well. The last expiring lamplight had
hickered out and ali was confusion and
| darkness deeper than Tophet. Up to
the waist IN cold water, the boat lying at
the bottom of the tunnel, sensation of
thousand needles pricking all over our
limbs, the situation was indescribable.
In srite of our dismay the sense Of our
ridiculous position was so irresistible that
we raised an involuntary shout of laugh
ter loud and prolonged. 1t came back
to us in the echoes from the chambers
and sounded like the mocking of spi te-
full crew of fends.
i There was no help for us but to raise
the boat and haul it to the crib end
This was task of considerable difficulty
but after vigorous effort we succeeded.
Wading through the chilly water with
our limgs benumbed and dragging an un-
grateful fat bottomed boat, which would
not carry us, we toiled painfully, but as
cheerfully as possible for the distance of
mile, shouting occasionally for help,
which did not come, bewailing our sad
fate, and thinking of the four small obi
IL, Il ~
papers.
us from the far end Gas if it had been
name" We had been foundering in our
watery dungeon for nearly three hours,
and were pretty well exhausted. The
light proved to be lamp in the hand of
Captain Berg, who, fearing from our pro-
longed absence that some disaster had
overtaken u.s. had descended to the bot
tom of the shaft. And there he stood
profoundly amused at our mischance, and
laughing consumedly as the bedraggled
wayfarers came one by one into view.
THE ASCENT.
But our worst danger was not over.
We had to climb the shaft, sixty-eight
feet in height, by means of the ladder.
! just go straight up" said Captain
Berg, you cannot go out of the way
There was no possibility of reaching the
upper air that night, except by climbing
and as there was no comfortable lodging
! to be had in the tunnel, we again adyen-
tured. Mr.. Chesbrough ascended first,
and by way of a parting salute, when half
way up he emptied gallon of water
from each boot upon our heads. The
remainder of the party were already ex-
| hausted by fatigue and cold. How the
others succeeded is best known to them
selves. The present writer for his part,
was just on the point of giving out as he
reached platform let down about fifteen
feet from the mouth Of the shaft, hands