Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-04-13
TALES & SKETCHES.
PRsOVlDENTlAL RESCUE.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN.

One day, in harvest time, my mother sent
me into the cellar to fetch pitcher of beer
for the reapers. | was about ten years old,
and of very lively temper, always going
with q hop and bound rather than walk
ing. On coming into the dark cellar felt
a little timid, and to keep up my courage
sprang and danced about at greater rate
than usual.
Now it happened that Harrach, my native
town, was built over old mines. which had
fallen in a long time before. All around the
place lie great fragments of stone from the
abandoned works, and in many of the houses
are found half opened passages which are
sometimes used as cellars. Our house like
wise, was built over a shaft, but this was
either not known or not thought of. But
while was capering about, and had just
seized the pitcher which stood in a corner,
suddenly the earth opened under me, and
was gone, kr ew not here.
| went down to great depth, and should
have plunged to the very bottom of the
abyss, had not hook, which probably had
been used for fastening the mining ladder,
caught me by the coat. At the instant OF
falling had uttered fearful shrek, which
reached the ears of my mother, who was
! busy in the kitchen. She come running
! down with light, and when she saw the
, opening in the ground, and could neither
find me or hear answer to her call, she could
not doubt that had perished.
My mother has often told Inc that she was
! beside herself with terror, and was near
! plunging after me. 1t became so dark be-
! fore her eyes that she could hardly sustain
! herself upon her trembling knees. But the
/ thought that possibly might yet be rescued
/ brought her to herself
I She FASTENED up stairs and called for help
but no one heard her, for all the house. hold
were at work in the harvest field 1t was
not until she had run down the street that
/ some woman heard her, and hastened to the
spot. They stood around wringing theii
hands and looking down into the aperture
J but knew not what to Go.
J In falling / had lost my consciousness
and it would have been a happy thing to
have remained thus till the moment of de
liverance. But after time | came to my
self. knew not where was, but felt tina
was hanging betwixt heaven and earth
and that the next momen: might plunge m,
into the bottomless abyss. hardly ventur
ed to make sound, so great was my terror
but when heard voices and piteous lamen
tations above me, / begged in Gods nam
for help. At this the lamentations ceased
for a moment, and then burst out NOR
violently than before, for to know that wa
alive, and yet no way to help me, only ad
ded to their misery.
i There was no lack of counsel. Each on
had something to propose But it was 500
seen that nothing was to be effected in thi
way. They tried to let down cords, bu
they did not reach me. Poles were sti
useless. Indeed, how could it have bee
/ far ~, hnl 10
pole, long enough to be drawn up to tina
heightG e.I
At length they called in the aid of an oil
miner who at once saw what was to be dom
i His first business was carefully to enlars
the aperture. He then set up windlass b,
, side il, with a long rope coiled upon it, an
y to this fastened bucket. The compassion
ate neighbors watched every movement wit
agonizing impatience. Many prayed alouC
n And in those terrible momets of conscious
ness which now and then broke in upon m
! swoon-for l had swooned after my fall
a my ear caught single words of hymns an
n prayers for the dying, which / understoo
n too well. .f4f.t .....- -r -a. a
u At length all was, ready; and the old m
n ner, with light attached 10 his cap, havin
n first given warning that perhaps he migl
n drag me down with aim in his descent. ste
ped into the bucket. Slowly and cautious
n was the rope unwound. saw the burnin
n light, and it seemed to me like a star d
scending from heaven for my help. Abo,
n n was the silence of death. Without knowiU
N what did, / shrank up as close as possib
IN to the damp wall. The movement loose
ID ed a bit of stone, and heard the reverber
!, n tion of its fall in the depth below. n
n groans indicated the place where hun
N The old man now began to comfort me, sa
m ing that must keep up good heart, +
n n he hoped that with Gods help he shoa
N N deliver me. r8 esI.E l4 1ara
h Now saw the bucket hoverisg far oy
ra my head then nearer and nearer; but d
D. opening was so narrow that it could n
n. pass by me. My deliyerer therefore gave
= sign for those at the top to stop unwindin
.. He then reached down to me cord with
4 moose tied To il. l seized hold of this, al
=. by raising myself little, grasped the ed
of the bucket. first by one, then by bo