The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-08-04

TIE terrible death that seemed % aNsl
ue
Bat n0 the handle Was far oui 81
reach and groaned and vept weakly
81 my helpless condition The press
held mo IS tsU chest with awful poyer
but my hands aae arms were atlsberty,
while my heal hanging down
I backwards, enabled me o 80 the
dsmes creeping faster and faster. as ]
saw them reversed aud began ealcua-
ting how long /, would be before lhey
would reaeh me and end nv misery,
An 81 once, when nearly fantiug.
my hand came ID contact with an iron
1 bar used lo lengthcn opt The handle 81
the pump, 70 force the water with
more case when great power was re-
gained, and then my heart gave a loap
as / thought might bo ahle to strike
+ the handle Of the tap and let out the
water
TO grasp the bar was the work Of a
moment nnd then began swinging Il
about slowly TO try aud strike The tap
but in vain for | could do nothing
with ID, only bong able to swing II at
+ random, FOR l could not see Nearer
came the flames louder rose the
the shouts, aad as ! looked along the
warehouse could see that all hope Of
escape was cut or even had / been at
+ liberty; and now, completely overcome
by the pressure and horror Of my posi-.
f ton, / groaned heavily aud the bar
fell from my grasp
The last hope gone, thou ht; when
al lha same moment familiar sound
mot my ear--f1r IN falling the bar
struck the tap, when there came the
fierce gusb Of compressed water, aud
theram 5aglu slowly TO descend, tll /
could crawl out to fan fajnung upon
Che floor
( Butt was np directly, for th9e was
"a fierce glow III che place, and now ]
could SEQ Wood busAy At work tearing
aut wool to feed the DANES, aud dashr
mg everything be could lay his hands
on iubo the fre, winch saamed at times
I io singe him '
looked around, Coz he took no no.
I tico of ne ana as 7 had before seen
( there was n0 Glance 81 escape By Tic
I door, So running to the open door by
/ the crane, | couglt hold Of the rope
and began lowering It down as fast rs
possible with ,he hight inning fnll up
on me, and those below either groaning
with horror or cheering me on, as /
tore at the stout rope and sent the
crane half spiniug round and round
Could get enough rope out before
Woods attention was taken, felt safe,
for | knew that | could slide down cas-
lily enoubh, bat US | dreaded, he caught
sight Of me, and leaving his frey task,
he rushed toward me, when with a yell
Of terror, l leaped from the floor, cling
ing tightly to the rope which began to
run swiftly as | swung to and fro, till
it was all out, when the jerk nearly
dashed me off But after sliding down
some little way / recovered myself, and
letting the rope glide slowly through
my hands, / went lower and lower,
with my eyes fixed on the blazing floor
| above me.
All at once / fet the rope jerked and
swung about and could see the figure
of Wood at it; and then again l was
being drawn up, and | knew he must
be busy at the crane handle, but the
next minute he must have loosened his
hold, when the handle flew around and
struck him from his feet, and / went
sliding down
There was yall from the crowd;
something dark dashed by me with a
rushing noise, and l clung trembling
to the rope. l head horrible thud,
aud slipping swiftly down the remain
der OF the distance, fell fainting down
| by the side Of Woods mutilated body.
The fire was goi under when one
floor was burned out, though much
oamage was done by water; but with
the exception of strange nervous ti-
midity that i fancy fancy shall new
er get the better of l am not much
worse for the terrible encounter with
the poor fellow who came to his end so
| Ifealfully.