Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-06-25
An ESCAPE FROM THE BAsrILLE.

From historical account of the Bistile
in recent numbers Of Chambers Journal, we
xtract the following narrative of the one
solitary escape made fIom that dreaded
prison.
"From the description given of the build
ing and Il manner In wbich 1t was guard
ed, the reader will have no difficulty In be-
Htving that escape from the BAstille-unless
conuiYsd at by the uthorities-wOuld be
impossible. Nevertheless, an escspe from
it was once made, and the narrative Is one
Of the most marvellous on record. The name
OF the prisoner who had the courage to at.
tempt it was Latude. The tfftnse for
which he was imprisoned was having at
tempted TO obtain an appointment by repre-
s-ntinz to Madame Pombadour that a plot
existed for taking her lie rather al odd
vay Of efecting his wishes, but his calru
ation was, that by awakening her gratitude
be might succeed. His scheme was seen
through aud to punish him he was first
sent 10 prison at Vincenne~, from which
place he made bis escape, and then to The
Bastille. By obs .rvatioD, and by counting
the number Of steps that led from his cham
Der to the chapel, he satisfied himself that
there must be a double floor. BY means Of
two iron l.gS drawn from his table and
worked on The tiled floor until they had a
tllt edge resembling a chisel, he and fell
low prisoner got up the till 5, and not only
Wss there a double floor but that the space
was left empty. The next thing to be done
was TO make q cord, and TO do this be was
abRud lntly supplied with material, hay ng
at his disposal good stock Of linen, which
I he had been allowed 10 retain as not being
contrary TO the regulations Of the prison.
They began by drawing out the threads, one
| by one, until they had sufficient 10 make a
kind of ladder between ffty and sixty feet
| in length. By means Of this ladder they
sustained themselves 10 the chimney, while
they worked with the legs OF the table at
the iron bars which defended the exit OF
/ prisoners in that direction. This labor was
| irightful. The mortar had become so hard
by time that IL they maasged to clear 1t
away TO the depth Of the eighth Of an inch
rJund one bar in the course OF night, they
considered 1t good nights work. t.
soften the mortar, they ussd to sscepd with
their mouths full cf water and squirt II into
the hole, little by little, as they got on with
their work. Had they been able to work
| freely, this would have been excessively
toilsOme as IL wa, they bad TO work iu
such painful positions that one honr At q
time was the most they could endure, and
| their hands were 20 cut and bruised that
| they never descended from their labor:
without ind ng them covered with blood
| Notwithstanding tho torture il caused, o
| which Lltnde could never speak 10 aiteI
wears without a shudder-they perssvered
in their labor, and al the end Of six months
during which they had steadily prosecuted
il. they had succeeded In loosening the
whole OF the bars, aud were at liberty e
continue the manufacture Of the rest Of she
articles they required.
"First of these was the wooden ladder, tC
enable them 10 ascend from the moat tC
the parapet, and from thence to the gov.
ernor's rden. As the prisoners had tC
supply themselves with fuel at their owl
expense, they had & stock Of wood In tteiI
cell, which was sawed up in logs Of abOu
twenty inches in length. To cut these log
70 suit their purposes, a saw was necessary
this be made out OF an iron eandiesthck, b,
means Of half o. the steel belonging 10 tn
finder box, from which he hsd previousl,
manufactured knife. by the use Of thesl
tools, they worked these logs Into ladder
every part Of which was marked In such
way that they could put II together la thl
dark. All these things were slowed ava!
beneath the floor as they were completed
| 10 await the night when the attempt at es
cape was TO be made. But in addition L
tho wooden ladder, another had to be mad
Of not less than eighty feet In length. Tn
linen and silk articles were again resoEtel
TO, sni the process of fnnraEeliDg continued
until In tho course OF time, thsJ had wol ke'
the threads into rope capable Of bearing tb
weight Of man. This was intended 10 ei
feet the descent from the top Of the has
tile; hut this was not SssSSss- haosiil
that this top projected over the wall too IA
TO all0N a man 10 steady himself 10 bis dc
scent by It's meArs. and not knowing hoy
long circumstances might require them I
re-,sia on Inc ladder, during which the
would be swinging backward and forvari
and spinning round like joint Of meat b.
fore a ere, they made another rope of IN
hundred and sixty feet long, which the