Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-11-17
Buried Alive by a Shell.

Among the dismal incidents of the war,
one is related by French correspondent
which was attended by circumstances OF
peculiar horror 1t occurred at Strasbourg,
during the siege, and the hero OF it was a
wealthy merchant there This gentleman,
on the approach of the enemy, sent away
his wife and children, but could not him,
self be prevailed TO abandon his property.
OF this he possessed "A great deal. He had
been toiling for many years to gain the
money which had bought his warehouses
and shops and several OF these on the
breaking out of the war were full OF yalu-
able goods The most bulky articles he
secured as well as he was able, and, taking
his plate and jewels to the cellar of one of
his houses, he prepared that place as his
stronghold Remote, as he considered it,
from the line of tire, and well concealed
from pill &c, he thought here to weather
the coming storm in safety To this end
he laid in stock of provisions, and, with
one or two trlsty dependents, prepared to
endure the interruption OF his business and
the misfortune of his country with what
patience he could. For the first eight days
OF the bombardment all went well. NO
shot or other missile disturbed that I'M
mediate neighborhood, and although the
Babel of noise and destruction elsewhere
was Undesirable, no harm came to the cit
liens sanctuary. On the ninth day there
came change A shell dropped in the
street before the dwelling, ami broke all
the windows on the first floor The mer-
chant now thought it time TO retreat to
the cellar Hence, on the tenth day, taxi
ing all his supplies of food and all the
books he couli find, he babe farewell TO
daylight and descended to the vaults be-
low his house, and here, while the din Of
battle went on ceaselessly above his head,
the worthy merchant passed his days and
evenings in reading by the light of pc
troleum lamp.
A few days passed in safety and compar-
alive quiet. But on Saturday, at about
noon, while the recluse was takink his
dinner, there came suddenly an appalling
crash overhead The walls above were
tumbllng into ruin; part even or the
cellar walls toppled in; there was horrid
cry, then choking dust, silence and utter
darkness A tremendous shell had fallen
through the roof of the house above, and,
exploding, had scattered devastation
around The merchant ran as best he
could to the stairway. 1t was completely
blocked and filled by parts of the fallen
walls. Terrified, he sought everywhere
for crevice Of light; but in vain. The
cellar was completely immured and shut
in from the outer world. The captive
shouted aloud for extfication. His voice
came back to him mufiled and dull, with
no answering sound to give hope Of its
penetrating the mass OF masonry by which
he was surrounded The merchant now
realized that he was buried alive He felt
that for him there was less hope than there
sometimes is in such cases. For, in the
endless roar OF strife above, with dozens
Of unfortunates killed and manned every
hour who would think Of, or take the
trouble To search for, any single niany Yet
before the explosion he had had compan-
ions and the means of making light. He
groped swiftly to- spot where he renem-
bered placing SOME additional lamps. With
trembling hands he succeeded in lighting
one. and looked about him. Of his three
companions two were missing-bnried,
perhaps, in the debris The other lay pros
trate near wall close by, quite hfeless.
He had been struck on the temple by
falling stone and killed instantly. The sit.
,ust,on was even more awful thanit seemed
before. To be buried alive was dreadful
but It was horrible, almost beyond cndur-
sncc, TO be buried alive with tho dead.
Some days VI agony now paassd The