The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1870-11-19
Buried Alive by q Shell.

Among the dismal incidents Of the war.
one Is related by a French correspondent
which was attended by circumstances Of
peculiar horror. II occurred at S~trasbourg,
during the siege, and the hero of II was d
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 toillng for many years to gain the
money which had bought his warehouses
and shops, and several Of these on the
breaking out of the wal were full of valu.
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 II,
from the line Of fire, and well concealed
from pillage, he thought here to weather
the coming storm in safety. TO this end
he laid in a stock Of provisions, and, with
one or two trusty 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 commandment all went well. No
shot or. other missile disturbed that inn
mediate neighborhood, and although the
Babel OF noise and destruction elsewhere
was Understandable, no harm came to the cit
lzens sanctuary. On the ninth day there
came a change. A shell dropped in the
street before the dwelling, and 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, tax
ing all his supplies of food and all the
books he could 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 a pc
troleum lamp.
A few days passed in safety and compar-
alive quiet. But on Saturday. at about
noon, while the recluse was taking his
dinner, there came suddenly an appalling
crash overhead. The walls above were
tumbllng into ruin; a part even of the
cellar walls toppled in; there was a 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 a crevice of light; but in vain. The
cellar was completely immured and shut
in from the outer world. The captive
shouted aloud for extrication. His voice
came back to him muflled 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 MANI Yet
before the explosion he had had compan-
ions and the means Of making light, He
CROPPED swiftly to a spot where he remem-
bered placing some additional lamps. With
trembling hands he succeeded in lighting
one, and looked about him. OF his three
companions two were missing-buried.
perhaps, in the debris. The other Law pros.
trate near a wall close by, quite ~lifeless.
He had been struck on the temple BY a
falling stone and killed instantly. The sit
uatlon was even more awful than 1t seemed
before. TO be buried alive was dreadful
but IL was horrible, almoA beyond endur-
ance, to be buried alive with the dead.
Some days Of agony now passed. The
hapless prisoner had fits of terror, of
strange fury, and of exhaustion. Then he
began to work with all the energy of
despair. His only hope, he thought was
to clear the rubbish from the staircase. If
he failed to do this, the cellar would be his
tomb. He toiled frantically to escape from
so miserable a fate but the walls crumbled
continually, and each brick he took away
made others fall. Every now and then he
was threatened with instant destruction Nv
the ruins. Finally his lamp went ont fnr
want of oil, and he was lett IN total and
irremediable darkness. For 4 time amor
this he abandoned all hope. But the in
stinct Of self-preservation again asserted
itself, and again he tore desperately at The
stones aud mortar. He had been WORKING
as he estimated, more than two DAYS. when
the ceiling fell in. A brick struck him m
the head, and he tainted. For a long tima
ne remained insensible, how long Id could
not tell At last he opened his YES, and
above him he saw the stars. II was
night, and he was alive. although bammsd
IN by rubbish, and dared not stir fnr faarnr
producing a fresh fall Of masonry. IN In.
ggSering agony he waited until daylight
Inc dawn came at last, tinting 3he
surrounding desolation with streams If
rosy light. With infinite caution and nain
me merchant succeeded in drawing Him.
sell up to a beam Of the ceiling. and
thence, alter some time, in makinr his
escape. Once free, he crouchcd. a. M
says BY the ruins Of his house and went
for more than two hours. HI Hal s,r