The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-03-18
A SUBTERRANEAN VOYAGE.
AVirgInia Ploughmnn Breaks Through
the Crust of the Eartll-Fnl1s into a
subterrancan Rivcr-Si1 Miles In For
Twilight Hours.

The Virginia papers publish an account of a
remarkable accident which some years ago
befell young farmer in the western part Of
that State. 1t occurred on the farm of General
A. w. G. Davis, in Greenbrier County, in 1885,
The adventure, as narrated by its hero, Is rs
follows:
was ploughlng on General Davis farm, In
1856. uns,lspicious of being on insecure ground,
when suddenly the earth seemed to fall be-
meath me- saw the horses descending, but
was too frightened to let go the plough han
dies. The pitch of the horses with the earth
rave INV fall an Impetus, and somehow I
caught the name of one of them IN my fall,
and so held on instinctlvely. What I thought
when falling can hardly tell. At any rate, |
did some rapid thinking. When landed fei!
on the horse whose manc had hold OF, and
although the horse was Instantly killed, was
merely stunned and confused. On recovering
myself I looked mp, and the Mole through
which had fallen looked so small concluded
I must have fallen full $50 feet. My first
thought was to call for aid, but instantly re-
called the fact that was at least nile from
General Davis house, and that there was moi
the remotest probability that any one had seen
my descent into the earth.
It was then early morning, anu US naC !,
brought out my dinner with me, no one would
these facts in my own mind, heard tie rush
of water near at hand, and 1t occurred to me
that must have fallen upon the bed OF sink.
Ing Creek, which, as you know, falls into the
earth above Frankfort and does not come ou'
but once till it reaches the banks oil the Green.
brler River. To say where was, or TO attempl
to follow the subterranean passage, was tne
next question. sometimes TOOK tne tea,n , u, ~
nv own tenant stables, and therefore might mol
be missed for days; SO l determined TO 1olow
the stream. waded in 1t, and, Judging from
its dcpth of from one to three feet, con-
cluded it must be the Identical Sinking Greek
spoken Of Leaving my dead companion De,
hind me, followed the stream. For the mos'
part had pretty easy work of 1t, but some
times came to deep place, where was
| forced to swim for considerable distance
again was often precipltated headlong into
deep water by the precipitous nature OF tht
rocky bed OF the stream.
| Talk about the darkness Of the grave. TINT
| grave itself could not have been more impalpa
bly, dark than the passage was following
The occasional rippling OF the waters was aI
inexpressibly dear sound to my ears Day am
| night were the same to me. AT last, Weariee
with my efforts, / laid down on conparatiVel.
dry rock to rest, and must have slept for hours
When awoke again took to the water, care
| fully ascertanlng which way 1t ran, 30 as no
to lose my labor by retracing my steps.
seemed to me that the farther went the NOR
| difficult progress became. When had gon
perhaps q mile, came to place wnere th
urchway narrowed so much that had TO craW
on nv hands and knees in the water.
Here was dilemma had not looked for.
| tried either bank of the river, but found n
passage. could swim under water for con
siderable distance, but The distance before m
was unknown, and halted long before making
the dangerous venture. At last | concludes
that my fate was equally doubtful In returnin
rs in proceeding, and plunged boldly INTO st tn =
current, and soon found that it was so swift \
| its confined passage that only needed TO hol
INV breath 10 70 through. In the course
twenty or thirty feet again got my head aoov
water, and took long breathing spell. Agai
the archway above seemed to enlarge and th
| bed of the stream became more even. spel
along comparatively rapid, keeping my hanu
outsIretchcd to prevent my running against tn
| larrrd rocks. Wcarird ont, again lald doWl
and slcpt soundly In my wet clothes.
ON awakening, pursued my course dow
| the subterranean stream, and at last In the Ion!
listance ahead saw glimmer that looked YER
| bright In The darkness was then smut In
Nearing this, found that It did not increase II
brightness; and when had gone perhaps
mile. came to another place where my pau
narrowed to the very tunnel filled by the water
NV case had now become more desperate. :,
could not possibly retrace my steps, so SUD
mtted mite myself to the current, and was mmeas
nrabIy oVerjoyed to find myself rapidly swep
into daylight Exhausted and half drowned,
crept ont upon the land and was not long IN r re
cornlziur the objects about me. llad com
o,f into the Greenbrier River, US knew from
the the familiar look Of General Davis mill on TIN
bank. On reaching home found that hat
brcn over forty-eight hours in making my per
ilous Journey Of six miles underground:
The hole where this man went through IS nov
fenced round On listening one can plalnl.
hear the rush of water below, and sIon'
thrown down will sometimes be heard to splasl
! in the stream.