The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-04-20
Thrilling Adventure.

One of our oldest merchants, who is
soon to pass away, and who formerly car
ried on business in Beaver street, residing
as was the custom in olden times-ever
his store, tells the following thrilling mar
ratiYe, which he occasionally relates with /
wonderful effect. A party had been col
lected at his house to give eclat to one of
those little family festivals which brighten
the dark trace of life, and cheer the dark
trace of life, and cheer the human heart
in every cline. 1t was his daughters
wedding day, crowds of her young ac-
quaintances cIrcled round her, aud as the
fahnr gazed proudly on the face of the
young bride, he wished as bright pros
pect might open for his other children
who were gamboliug merrily among the
crowd. Passing through the passage con-
Meeting the lower rooms he met the SER
want maid, an ignorant country girl, who
was carrying lighted taliow candle in
| her hand without a candlestick. He blam-
ed her for this dirty conduct, and went
into the kitchen to make some arrange
ments with his wife about the supper Ia
bic, the girl shortly returned with her
arms full of ale bottles, but without the
candle. The merchant Immediately rec
objected that several barrels of gunpowder
had been placed in his cellar during the
day, and that his foreman had opened one
of the barrels to select a sample for Gus
toner. 'Where is your candle?" he in
quired in the utmost agitation. Il couldn't
bring it with me. for my hands were full, ,
said the girl. Where did you leave II p
| well, I'd no candlestick, so 1 stuck it
into some black sand that's in one of the
tubes.' The merchant dashed down the
cellar steps, the passage was long and dark,
and as he groped his way on, his knees
threatened to give way under him, his
breath was choked, and his flesh suddenly
felt the suffOcating blast of death. At the
lextremity of the passage, in the front cell
lar, under the very room where his chill
dren and their friends were reVeling in fe-
icity, he discerned the open powder bar
rel, full almost to the top, the candle
stuck lightly in the loose grains, with q
long red snuff of burnt out wick topping
the small and gloomy fiams. This sight
seemed to wither all his powers, and the
merry laugh of the youngsters above
struck upon his heart like the knen of
death. He stood for some moments, ga.
ZIng upon that light, unable to advance -
He fancied the candle was mOVed-Was
falling! With desperate energy he dash
ed forward, but how was he to remove it +?
The slightest touch would cause the small
live coal to fall to fall into the loose pow
der. With unequaled presence of mind
he placed hand each side of the candle
with the open palms upward, and the dis
tended fingers pointed toward the object
of his care, which as his hands gradually
met, was secured in the clasping or lock-
ing of his fingers, and safely removed
from the head of the barrel. When be
reached the head of the stairs, the excite
ment was over, he smiled at the danger
bslhad conquered, but the reaction was
80 powerful, he fell INTO fits OF most vio-
lent and dreadful laughter. He was con-
veyed senseless to bed, and many weeks
elaped ere his nerves recovered sufficient
tone to resume his habits of every day life.
I'm. Y. Commercial Advertiser.