Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-10-31
NARROW ESCAPE.

A singular accident occurred in Griswold
street banking house last Saturday noon, BY
which one of the persons employed In the es-
adjustment came near losing his lite through
suffocation. 1t appears that the gentleman
had occasion to enter the inner chamber OF
the vault about fifteen minutes before the hour
| for closing the bank, when an assistant In the
| cash department. who has charge of the keys,
came along and carelessly slammed the inner
door and locked it. Unconsciously he had
imprisoned human being; he forced the
massive outer door of the vault into position,
turned the key, and depositing it in his pocket
| took his customary station at the desk.
| In the business routine of this establish
ment the day books are regularly posted
| before closing, in order that no interruption
may occur on reopening for afternoons trans
actions, and the involuntary prisoner, who
superintends this department, not being pres
| ent to give the usual orders, an inquiry was
| raised as to what had become of him. After
few moments patient waiting messenger
boy was dispatched to hunt him up. AS the
mans hat and coat were hanging on the rack
| it was apparent that he could not have gone
far, and it was decided to wait for him until
twelve o'clock before closing the books. The
| C ity Hall bell soon tolled that hour, and the
| gentlemen engaged in the bank prepared to
go to dinner, leaving one of their number at
| the door in charge of the missing mans cloth
ing.
In going out, the teller remarked in a
| Joking manner that their colleague had been
imprisoned in the vault. This caused the
gentleman who closed it so much uneasine IS
that he at once decided, notwithstanding the
burst of laughter which his undertaking might
create, to swing both doors of the vault and
walk in. This was Immediately done, when,
to the horror of those outside, he uttered q
shrek and called for assistance. To rush into
the vault and turn on the gas, which had be-
come extinguished was the work of an in
slant, when the Frustrated form OF the poor
fellow was discovered in position which
revealed his sufferings, and showed how hard
he had struggled to regain his liberty.
The apparently lifeless body was carried
out of the vault and placed on a sofa in the
directors psrlor. Several physicians were
Immediately summoned, who. aided by the
bank employees, made every possible effort to
resuscitate him. After half-hour's assidu-
Gus labor, during which time proper restora-
tives were applied, they were rewarded by
unmistakable signs of the return of animation.
Under advice of the attending physicians he
was placed in carriage and conveyed to his
home, where he shortly afterward returned to
copsc iousness.
He says that when the doors were locked
on him, he cried at the top of his voice with
but faint hope of being heard outside. He
shook the inner door until it ratified on its
hinges, but all in vain; and after having
resorted to every means in his power to liber-
ate himself from his tomb, exhausted by
exertion and stiaed by the close air of the
vault he fell hopelessly to the stone floor to
meet his seemingly inevitable doom. He soon
| after became insensible. and but for the time
ly discovery of his Whereabouts, the escape
of gas and the fetid atmosphere of his her
metically sealed iron coffin would soon have
contaminated their deadly work.-Detrost
| Free Press