The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-04-24

1
ments / should have been lying a
! mangled corpse below, if l had not
succeeded in fiinging my arm over
| and into the hollow of the shalt,
where, as the scaffold and the load of
bricks crushed downward, [ was left
| hanging, with certain death awaiting
| the moment loosened my hold.
| My fist impulse was to throw my
! other hand over and draw my body
up so | could lie partially across the
| top of the shaft. In this | was sue
cessful, and continued to balance my
self. half in the chimney and half out
of it..
There for some time l could only
cling with frenzied desperation, pray
ing earnestly 10 be saved from the
horrible death threatening me but at
last summoned courage to peer eau
tiouslv over the outside of the shalt.
Not bit of scaflolding remained
within many yards. of ne-and that
/ but the poles with few boards
clinging to ihem-and there was moth
ing TO break my fall should L quit my
hold.
Shudderingly drew my head over
the shaft, for there the darkness hid
nv danger, while to gaze Oh the scene
without brought the old feeling of be-
ing dragged down back TO me in full
| force.
Then began to think of the wife
and little ones whom had left snug
| in bed, and bitter tears came into my
eyes as | thought how they would
live if | were taken from them. The
thought brought me back to more
selfish ones, and kept asking myself,
"Must die? How long can hold on
with this fierce wind begatting me !?
Is there no hope? Will no one, seeing
how am placed, strive to rescue me ?"
Again turned my eyes downward.
In the court yard of the brewery and
in the street below, people were fast
collecting, windows were being
thrown open, and women and chill
dren, shrieking' and sObbing, were
gazing from them at me. The crowd
below thickene9, running hither and
thither. A large kite fiuttcred nearer
and nearer. How l tried TO steady
myself with ore hand, that l might
grasp the cord with the other as soon
as it was within reach, comes vividly
before me now. But it never did
come within reach, gust of breeze
carrying it away and dashing it 10
the ground.
An hour passed, and though still
clinging to the brickwork, was al
most unconscious, for cold and fear
had so worked upon me that l became
quite dazed, and the chimneys, the
Deople, the confused noise in the
streets, and my own perilous position
seemed to be jumbled tOgather i'll a
tanole which | could not put straight.
While in this half sensible state l
heard voice shout my name. But it
had to be repeated twice before L
could rouse myself enough to heed
what was said.
"Bill, Bill Lindsay! Cheer up
mate! help is coming!" were the
words which rumbled up the shaft.
After this there was. pause for
some minutes, and scarce able to con-
troll nv excitement, | tried to think
how this help could come. Then
there was a waruins shouted to he to
keep my head back, followed bv a
whizzing, kissing noise, and looking
within the shaft, saw bright show
er of golden sparks lighting up the
well.like hole, and l knew that a
rocket had been fired.
But it struck the brickwork in its
ascent and failed to reach me, so that
once more I was left to wait and hope
until the voice again shouted for me
to keep clear. A moment later fiery
tail of sparks shot upward far above
me. and an earnest "Thank God !"
came from my heaLt as l grasped
thin cord that fell by my side as the
rocket descended.
By this communication a stouter
and stronger rope was sent me. But
nv danger was not over, for in my
weakened and numbed state, it was
perilous to slide down it. At first i
could scarcely brace mySnerves suf-
ficiently to launch myself over the
the brickwork, and my head turned
dizzy. for a moment thought myself
gone, but conquering the feeling by
great effort, | slowly descended until
about half the distance was accom-
plished.
Then horrid fear seized me, what
If the rope should break or not be Sc
curelv fastened!" and dreading each
second that my fears would be fulfilled
in feverish haste slid on.
When within few yards of the
bottom, overtesked nature would bear
the strain no longer, and, loosening
my hold. I dropped into the arms of
those who had been breathlessly
watching my descent.
Other hands than mine finished the
shaft in calmer weather, and on a more
securely fastened scaffold and 1, well
cared for by the best of little wives,
soon got over the shock of my acci-
dent; but, as I go to and fro to my
work. and look up at the huge CHM
ney, often recall with shudder. the
hour when l clung to its summit,
counting the moments, each one of
which seemed to bring me nearer to
| a dreadful death.