The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-08-20
LOST IN the CkTkC0MBS.
A Terrible Experience.


recently, fell behind his companions,
was lost, and spent twenty hours in the
dreadful place. He gives the following
description of his experience: The
stairway on which we we're descending
was winding and damp, and at each
step the air grew colder and the gloom
more ilnpenetrable and the lights
flared and famed upward, as if striving
to escape from the awful darkness that
their rays so poorly dispelled. Once at
the bottom shudder shook my frame
rs darkness closed in about us, and the
damp wind rushing past tugged at my
garments as if, fearing for my welfare,
it were persuading me to return to the
lite and sunshine of the upper world.
Our course lay to the right, for we we're
to make our exit by a stairway leading
out on the Rne Dareau. Our party
strung out behind the guide, and with
their lights borne aloft, looked like a
glittering monster creeping among the
caverns and under the arches. At
first there was forced gayety, but the
laughter rang out upon the terrible
silence and echoed and jumped from
crevice to cavern, until it sounded like
. wall of the dead, OF the mirth of
fiends, and the gayety that had entered
with US soon died out, and we were as
somb re as the place and as sober as
those who follow the dead in silence.
An occa sional pause ensued to afford
opportunity to inspect the inscriptions
on the walls or to examine the sur
roundings.
Entering narrow passage, some rude
tracings on the rock attracted my at
tention, and fingered to examine them.
1t seemed to me but moment that |
tarried, and when sought the party
with an eager search Of the gloom, their
lights had disappeared. | was not
alarmed, for knew they could not be
far off. | FASTENED in the direction in
which saw them last, following with
hasty step, but ! failed to discover
them. Now it began to occur to me
that | was lost, and | cried with lusty
voice and long, but it came back to me
in thousand airs and echoes, as if /
had been answered by the skulls that
were so numerous not far off. My ap-
prehension gave double vigor to my
limbs. and | dashed onward with des-
pairing energy, not knowing whittier
ran, but running because l found COM
fort in action. At every turn I peered
with hungry eyes into the pitchy dark
ness of the passages, vainly striving to
discern the presence of some living
soul beside myself, but l saw nothing.
Again | cried out until it seemed
my very lungs must burst with the
effort, and again and again
and all the answer that came was the
shrieking of million echoes that were
full Of horror and sepulchral groanings
The light burned low and added not {
little to my anxiety, as it must soor
burn out and leave me in utter dark
ness. Again hurried on, and aftel
twisting every way | entered wide1
passage than had yet passed through
when, horror of horrors! l stood fac,
to face with grinning skulls, whose
empty sockets gazed at me from row.
of bones that ranged above my head.
Never had seen such terrible spec
tacle. All the terrors Ihad experienced
in my life combined could not equa
the agony Of that one moment. Alon
with three millions of dead The awful
reality of nv situation came upon IN
with a rush, bearing with it the agoniz
ing possibilities Of death and tn
suffering that would ensue in sue
place. My neart stoo
still, the cold sweat oozed from m
pores in great drops, the clammy win
famed me in sullen gusts, as if tn
black wing of death had brushed m
brow. The silence was oppressive, tn
darkness weight. Bnt in moment
recovered myself and hurried forwar,
while the borcs and skulls seemed I
clutch aud mock at me as l passed, /;
if they envied me the life l had. o.
on | went, but there seemed to be r
end, and suddenly the light tiared u
trembled, and flashed out. and darkne
settled over me like a pail. l stoe
awhile in amazement. lost in a du
stapor. / was bewildered and cou
scarce think. The sudden transitie
from life, with all its possibilities ar
hopes, to another region that was n
OF life or death. but led to the latt
with NO opening to the former. was
quick and unlocked for that the chan
robbed me of my thought and feelin
and CROPPED in mental darkness. +
degrees my mind struggled into its nc
NAL condition, and began to weigh Il
chances of life and death. and calcula
them as coolly as the interest on an
vestment.
For while | wandered in the dar
ness until tired nature could no mo-
and shrank away into passage. lea
ing from the horrible array of bon
and sank down beside a pillar to
troubled rest and dreams. Ny life "
traced step by step, along the line
years that seemed so long in living a
SO short when looked at; now day
sunshine, another all cloud; now wa
dering through flower meads, n
struggling up a rugged path until
present was reached and seemed
stand upon an eminence and, biddi
adieu to all behind, l struck out or
narrow foot bridge that led over an +,
fathomable chasm and whose fartl
end was lost in darkness. When / b