Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-23
AN ADVENTURE IN A COAL-PIT.

Trif1es often lead to great disasters and
it seemed but tritle to me when, one No
vember morning, a telegram was put into
my friend Willie's hand as we were pre-
pairing for a days shooting. His pres
ence was demanded in London on some
trust business and he had Immediately to
give up all idea of sport. He begged me,
however, to take Rover and the keeper
and pursue my recreation as if he were
with me. | was not eager to make large
bag, so determined to discard the man and
take a long ramble on the lonely hills be-
hind Bradford, in the hope of picking up
stray woodcock as well as a brace or
two of grouse. Perhaps l was little
tired of partridges among the turnips and
wanted an excuse for a walk as much as
anything. The day was somewhat gloomy
Torn wisps of dark cloud hurried over the
hills at the back of my friends house, but
| did not mind wetting; so started with
Rover, my pointer, who frisked about in
as eXhilarated state as his master. Soon
| gained Baddon Fell, the highest point
in the district, and turned to look on the
tall chimneys and smoky pail of Brad
ford Thence my course lay over hill
and valley, succeeding one another in
gentle activities. Neither grouse, which
were very wild, nor wOodcOck fell to my
gun. At noon l rested and ate couple of
biscuits by way of lunch Then on again |;
and on rising slope | beheld small
scrub of brambles, spruce frs and larch,
with a holly or two intermingled, sur
rounded by dilapidated fence 1t was
about a hundred yards across, and none
of the trees were more than ten feet high !;
but it was IA sheltered spot and was just
the place in which woOdcOck would rest
el, ffar HiCrlf
divined my intention and pushed on a few
yards before me. No one was in sight.
A few sheep dotted the face of the opposite
hill Rain had begun to fall, and the
whole landscape was cherries to degree.
| climbed the slight fence and followed
Rover into the brushwood. A dozen steps,
and suddenly felt myself slip forward l
caught the stem of lafch, and, to my
horror, glided down, with crashing OF
sticks and howl from the terrified dog
glided down as it might be for moment
or two, through bush and brake, then,
with an awful plunge, we all Disappeared
i. into darkness, while bushes and earth
ratified over me for another few seconds
| TO this succeeded a crash and a stunning
blow, and knew no more.
After what seemed an age | came to
myself, weak and sorely numbed; every
limb aching and my head splitting with
agony, but without any broken bones, as
| discovered when able to stand up again
The fact of my having slid down on the
mass of debris had providentially saved
my life, but the disentangling myself
from the bushes and briers which had al
most smothered me took of itself some
little time. Slowly recollection returned
with the glow of blood in its old channels
| ,rto lntr lRf
Eshock. 1t was pitch dark, and awful 81
lence reigned around. High up I.could
discern patch of gray sky, but it was ev
idently the hour of twilight and soon it
too, faded out AT length gathered my
senses and the conviction then flashed
upon me that / had fallen down the shat
of disused coal mine, and that, too, one
situated in such an Outof-the-way valley
over the bleak hillsides that rescue wa'
extremely improbable. Willis, l now re
membered, had mentioned these ole
shafts to me few days ago and had tolC
me that scrub and brush wood were usu
ally planted over the site Of them on som'
rough panks and hurdles loosely thrown
over the yawning mouth of the pit. Alas
his cautions had been thrown awayl
Striking a light with fusee, found i
was six o'clock, so that / must have beer
unconscious for some hours A few drop
from my brandy flask greatly restored M
and began to move about, for thougl
much oppressed with the horror of m!
situation wanted to circulate my bloot
and attain my full powers of thought.
Fsettled at once that II was no use TO Civ
in and lie on the heap which had fallel
with me till death came by inches. Per
, haps if / fired shot il might attract nc
, tice and enable me, at the same time, {
see for moment where was According
ly, took aim in the direction | conceive
the shaft was, and drew the trigger.
shall never forget the result. For an il
, slant the vast caverns that seemed to yaw
I around me on every side were lit up, an
=. could catch glimpse of huge buttressC
/ reaching up on high, like the arms {
7 Atlas The roof could not see, owing
Q the momentariness of the flash, but III
) noise was appalling. The eXplosio
G echoed and re-echoed round the dar
! vault, and then fled away in mutterin
D thundefs into tho unknown darkness
e seeming to be caught up and buffeted b'
D tween the buttresses, and, for several M
= ments after these repercussions of soun
g had ceased. 20 hnger like ahe. feeVrrin
Y undertones OF some monstrous passin
8 bell, am not supersutious, but
D seemed Just az well not 70 be ringing N
own knsll, 10 determined 70 waste .