New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-08

/
Barrett. After running for some time the
boy stopped, and for the first time saw thai
he was in the worked ont mine. Even then
| terror of his cruel taskmaster was upne-.
most in his mind, and it was not until Tho
little mine lamp on Ills cap began to grow
dim and finally went entirely out that hs
awoke to the horror Of his situation.
If there is a chamber of horrors anywhere
| in the world, it is coal mine that has been
worked out and deserted. Its labyrinth NJ
silent corridors responds to the least SOUND
with the most demOniacal echoes, and nor.
ious gases generate in the pools of slimv
water that exudes trom the walls and drnn
down upon the slippery floor.
1t was into such place as this that youno
Gallagher found himself, without q liphf'
alone and entirely ignorant of the way out
His first thought was to shout aloud for
| help. but the sound of his voice travers
ing the devious corridors and yelling back
to him his cry. prolonged and multiplied
hundred times, as if 80 many tends were
knocking his distress, 60 frightened the boy
that be could not gather courage to repeat
the cry, and he commenced cropping his way
along in silence in the direction he thought
most likely would lead to the entrance Of
the mine. He had proceeded some dis.
lance along the Shiny wall when a Ger.
tain difficulty Of breathing and chok.
| ing sensation warned him that he
was trespassirg where that great.
est of all terrors to the miner. ira
damp prevailed, and he hastily retraced biz
steps with the intention of turning to the
first corridor he came to. 1t was long
time before he reached one. IL turned of
to the right, and he entered it and followed
it for quarter of an hour, feeling his way
along one side OF it, and being careful not
to turn into any Of the corridors crossing
| 1t, so that he might not become confused #
| circumstances compelled him to again re-
| trace his steps. Suddenly, in putting bis
foot forward, he found no rest for il. and
before he could recover his balance he fel
| headlong into pit. His head Immediately
! came in contact with one side Of the exca.
walton. He attempted to regain his feet
but he was overcome with sense of numb.
ness, and tell back into the slime and ooza
that covered the jagged bottom OF the pit
How long he lay there unconscious the bow
did not know. He came to himself with
knowledge of peculiar pain in his fingers
and toes. At first he did not realize where
he was, but the impenetrable darkness and
cold, damp atmosphere soon recalled his
situation. He drew up his hands and feet
to make an effort to rise, when an army OF
rats scampered away from about him. They
ran over his body and tralled their cold.
Shiny tails in his face. He sprung Up with
q, shrek of terror that again started tho
From the feeling of his hands and feet
Gallagher knew that the rats had been 8
gnawing at bis flesh, but he did not stop
to make any investigation until he escaped II
FROM the pit and was again on his way 4
back to the place whence he had started
10 get out of the pit he found no easy task,
Twice he clambered up its Jagged sides
many times fell back to the bottom. The f
third time trying was successful, and he
drew himself out exhausted and fainting.
lie lay down on the floor of the corridor s
for several minutes before he had strength
to proceed, and then gathered himself up
and hurried away from the spot which was
so full of terrors to. him. When he reached
the first cross corridor he sat down on a
Juttlng piece OF coal, and for the first time
found that the rats had gnawed two of his
fingers to the bone, had eaten away the up.
pers of his shoes and the flesh OF his two 8
great toes. He had often heard old miners j
relate over their lunch in the dismal cham.
Der the experience of men lost in the mines 3
and attacked by rats, and now the reality
OF the thing nearly overcame him with ito
horror, and be almost swOOned at the
thought OF what he passed through and /
what be mi ht yet be doomed to experience. 4
10 add to the terrible situation of the boo.
lad. hunger began to make itself manifest, I
and the fortunes of thirst were beginning to
anIlct MIN.
From the fact that he was growing so e
hungry and thirsty, Gallagher judged that
he had been long time in the mine. Up a
to this time he had been confident that he
would be able to find his way out of the 3
old mine in the course of few hours, but
now hope seemed to be leaving him. He Z
cOnjured up pictures OF his mother waiting
Tor MIN to come home at night, of her
anxiety at his hardness, and then her IN
grief at the news of his loss.
Then his mind dwelt on the horrors of
death by starvation or eutfOcation in the
mine. and the sickeniug thought that he
was followed by horde of ravenous rats
that were ready to make food Of him even
before he was dead. These thoughts al.
most drove him crazy, and he aroused him
self, determined to make another effort to
escape from the mine. He followed one of
the cross corridors, and wandered about in
the maze of chambers for hours. Once he
thought he heard his name. called, and he
shouted in reply, only to hear it repeated
tor many minutes by the demon echoes.
: While wandering about in this way,
prey to the tortures of hunger and thirst, i
and to both mental and physical agony, he
saw light haeh for an instant across the
corridors IN which he was cropping IL was
! long way of, bat he knew 1t was miners I
amp. and felt that parties were searching
through the deserted chambers for him.
Regardless of the hard, jagged floor, the
'trong walls, the ever accompanying throng
II rats that kept in his rear, or dangerous
BITS that might be ahead of him, he ran rap
dly toward where he had seen the light,
houting until he was hOarse.
''This way! Here l am. Here ! am!
This way, for Gods sake"
In few moments sturdy miners had
ound the boy. But he did not know that
le was rescued. He had fallen to the
round unconscious, his strength having L
zone out with his last wild cry. He was
Don taken out into the pure air, where his L
rantic mother and the most Of the village /
lad assembled to await the results of tho /
earch. The people weke wild when it was
nnounced that the boy was found, and his
rave rescuers were borne aloft by the
rowd. It was a long time before young
Gallagher was restored to consciousness,
7as in his right mind. In these sane inter.
ale he related the story of his fearful sui
9rings. and learned that he had been nearly
wo days and one long night wandering
mOng the horrors of the mine. His lucid
pells lasted but short time, when be
'Ould be seized with frantic rawlings, in
hich he would plaintively beg of Barrett
OF to hurt him, and then shrek:
The rats are eating me up. Drive them
way! Drive them awayv
The moments in which he was sane be-
ame less frequent. and finally days passed
ithOut one CLEAN of reason lighting up
le darkness OF his mind. The surgeons
und it necessary to amputate one hand
i'd three toes that had been enawed BY
e rats, and to perform other painful oper-
ions to save the boys life. One day last
permit it. they decided that he must be
ken to an asylum for medical froatmep+