The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-19
of 4 couple OF lanterns was turned in
upon the cavern thus uncovered.

of couple OF lanterns was turned in
upon the cavern thus uncovered.
A ghostly picture more horrible than
ever in it's Rembrandt light and shades
from the lantern flames, met the gaze
of the wondering men. r.
There was room set in the side of
the hil1 of sufficient size to accommodate
two persons comfortably for sleeping
purposes, being about seven feet in
width, ten feet long and six feet high.
1t had been walled in with plank, and
the board roof supported by wooden
pillars, all now rotten and crumbling.
The dirt had sifted through, and
mould gathered until the interior was
one-third filled with them almost, and
the place had all the odor and athmos-
phere OF a tomb of living sacrifices,
and such it proved to be. Out of the
dirt and rubbish and oozy mud made
in the hole by the recent rains seep-
ing, there .protruded the bones of a
human body!
Spades were at once employed, and
soon the remains of some unfortunate
person were unearthed. With them
were brought out the portions of bed,
rotten and hardly recognizable; an
iron pot and two knives and one fork,
an old plate, one mouldy and decayed
boot and fragments Of other articles of
domestic use, including the bail of a
water bucket and the bowl of a tin
dipper. There are still in the place,
doubtless a variety of other fragments
of such articles of convenience. The
parties present were filled with aston
ishment and wonder, and could not
make out why all these things should
be in this strange place. They dispos-
ed the bones in one place, and more of a
kind were found than belonged to one
human body and the evidences are that
two luckless mortals persisted in that
cavern Of death, probably in a man.
ner too horrible to be fully imagined
even. The news of the strange occur.
renee spread around the neighborhood
rapidly, and crowd gathered around
the fatal spot. An old negro woman,
who lived in the vicinity during the
war, was present, and said that during
the siege of the city the man who
lived on the lot had built a bomb
proof retreat for himself and wife, in
which they always passed the night to
escape death by flying shells which
Sherman threw into the city in such
numbers every night. She remem.
bered them we'll, but could not tell
their names. She only recollected
that he was a foreigner, and kept a
confectionery stand about the city in
those days. No one else who was
present, or whom we have seen, can
remember anything Of the parties.
The explanation OF the affair seems
to be, from all the circumstances, that
these unfortunate persons met their
fate while asleep in this supposed
abode of safety either by the caving in
of the front portion of their room, by
which they were smothered to death,
or that a shell penetrated the place
and caused their unexpected demise.
The last hypothesis is improbable,
however, as no evidences were appa-
rent last night that such a thing had
happened.
The whole neighborhood was thrown
into commotion by this discovery, and
hundreds were present to late hour
looking at the place and the remains.
1t is a scene which recalls vividly the
days of ''bomb-proofs'' and DEATH
dealing shell and shot, and which will
be looked upon with melancholy inter-
est and curiosity this morning by hum
dreds upon hundreds Of our people.
The case was reported by the police
to the proper authorities, and steps
will be taken this morning to give de.
cent disposal to the remains Of the
poor people who persisted in that
strange tomb. Mr.. Hokes has charge
of them for the present.