Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-03-28
4 pERlLOUS POSITION.

In the winter of 1853 | was mining
or rather sojourning, and waiting
for chance to mine in the spring
in the town of Omega, Nevada Coun-
ty. Snow fell in the town that Win
ter to the depth of eight feet. Three
of us were living III cabin about
half a mile out of town, near the
head Of Sour-krout Ravine. We were
in the habit of spending our evenings
in town, or at the cabins of our
brother miners, generally remaining
from home till ten, eleven, or even us
late us twelve O'clock.
| happened to be in town the very
first evening that the first great fall of
snow began. | saw that the snow
was coming down very fast, and knew
before starting home that the trail
would be hidden; but this gave me no
uneaSiness, as | knew the course well.
and could keep within few rods of
the trail the whole distance, if not in it.
When | finally started homewdrd it
was about ten O'clock, and there were
six or eight inches of snow on the
ground. and flakes coming down as
rushed along, paying but little atten
ton to the trail, and was within two
hundred yards of the cabin, when
there was sudden crash of breaking
tWigs and brush under my feet, and |
felt myself sinking into an open
space. Instinctively | stretched ont
both arms To their fullest extent, and
clutChed the snow with both hands.
lnstantly-in fact. before | had fully
settled into this position knew
where | was, and fully comprehended
the danger of my situation.
| knew that ! was hanging over the
old Brookshire shaft--a shaft dug
some years before to undermine the
hill, and at least a hundred feet in
depth.
1t was but two or three rods below
tie trail, and was covered hy a few
pine and spruce boughs that were
thrown across its mouth when it was
abandoned. | knew that there were
huge powders and sharp, jagged rocks
projecting everywhere along the sides
of the shaft. and that at the bottom
was at least twenty feet of water; for,
in passing. had once or twice pushed
The brush-coyering aside, and dropped
into it pebbles and pieces of lighted
paper. | felt my body and legs dang
ling in space, and, without thinking
OF the consequences, made an effort to
reach out with one of my feet to see II
/ could touch the wall Of the shaft.
had extended my leg some distance
without tOucbinu the wall when. TO
my horror, the dry and rotten covering
of the Shaft began cracking under my
arm on the side upon which my weight
was thrown IN the attempt | had made
to learn something of my situation.
Carefully swung back, till ! hung
perpendiculaTly over the fearful
chaSm. The brush still cracking as
did SO. As each twig snapped, / felt
that there was that much less between
myself and death; each little rotten
stick that held was worth millions to
me- and for a stout beam under my
feet | would have given tens of mill
ions.
The snow beat down necessarily up
on my head in immense damp flakes,
and / could feel it gradually piling
about my neck. Occasionally there
were wild blasts of wind that roared
among the tall pines. and swept the
uLht snow into my eyes. one OF these
blasts took away my light felt bat, and
left my head exposed to tie heating
storm. As felt my hat going, / made
an involuntary movement to raise my