Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-03
of the drift and dirt siftod down on

OAA AANNaf
Soon we reached a place where
the posts OH the sides of the drift
were bent like bows. The backs of
these bows projected into the drift !
and were full of splinters, some Of
which were formed-snapped out
before our eyes. Shortly we came |
upon two posts bent out from oppo-
site sides Of the drift till their backs |
wero not moro than foot apart.
"This looks bad" said Bonner.
"Very. Let us go back" y said
we.
at cannot be far to the edge Of
the cave. We want to see that.
Suppose we venture? Timbers are
still strong when they snap"
"Thon move en- said we, but
our legs wanted to go the other
way.
In passing between the two bent
posts it was necessary to turn our
bodies edgewise. All about us the
timbers were working and groaning;
but still stood some distance apart.
At the end of the drift we came
into a large open space-what
seemed long and broad chamber
and turning westward across this
were soon as near the edge Of the
cave as it was thought safe to ven
| ture.
Holding our lantern above our
heads we saw before us IL black
and yawning pit or chasm. The
light of the lanterns failed to show
us either the top or bottom Of this
pit, nor could we see across to the
: further side. 1t seemed to have
neither top nor bottom - seemed
but a shapeless, boundless region Of
darkness.
Into this frightrul pit there fel
every half minute, from somewhere
) in the darkness high above, great
,, masses of earth and rocks. Al
, times, judging from the thunder
, GUS sound, hundreds Of tons a
= once tumbled from the roof an(
q sides of the chasm. Smaller masse
were almost constantly dropping il
= some direction, while the splinter
/ ing, swapping and. grooming Of tim
q bers in all directions was somethin,
!. frightful.
, Suddenly, as we stood quaking il
q the midst of the tremendous com
o motion, a great mass Of rock an
. earth fell from some place high u
n on the wall of our side Of the shore
!. less sea of darkness, almost grain
the brink of the chasm before Il
4 With the fall Of the mass came
"a rush of wind that nearly extiI
n guished the candles in our lantern
- Elevating his light and gazing "
4 ward, Mr.. Bonner cried: :" Fa
back fall back the roof is givlr
If wayp
i Almost as he spoke a mass
i several tons fell from the roof
i our chamber not ten feet in front
m us, and in falling took a large bi
out Of the edge Of our floor.
10 "Quick, quick This way! v
g. must get out of this" cried Boz
v ner.
i. We ran back to the drift |
w. which we had entered. The Nv
~ posts between which We ha
80 squeezed had closed together.
cs "Back, back!' cried Bonnc
. "This way. know adrift. Quic
,'s we may reach it."
o. Back along a drift we DART
es amid sounds never to be forgotto
,st and such as have seldom sttnn,
~ mortal ears. All about us was
he motion-all rapidly sinking.
he Bonner led the way across Il
or chamber we had left a few momen
of before. In a corner, on the east ST
of the light of his lantern showed t
of mouth of drift toward which
IRE was fastening. Hardly was the
Tvs time to observe this before he he
re. up his lantern, crying, " BacI
led back!!" and with a rumbling era
the mouth of the drift closed a.
he the ground before and about it |
ihe gan to disappear.
or "Quick I" cried Bonner, gras
of ing our arm and hurrying us alol
ase "To the drift again. 1t is Q
lis only chance "
of Into the drift we once mC
lps darted. Squeezing our way betwe
M the cracking posts we reached
no. place where we had before be
rge stopped. Though crushed toget
ent er in the middle, there was still
small open space between the po
The at the bottom.
the Throwing himself fiat on
md floor of the drift, Bonner pusl
eir his lantern through the openiI
wly then by a mighty effort Strugg
mes through after it. He seemed
8ed hour in passing, though he pro
lte, bly, wiggled through in less ii
md than ten seconds, Our fear t
md he would stick fast was agonizi
an "Quiek! Give me your han