Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-05-09
Locked Up in a Bank Vault.

/ AoSAuu VI AZ % O0AA vOAAe'
Clarence Newcomb, son of ex-Uni-
ted States Marshal and ex-Congress-
man Newcomb, underwent an expert.
ence few days ago which he will not
soon forget. The sportive humor of a
| friend led to the perpetration Of q
| joke which came near having a serious
and fatal termination. Mr.. Newcomb
had stepped into the vault attached to
the office of Lonergan & Thiel, Of the
Detective Aaariny'. WHORE ha 10 in.n"ne
ted. The vault is used for the storing
away of valuable books, papers, etc.
| A gentleman who was in the office at
the time, closed the door upon New
comb by way of a practical joke. The
door closed with snap, and Mr.. New
| comb felt some misgivings as he found
himself surrounded with darkness
which was almost pal pable. His fears
were increased by the recollection of
the fact that. except himself and Mr..
Thiel, no one was in possession of the
numerical combination by which the
safe was unlocked, and that Mr.. Thiel
had stepped out few minutes before.
In the meantime the practical joker
went out exulting in the funny plight
in which his victim must find himself
when he discovered that he could not
get out. Mr.. Newcomb's reflections
were becoming more aud more serious
every moment. He could not hear
any sounds from the outside, and won =
dered what had become Of his friend.
lie tried 10 cry out, but knew that his
voice, even II raised to its highest
pitch, could not penetrate through the
thick walls that surrounded him. He
tried, but the reverberations of his
voice in the narrow tomb were almost
| deafeniag. He pounded against the
walls, bruising his hand in an attempt
that he knew must be Intellectual 10 at
tract attention. A strong and power
ful man, he felt himself to be a hope
less prisoner, almost without the
slightest hope Of relief.
The ticking Of his watch, plainly a,s-
dlbIe n the dense darkness, admonish-
ed him Of the rapid flight of time
( The intervals between the seconds
seemed longer than he had ever known
before. The quiet had become so in
tease that he could plainly hear the
/ beating OF his heart. 1t thunped
against his side like the sound OF .
| pie driver, falling at regular intervals,
4 and drlylng-so he thougbt-his burl-
Al place deeper and deeper into the
! earth. He thought he could hear his
I blood ~ II was pumped out Of his
I heart and coursed through his veins.
/ II reminded him 0f tine mnrmnr of q
I brook fiowlng through the woods and
I LrlckImg over mossy stones. The ac-
I ton OF his lungs had become suddenly
aud strangely audible. Respiration
J was becoming difficult. The regular
4 inhalation and eXhalatlon Of his breath
( sounded like bellows that was being
worked with difficulty. The labored
action Of his lungs, constantly beom-
/ Ing harder and harder, brought 10 his
mind the terrible question, how much
longer could he live IN this confined at
mosphere. He calculated how much
air was contained in those marrow
walls, and how long it would support
life. AT tue farthest it appeared 10
| him that he could not live more than
! twenty minutes, and then he wou d
have 10 breathe this vitlatel air over
and over again. He cried out again,
but stopped at the reflection that this
was useless expenditure Of the very
hydrogen on which he must depend for
life for some time to come. Ihe ST.
lence began to be broken by a lnur-
lnur, which he could not at first uu-
derstand The murlnur gradually in
creased to Il loud buzz. buzz, and then
he realized that this must be caused
bv rush Of blood 10 the head, the ri-
feet of Ills confinement. The ouzzlng
Increased TO Il roaring thunder. lie
fell hlmseif stagger, and then lost con-
sciousness. AT this moment MIR. IhIel
came III hurriedly, having been inf. .-
OF the situation, and unlockcd tuc
safe. Mr.. Newcomb had tainted, but
Was restored by the free use OF water,
mixed with some stimulants.- 81.
Louis Post.