Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-02-15

robbed me OF all consciousness of the
/ horror III store ior me Mould that the
same oblivion had covered my follow
/ ing experience
With the first dim rays of sunlight,
! family struggling through the narrow
crcvices. WAS aStir. with my mind and
body refreshed for the labor before me,
I | had keen appetite, hut il did not as
sumo alarming proportions, The storm
/ had passed entirely away, and the sun
rode the heavens majestcally undim-
med ~ the slightest cloud Yet not
wthStanding tie brilliancy without, the
cavern was only dimly lighted, 4 fresh
fire dispeled the mornings gloom.
How to- get cut was theme thing.
The first step was to estimate the
weight Of the rock from i,s dimensions.
My philosophy, | confess, was rusty
from long disusc, but this was the re-
suit Six feet long, four feet wide, and
three feet thick -Scvcnty-two cubic feet
of solid rock Specific gravity ot water
to rock, one to two and Cighty-threc
hundrcdths. Multiplying this result by
! the weight Of ono cubic foot of water
gave the weight, t2,1S2 pounds |
smiled crimlv at my desperate attempt
70 I'LL, and set my teeth together with
the tirmnesS Of despair.
My next calculation was to Get the
weight might lift Ivy using one of the
poles which had thrown III ior wood
IL lever | could lift little moro
dian unc-tifth, My thoughts tlrw from
ono determination Ia another. One
project was no sooner determined than
another was conceived equally infcaSi
ble is its predecessor \ happy thought
| flashed upon me, after Il couplCo ot hours
wore slowly away. If could drill Il
hole in therock, might blast ii enough
TO get out. To think WAS 20 act Draw
ING my knife from its sheath. ! began
70 examine the stone for il soft spot III
Was hard as flint.
Finding ne choice, | began To drill
carefully. Half an hours Labor result
ed III Il small hole about All inch III
depth The knife Was 4 small one, like
i poinard III shape, and was wearing
rapidly away My hope here WAS Of
short duration An unlucky turn
snapped the slender blade ut it- hilt, and
/ il fell ringing into i crcyiCe rs com
! plctCly BEYOND my reach rs was the
sweet liberty | was struggling 81 hard
to obtain. The only hope left nae WAS
was that my companions should find
nc before the last spark of life was cx-
tingui~hcd How can they find mo
when am eight OF ten miles from tile
track they would naturally take te look
for me?
The first day wore away III vain ut
i tcmpts; tine ti'st night passed with but
little distress. The second day brought
me face to face with the grim, horrible
pain of nanition. Each hour increas-
ed my misery To greater degree; thirst
began 70 add 10 its horrors 70 those Of
starvation That day and the fol
lowing night wore their slow length
away; the third morning dawned and
crept slowly through its long slow hours.
Sevcnty-two hours without food or
water, My stalwart frame was weaken
ing under the terrible abstinence Hope
was waning as my body weakened,
Great heavens, would they come too
i late?
II was horrible for ne, N the vigor of
manhood, to tamcly staryC there.
What more could do? Did Providence
will that should die thus! They must
ccrtanly Y be looking for Inc. ! took oil
my leather Packet, spread Il flat upon
tllc floor, and poured the contents ol
my powdef-tnsk upon it, Carefully
dividing it, found that there were
eighty small charges. These ] deter
mined to fire ii regular intervals, hop
ing that | might attract their attention
hy the reports. BY shooting every half
hour during the day, and once IN hour
during the night, would be able 10
keep these signals for two days longer
before my stock was exhausted. II
they tarry beyond that time, God have
mercy on me. placed my rifle close
TO II crevice and fired The sound OF a
discharge reyerbcrated through tho
mountain-tops. lf they arc within
! three Or four miles of me, they yWIll GER
tainly hear that
During tho fourth day | fired regu-
arly, listening with feverish anxiety for
! some sound to mark their coming. My
! condition WAS now becoming appalling;
my form was cmaciating, and IN III
tense thirst made my mouth and throat
feel like fiery furnace The day
: passed, the night drew on, but still they
came not sleep was i stranger e my
aching eyes. and i'll my ~akciul mus
J ngs was at bountcously eden tables.
drinking great draught. from lilnpid
springs WAS bordering on insanity.
J Tie fifth day came. With great ditli-
Guilty raised the rifle. nov heavy il
! my weakness, 70 give tho last few sig
naIs. Great blotchc- began to cover
my limb. would complete insanity
! follow?
Of what followed remember with
only II slight hAade af raAanM On lhr