The Russellville Democrat., 1879-10-09
LOST IN THE CATACOMBS.
Cropping the Way Through Goblin Caller ies and Stumbling Over GrinninG
 Skeletons,

|
 Cropping the Way Through Goblin Caller l ies and Stumbling Over Grinning Skeletons.
 New York Telegram
 Miss Bessie Darling, the actress, who | tour, gives the following dramatic ac- count of the misfortune that attended | her visit to the Catacombs of Paris:
 "There were thirty-one of us in the party. Regardless of the guides iniunc- tions that we should keep together on l the penalty of getting lost, I wandered, unobserved by any of my companions or the guide, into transverse gallery, and after leisurely deciphering several in- scriptions that attracted my eye, turned to make an exit and rejoin the party. l But 1 turned in the wrong direction, and 1 did not discover my mistake until had gone some distance. Positive, at first, that my course was correct, l hurried on without giving an alarm. As soon, how ever. as I realized that 1 was indeed lost, you may be sure that my voice was ex- erted as only a woman in distress knows how to exert her voice. I retraced my steps in as much of run as the flame of my candle permitted, pausing at every opening I passed to call and listen. The echoes of my calls were simply fiendish in the way they came back to me. They were far from human in tone-more like derisive howls uttered from the cold grinning skulls that were staring at me on every side with their hideous, sunken eyes. As these echoes only added to my tiibulation I refrained from calling any more. My voice was gone, at any rate. 1 The ghoulish atmosphere seemed to defy any effort above horse whisper. Thus I wandered from one gallery into another, into caverns and out of them and back into other galleries again, and all the while going further and further into the most dangerous section of the Catacombs, wherein visitors are never conducted. l wandered this way for nearly two hours. The silence was so oppressive that even the squealing of rats would have been welcome, but the Catacombs are singu- larly free from this vermin. So long as my candle held out I kept heart and did not despair When its flame began to l flicker and grow weak I lessenedmy pace and carried the candle closer to the ground, to enable me to avoid the skulls and ribs I was constantly stumbling over. The ground was so pasty it held my feet so firmly at times that l imagined some unearthly crawling creature was attack | ing me- 1 emerged at last from a narrow gallery into what I thought was an enor- nous chamber, but its darkness was so black that l came to a standstill at the l threshold, as it were. l could not dis tinguish either floor or ceiling, nor see vestige of already familiar skulls or bones. The atmosphere was colder and purer than what l had yet experienced in the place.
 ALIAS, POOR YoRIcK.
 'I don't know what prompted me to do it, but picked up skull and threw it 1 forward into the gloom in front of me; to my infinite terror 1 did not hear the thud of the skull upon any ground until after few seconds, and then l heard it away beneath me, accompanied by muffled rattle, as though the skull had fallen on and disturbed number of others at the bottom of great and un- seen pit. And pit it was-over l50 feet deep 1 was afterwards told; two or three steps more and might have gone head l long down. I turned to 90 and die some- where else, but as I turned the light ofmy candle expired, and here nature gave way. I fainted within three feet of the edge of that awful abyss; the chilliness of the air revived me after awhile. l opened my eyes, was blind? for 1 saw nothing. l threw outmy arms, and felt only the slimy mud in which I was lying. I turned my head, and my cheek rested against a clammy skull. Oh! my God, how pray ed for death. Once more 1 became un- conscious, and I lay for eighteen hours insensible. It was fortunate fell where Idid. Had fallen in any of the galler- ies restricted to visitors, might have lain undiscovered thirty days, for, as you are aware, the Catacombs are on public view only once month. As it was, fell at spot frequented by the workmen daily employed in the place; the pit near me they used as dumping hole for refuse bone litter. Had tumbled into that pit my body would have been covered up with tons of ghastly dumpings before the search for me would have been extended to the awful hollow"
 RESCUED BY A WORKMAN.
 "What were the circumstances of your rescue?" the reporter asked.
 'I again recovered consciousness, Miss Darling narrated, 'just in season to attract the attention of retreating workman. Too exhausted to call, could only groan, and, brave fellow, he at once advanced in the direction of the sound. My face, . | mud that he could not locate me until groaned again. must have been a fright ful object, with my hair all matted with the slimy earth and my eyes wide open upon him appealingly. But he was q courageous fellow to return my fixed gaze and merely mutter to himself, Suicide and deadp As he stopped over me managed to tsuch his foot, whereupon he started up, lit spare candle, placed it on the ground beside me, and then hastened away. oh, has he abandoned me with out killing me?' l cried to myself. l swooned again. When next l revived l found myself being tenderly carried by stalwart hands up the steep main entrance steps down which l had descended so many hours ago. Although I was per fectly conscious of the fact of my rescue I did not manifest the least sign of life; hence the newspaper reports to the effect that had been found dead, It was 10 o'clock in the morning when was rescu- ed; had been lost in the Inferno of Paris since 2 o'clock the previous after noon."
 ALARM OF HER SEARCH.
 "Had there been any search for you instituted in the meantime9" the reporter inquired.