Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-12-19

lowered building; dismantled walls, and
broken roofs, is as picturesque as ruined
castle Of the Rhine. The lofty stone wal
sonsthe front abuts on the highway, an6
the entrance is through; a massive stone
gateway the keystone Of which bear.
the inscription, ss.NeWgate 1902 The
visitor Is at liberty to wander around the
Enclosure, but at the time OF my visit 9
"Halloo there!" summoned guide from
thesancient guard-house, on whose ster
towheaded boy or two rolled around il
the sunshine. A few steps bring one tc
the first shaft, descending 100 feet into
the caverns. Over its mouth are the
weather. beaten remains of the windlass
and rope used for hosting ore years and
years ago.The Enclosure is nearly square
and off to the left hand is long range
of the dllapidated workshops. The
roofs are warped and shrunken, and in
places broken through. Within is dust
and confusion. The plastering has fall.
en- from walls and ceiling, and upon
patches remaining are scrawled the names
Of visitors. The solidity of construction is
noticeable. The partition walls are OF
stone, and the floor is planked and sup.
ported by huge hewn logs. In some Of
the upright beams Strengthening the floor
remain the rings to which the prisoners
were chained, and the flooring beneath
is worn with their impatient tread. Al
the entrance end Of the range of work
shops is high building Of composite
construction of brick and stone surround
ed by lookout and bell tower. This
commands view of the roadways fo1
miles, and the bell often notified to the
residents of the valley below the escape
of convicts, and sent them from their
houses to sceur the woods and fields in
pursuit. From tho lower floor of this
building, steps lead to IN underground
dungeon with small, heavily barred win.
dows. In which few Of the best disposed
prisoners spent their nights instead of be-
ing driven like dogs to the caverns of the
mines. On the other side of the encles-
ure, is building containing the remains
of a tread-mill, where convicts YEARLY
trod the boards of thirty-foot wheel
and ground the corn for the farmers in
the nelghborhood.
FAREWELL TO SUNLIGHT.
The prison enclosure was the heaven of
the convicts; the caverns below their hell.
At daylight the call to labor resounded
through the passage Of the mine, and the
convlcts, fastening to the shaft, climbed
up the long ladder to the guard-house.
Only three came up at time, and then
the trap was slammed down upon the
others until the armed''guard had march
ed the trio off to the work shop. To have
permitted a general exodus meant insur-
rection and bloodshcd, for men treated
like brutes were nerved to desperate
aeeqs, and only awaited their opportu-
nifty. Work being suspended at sunset,
the prisoners were again sent down the
shaft. the massive trap-door was closed
and bolted and armed guards sat beside
it through the night.
Accompanied by the guide, your cor
made an extensive exploration
Of the caverns. Coarse outer clothing
and candles wero furnished, and the
shaft was descended by the ponderous
ladder whose rungs arc half worn through
by convict feet. At the foot was narrow
sloping away downward at
an angle of 30 degrees, agreeing with the
natural din of the strata of rock. Fifty
feet away rude chamber is followed
out, and at one side were remnants of
a platform Of planks, which had been
one Of tho sleeping places Of the convicts
From this chamber small passages
branched off in various directions. all
with downward slope, and so loM that
it was necessary to proceed in half
bent attitude to escape contact with the
dripping and Shiny roof. Traces of cop
per were everywhere visible-in the
green slime on the solid walls and in the
discolored fragments of stone underfoct.
Several OF the larger passages were ex-
plored for distance Of 800 feet, progress
being checked by the filling of the lower
ends with water from insufficient drain
age. At that point the guide remarked !:
'BLow OUT TIE CANDLES IF YOU WANT A
QUEER SENSATION"
Out they went, and we were lett in the
blackness of Egypt. The darkness could
almost be felt, and was terribly oppress-
i've. Over head 200 feet OF solid rock
was between US and daylight The hand
stretched out at either side touched Shiny,
cold, pitiless stone. Sound there was
none other than that OF suppressed breath
ing and the occasional fall of drop of
water from the roof The scratching OF
4 match was the first relief. and the fee
BILE CLEAN Of the tallow dip a blessed
sensation of which we did not again wish
to deprive ourselves.
One of the shortest passages terminated
in circular chamber, scarce ten feet
across. and at one side huge iron ring
was made fast to the solid floor of rock.
This was the solitary confinement cell.
Chained to the ring net sound was
heard, not ray of light visible, ncr a
face excepting when the keeper brought
the pannlkin of bread. Near the ring u
cavity the size of drinking-cup, scooped
in the rock, is filled with water which
trickles, drop by drop, from the rock
overhead. Thus it fell q century ago,
when some wretched being hammered at
the solid rock with fragments of stone
until he wore this cavity, and thereafter
had fresh cool water by the quantity, in
stead of tapping it with his tongue as it
trickled down the side Of his dungeon.
It Is related that one convict died IN this
horrible place from modification result
ing from the iron manacles eating into
his legs. This was always denied by the
prison authorities, but convicts in the
prison at that time, and who we're cog
infant of the affair, persist that the story
is true.
HALF THE EORRoRs OF THE PLACE
have never been told. The authorities
we're autocrats, amenablc to no one Star.
vation, the lash and chains had full sway
in those terrible caverns, and so secret and
10 distant were the chambers of torture
hat might be chosen, that even the other
,onvicts might never know by sight or
sound the inhumaEities that were prac-
heed.
The guide was an unusually int lligent
fellow, and, in the course of our wander
ings through the caverns, related a host
Of interesting incidents in the history of
The prison. To him the solitude and
darkness were not unpleasant, and formed
IN impressive surrounding for his facts
md fictions. But the visitors longed for
and ascending the steep ladder,
the blue sky, the trees, and, all
nature, as only one can who has felt their
Beneath, the impenetrable