Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-05-08
VOICE FROM MID-EARTH.
Wonderful Story of Wonderful Man
Dallas tex.) Herald.

OAllhS lex J hoEhlu.
For day or two past, in fact since
Wednesday afternoon, there has been
stopping at the Grand Windsor hotel "a re-
markable man. There is nothing partc-
ularly striking or that is very peculiar
either in his appearance or manner, yet no
one sees him without looking at him
second time and being directly Impressed
with the idea that there is something mysS
FERROUS about him. He is well-tIessed,
though in q fashion somewhat quaint, and
he is 8 pleasant, as polite and as joVia as
a gentleman could well be. He is not OBJ
structive, neither is he retiring or unduly
retIcent. He Is well~informed on all sub
jects except the current events of the past
years in our country, but of quick intelli-
gence, has managed TO pick up smattering
knowledge of even these. What first in
terssted our reporter in him, although he
had looR ed at him time and again, and
thought there was
SOMETHING STRANGE.
about the man, was q remark he made
yesterday that he had not heard of the
civil war between the States until that
morning. This was rather a starter. The
man showed no symptoms of insanity and
he was long way from being an idiot; he
has ample funds and loves toddy as well
as the u It one, and is lavish in ordering
them. To make d long story short, as the
gentleman made himself so p easant our
reporter determined 10 Interview hum AID
ID out # possible who he was and what he
had to say for himself, If any thing. " men
appToa he'd on the subject, LIE smiled sadly
and u f4r-away look entered his eyes aud
he stOpped as If in reverie. After fzW
moments, he SAID: We'll, had as Well
tell you my story as not. 1t is a,>trange AID
Interesting one, SO strange, 30 marvellous,
tnaC l DOUBT II any scarcely will believe II.
l snail only give you brief outline, r L
have g all my adventure, perfect day
of every event OF nay life tor thn past
twenty y-ars nearly, since the first OF
October. 1861, written out, aud will publish
them Ms soon a. | reach New YORK, where
my friends and family live, who, while
they Cannot vouCh of their own knUwl 5dxe
fJr The history Of my life since l saw them,
can vouch for enough TO make my story
believed Here ne became silent for
few moments, and seemingly lost in
thought, but aroustng himself, he said: 1T
is meet and proper l think that l should
make at least d partial statement OF who
and what L am and whence l came
HERE IN DALLAS,
as Dallas county is the first point on the
outer crust of The earth that l have sell or
visited aines the fall of 1860. over twenty
years ago"
TINS was g .tartler, and our reporter
opened his eyes lutte nd looked around
to sse if there WIS g good way ofiretreat in
case the lunaLIc should become violent.
Bot summonIng up courage he Ventured to
the question: W hat do you mean? l
don't understand you. Do you mean to
say that you have been off the earth for
twenty years.
l. - A.
stranger replied, but you need not be
wonder stricken. tbs not an impossible,
or unreasonable story that l will tell you,
when tell it ALL but the people, in their
Ignorance of the real facts will think l am
a crazy enthusiast, q luny scientist, but
they are mistaken, and they will know it
ere long. l mean to Say that l have not
been on the surface of the earth for little
over twenty years. l have not been out
in space, ia the spirit world, up among the
stars, or anything of the kind, but SIMPLY
in the bowels of the earth, and Whist say
to you now, and for publication in the
Herald IN the morning, lie as voice from
mid earth, in the solemn truth, and the
enlightened masses of the world will know
1t Inside of year. But let me tell you my
story. My
NAME Is WILLIAM B. AMsDELL,
and l am native of New York CITY.
sea, nd secured position as cabin boy on
q Liverpool vessel. | worked my way ~
from position to position, until IN 1860, al
the age OF forty l Was as good q Seamen al
ever walked the quarter deck of any ship
1 had served in various subordinate posi-
tlCns In the mere ant marine up to the
place of first mate Of u Live pool mail
steamer. In 1850, you know Captain
CHARLES Fancis dal started on an expedi-
in e no Of hp
Franklin. He obtained pssssg5 on b
whsler commanded by captain Budding
ton, and L went with him. The Uhaler
after We reached the attic regions became
blocked up IN the ice and Captain Hail
and | We off to live with the Esquimaux.
Captain Hall remained with Theses KIN ly
people two years, and ne went on many
exploring expeditions. On one Of these l
was lost and after long search in vain,
Hall and his Esqumaux gui1es gave me-
up tor lost for good. and returned to his
hea quarters. From the day | last saw
Captain Hall and his E.q Iimaux fri L DIS in
OctCber. le6J, until esday last the
81 of March, 1881, l did not lay eyes on
tue face of any innabi ant of the outer sur
taee of the earth. The Gay l WAS Loot |
pursued wh te bear for out on foe OF
Ice, and n section of 1t suddenly becoming
detached, hosted out on il in II strong
Course di ectly to the northward. GA and
my doe went, At al increasing rate of
hpe.o, uoul after what l supposed TO be
sRnt OF Yen hours, il seemed to me rs
suUueu Was going ,wn an inclined
ohu Knew that | WAS going ut 81
1Hnr.5 ave ot speed. After u few hours I
-. 49, aiu c"uld see the north star
ABOVE me and all the stsrs in st"i
out they Seem 10 De So lar awnD uue,
appeared around and about ma ~ Sners
Wsters as though Was "e'i vi
IN VORTEX
but of i'm mense, meal ulabe diameter hi.
rectly 1t began to grow warmer, the wa,er
was warmer I'd the ice fl Jor began to
melt The speed at which l was traveline
grew slower and slower, too, until in !
little while l saw 8 beautiful land before
me, the trees ali green aid every evidence
OF civilization around, for there we g neat
houses In sight and growing fields, but the
strangest looking people I ever saw. Soon
my noe struck the shore. only about hall
the SIZE 1t was when first we started. and
went out on the land. The people greeted
me klnoly and by signs showed me thew
we're gao 70 meet me. In a little while I
e' several people like myself from the
ou. Horld and from them learned tn 4 7
vas Iuside Inc earth, which was inhsbited
airi,; WIN people just as learnet, Just as
O UI'iliZeu ana Just as progressive as the
peTUpIe on the outside. They have schools
noneges the Christian religion and churches
ylng ana giving in marriage, but thew
Tn Hone OI the vices of the outer world
49, rs ~ no swearing, no liquor or wine to
sney were wanted; no impurity of
-n1.i uu' no politics, no frauds or corr
.nS . Inc people live like brothers