The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-20
LOST IN A SHAFT.
TERRIBLY THRILLING EXPERIENCE
or. Man who was Los. Ia a. As..do.,d nlu.-slz
Days In Darkness aad DIpAlr-SOns r,rI
Good Reason, why Oas Man Rsturnsd =
TO Ills Home From the "DlEEIngs."

CLEVELAND, February l9.-The Herald
tonight has the following: "If you can
find that man" said the clerk at one Of the
small hotels in the city to reporter last
night, at the same time pointing to re-.
Gently written name on the register, II
think he can tell you something OF inter
est"
The entry on the register was: "F. Beal
and wife, Gold Dust Camp, CAL" The
clerk ratified on about the Strange appear
ance OF the man, and now and then drop
ped sentence from the story he had heard
him tell.
although l do not care to have my
rather queer adventure advenized, have
no objections to telling you my story" said
the gentleman referred 10, when the re-
porter had found him ten minutes later,
seated by the fire, his elbows on his knees
and his face buried in his hands. "My
story is not so long as it Is, or waJ, exciting
to me" continued The man, "sDd You must
excuse me for moment while l collect
my thoughts" -
TIE START OF THE STORY.
Invent 10 California from Erie. Pa. five
years ago, but have had hard luck ever
since l got there. This last fall / found
myself with only=a very few hundred
dollars in my possession and with no pros
poets for anything better. made up my
mine to pass the winter quietly at the
camp and try aud locate claim in the
spring. Gold Dust Camp is usually sleepy,
lifeless place, even in the summer time,
but as the winter draws on it becomes
absolutely lifeless. Twenty-Five miles from
any railroad center. we get but three mails
week. There are but two women in the
camp, my wife and the wife Of another
miner. | had no children, while this other
miner / spoke Of had two brighthaired
little girls"
The gentleman continued with his story,
and told how crowd OF suspicious.looking
cowboys had been hanging about the
camp, evidently intent ON mischief; how
one evening there was great sensation in
the camp, and the report was spread that
the two little girls had been kidnapped.
The ruiIians who had been seen about the
camp were Immediately suspected. The
father Of the girls, accompanied by Beal
and dezen other miners, Immediately or.
ganized company 10 pursue the kidnap.
pers. Each WAS TO have route, and what
few horses were in the camp were dis
tributed among the men. Beal did not get
a horse, and one would have been Of but
little service, since his journey lay across
the shoulder Of the great mountain that
rose up above the camp to the north.
TERRIBLE STORM EXPERIENCED.
"a terrible storm sprang up" continued
Mr.. Beal, "that was almost binding, but
we started out. had been walking for an
hour, when the terrible fact flashed upon
me that l had missed the path. Hall
blinded as l was by the storm, l could
hardly hope to find it, but CROPPED about in
every direction. While thus engaged there
was suddenly crash and almost lost
consciousness. The mountain sides seemed
TO disappear and the horrible truth flashed
upon my mind that l was sinking into an
abandoned mining shaft. When regained
my senses 1 found myself lying on my
back. All about me was darkness. Far
above my head, so Tar that 1t seemed like o
star, / could get glimpse Of daylight. The
awful fact that ! was buried alive nearly
drove me mad. Ihad dreamed Of horrible
deaths and dreaded them in waking hours,
but nothing so fearful as this had ever been
thought OF. Before leaving home my wife
had put me up q little lunch, and this
drew forth and divided. calculated that
there was enough to keep me alive for three
or four days. On the third day ! ate my
last morsel, and then quietly made up my
mind that it had at last come my time to
die. 1 can't tell you anything what /
suffered. No words that l can command
would describe 1t. l had not the least
thought that would be rescued. Whether
the storm still ragged or not, could not tell.
The only sounds | heard were the echoes OF
my rawlings. Three days alter my last
morsel OF food was gone, ! heard
sound that was strange to me. !
tried to rise, but was too weak. Bye and
bye l made. out what It was. 1t was
mems voices and they were saying, He
must be here.' hayei dim recollection
OF seeing some one being lowered into the
shalt and OF something being fastened
about my body, but after that my memory
is a blank until I finally regained my
senses at my own home. Ahalf dozen
stalwart miners were bending over my
bed and passing remarks on my condition.
| / was myself again, but 1t seemed as II that
horrid shaft was close by my bedside, and
inyoluntarily I tried to fling, myself away
from It. / was too weak, however, and
soon alter sank to sleep. II was two
months before / became fully well, and
even now / can sometimes when hall
awake see that fearful shaft before me. Do
you wonder that should look to be 6fty?"