Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-08-23


that what 1 had taken for solid'
heavy roof was in fact the massive
and enormous weight of the great
clock. I was imprisoned in the bot
tom of the shaft into which the
weight descended. The ponderous
block of solid metal was falling at
the rate of about four inches an hour,
Or rather more. In less time than it
takes to trace the words the conse-
quence of this flashed through my
mind. In fifteen hours the weight
would descend through space of
five feet. Long before / could ex-
pect release the enormous mass would
be upon me, and would crush me
helplessly against the pavement of
my prison.
My sensations upon making this
discovery will not attempt to de-
scribe. Often-very often-in the
course of my life, have / had occa-
sion to remark the truth of the say
ing:
"The avenues that lead to death
are numerous and strange"
Little did I think how nearly I was
myself to afford an example of its
truth. Yet surely no mortal was
ever before the victim of an accident
so wildly singular and so full of hor-
ror! There the great weight was
above me. Slowly, surely, it was
creeping downward. And slowly
and surely it would still creep down
ward in the darkness and the silence
of the night.
And far up in the soft air of sunset
the bells were still ringing the even
ing hymn.
The suddenness, the unexpected
ness of what had happened, had
formed no small part of its effect
upon my mind. Yet up to this time
my adventure, though not such as
one would have chosen to undergo,
had nothing in it portentionsly
alarming. 1t was disagreeable
enough, undoubtedly, TO be forced
against ones will to put up with
such a lodging for the night. But
what was the discomfort of my situa-
ton, had that been the worst in store
for me, compared with the horror of
it now!
For many minutes after making
this discovery / remained motionless.
striving vainly to realize the most
singular yet deadly peril which
threatened me. I do not know how
long it was before | so far recovered
my faculties as to become able of
thought. At length arousing myself
by an effort to examine whether any
way of escape lay open to me, !
turned my attention to the interspace
between the weight and the wall
but it was far, very far, too narrow
to admit of the passage of my body.
Then-to such extremities may des-
peration drive it's victims-I thought
of attempting to arrest the great
weight by supporting it with my
stick as it descended. | might as
we'll have attempted to support a
falling avalanche.
Then an idea occurred to my mind
which brought with 1t a CLEAN of
hope. | thought it possible that, by
applying my strength to the weight
itself, | might he able to impart to
it by slow degrees a swinging motion
like that of a pendulum and this
being continued, might at length
bring the ponderous mass in contact
with the door and so burst it open.
Raising myself from the floor of the
cell, upon which | had again sunk
down, l applied myself to the weight
and by exerting all my energy in a
succession of rythmical impulses, |
gradually succeeded in imparting TO
it an almost imperceptible move
ment.
Gradually this increased; and but
for an unforeseen circumstance the
scheme might have been successful.
But presently found that the weight
did not hang exactly IN the centre of
shaft. The consequence of this was
that it struck the wall opposite the
| door before it reached the door itself
The extent of ,its swing being thus
checked, my utmost efforts failed to
bring it into contact with the door.
The attempt had therefore to be
abandoned, and hope again died
within me.
Hope died within me. And now
my sensations were those of extreme
horror and dismay. ] for the first
time felt the certainty of my fate. A
deadly sickness seized me. In a
paroxysm of despair | flung myself
again upon the floor of my prison,
and lay there without motion.
l will not dwell upon the long
hours that followed-those hours of
more than mortal agony of mind.
1t happened that / had lately been
reading an account of traveller who
had perished in quicksand. The
time of the accident was on sum-
mer evening, when the sun was sink
ing. and lonely shore was bathed in
rosy light. The spot where it oc-
Cured was we'll known to me-and
after reading the account | had en-
deavored, in that unreasoning spirit
which sometimes leads the mind to