New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-25


root. The whole truth hashed at once across
my mind. ] now raw clearly the explanation
of what had before astOunded and perplexed
me- I saw why the roof did not touch the
walls of the inclOsure. why 1t WIS fOtmed OF
mussive iron-It WAS descending
Ye>-dereending During the hour / had
rramined seated, the roof hui sunk through
a space Of fully -four inches. But this discovery
when now l made 1t, 80 far from causing me
pcrplexity,. at once revealed to NE the whole
mystery Of my prison.
The dstinetness of sound with which the
Ginning of the Dells reached my ears had alTar1y
told me that the belfIy must b. situated directly
above my head. / now perceived that what !
the massive and enormous weight of the great
clrk. ] was imprisoned in the bottom OF the
Shaft into which the weight descended. The
uOnderOus block OF solid metal was falling. ut
the rate of about four inches an hour. or rather
more. In less time than ii take, to trace these
words. the consequence of this flashed through
nv mind. In fifteen hours the weight would
descend through space of five feet. Long be-
fore | could expect release the enormous nllss
would br upon me, and would crash me help
lessly against the pavement OF my pri,0n.
Ny sensations upon making tins discovery
! will not attempt tO describe Ofttn-yery
Often-in the cour-e of my life, have had DC
caSon to remark the Truth of the spying
and strlngc.' Little did think how neatly
I was myself to afford an example of It's truth.
Yet surely no mortal was ever before the vic
tim of an accident 40 wildly singular and so ful!
If horror There the great weight WAS above
me- slowly surely, it was creeping downward
And slowly and surely Il would still creep down
ward in the darkness and the silence of the
night.
And far up in the soft mir of sunset the bells
We're sill ringing the evening HYMN.
The su'ldrnncss, the uncynrtednes- OF what
Ind happened. had formed no small part of its
effect upon my mind Yet mp Ia this time my
adventure. though not such enc would have
chosen {" undergo had had nothing IN it pOitrn-
tol>lv Alarming. Ii was dsagIrtahle enough
undoubtedly, to he forced against ones Will
to put up with such a lodging tor the night.
But what WAS the discomfort oi my situation.
had tlIit been the worst it had i'll store for me.
compared with the horIor Oi II now
For my minutes after making tins dl>cov-
cry remained motiunlr>> striving viunly to
realize the mot sins1lET yet deadly peril which
threatened me. do not know how long l.
was before ] ~ far recovered my faculties a. Ia
bee ONE capable of thought. Al length rOu>lng
myself by Hn effort To- examine whether any
way of escape lay open to me. tnined my attch-
ton t. the ints'rsJact between the weight AMI
the wall but it Was iar, very far. tn" narrow
to admit of the passage at my h"iy. ihef-
to- such eXt,emlties may desperation drive IL"
vctms-l thought of attempting 10 arrest thr
great weight Ivy supporting 1t with my suck
a, it descended. might a. well nave attempted
to support a falling avalanche.
brought with il gesm of hoIe. thought 1t
possible that by applying my strength Ia tht
weight itself, might BE- able to imI'art to 1t by
slow degrees a swinging motion. Ike That oi Il
pendu,um and this being continued, ml-ht
at length bling the pondcrous miss ill contact
with the door, and 80 burst II open. Raising
myself from the rioor of the cell, upon which |
had again sunk down, ] applied my strength
IL the weight. and by cXertlng all any 'nti ~
in succession of rhythmlcal impulses grad
ually succeeded in imIn'ting Ia II IN almost I'M
perct,till, movement Gradually thl' increased ;
ard bat for in untole@ten circ'ln lance IN;
scheme might have been successful. But
prcscn;ly found that the weight did not hang
cyarly III the centre of the shaft. Inc cone
oucncr o this WIS that it struck the wall olno-
site the door before ii reached the door liS'i'
| The extent of is swing being thd> chrckri. my
uimo>t efforts failed t" bring 1t into contact win
the door The attempt had th"iclorr I" be Adm
| ,loneCi. and hope again died within M
Hon, died within me. Aad now my >enSa-
ti,lls were those. at extreme horror ANA d'-iiiay
| for lic tr>t time felt the ';ilIty "i my iur
\ dfadly .ickncss -i|c me H. p ,h ;,
Of despair I flung myself ag-n upon thr hoo!
of ,ny prison. ana lay there without m"tilri.
viii not dwell upon the long hours tlr't i"l-
lowed-tho>c hours OF III ne than mn''i agony
of mind. 1t happened that hah ii',iV y en-
| raoing IN accent al q traveller who had PER
i-hcd in IA ouick>;nd The time OF the acorirn'
! was On n SKINNER evening, when 'he >in WI!
sinking and the lonely shore WAS hatiei III
| lo>v light. The spot where II occurred VA,
| we'll Known I" mc-;ind alter reading the account
| | hrd cn,lcaVo,cd. in that unrct>orIng si'ii1t
| which sometimes lad> the mind 10 dwell on
| horrors ~ r,.,Xr IN fancy the 'Hn 'atl"n> "l the
victim. H. inch by inch and loot 10y foot, III NIL
spbt ,f the tcc ocean and The glorious sun. the
| tna.l clons qn!ck>and dew nm d""hwa'"-
| doWliwald-;O b. do III.
| What the ..n...tlon> attending such 'Ifh
mus, be could rhcn hut iecbly realize know
| them now
1 e.. nh, tt
| who have stood ACE IL face with death toI
| hcuIs watchin. with st,i. ting cIc> his >l"w ai-
| proacli arr. Ia IN, no mystery. but the NINA
| of man ha> m"Icituly been ~ ordered TINT
agony prolonged beyond a certain point cnd-
| in 1t nuiubihg the power of feeling. nus Ii l.
| that criminals ccrdenntst To- execution oiIcI
| slrtp scrndly aud eat with appetite fact
| which stfIiS am;Zng To those who consider no"
compa,aiivcly slight decree of mental distress
| ha. low,r Ia luh the night of rest and 10 tliiI
| he ,i,i, tie,t for to poison. They do not Ic-
! fleet that mental ace ny in H. cNir' mIty c;Lt'
| ia hc felt But thus it land :hu> Il WAS will
| me.
| | believe also that the air OF the SHAFT mu-I
| have acted upon me with s"n@ supplying ~
| lrwildelirg iIilucnce. bike that Ot the NapO
which Otter gatlic,s at the bottosn of old wells
| Tie agitation "f my mind gradually gave place
| IN n str:,ngs feeling ct Indifference. The peri
under which lay ceased to tfouh!s ;r-, uii,i Il
last no longer "cc'u,.:: rny Thoughts.
| hsrr instead Ia b., cu,iOnslv di>tul bed b,
| another circumstance ve:y trivial Ill itself; by
! A sound. which reached my senses fom >1'nc-
| where in tie stil.Ees- a sound low, mll!l1ed
| throbbing and mysterious. like the heating of ,nl
own bleed Had my mind been 81 ar | could
| not long have failed to recognize it for what /
| was The sound seemed in my ears: but Til,
was merely owing to my position III the shaft
In reality. il WIS The ticking of the great clock
far above my head.
For hours ! Fat there, listening mechanically
| half unconsciOuly, to this mOnOtOnous sound
| broken mt intervals by the notes of the deep
toned bell. AT length. probably owing In gre.l
n,es.sure t. the heavy effect of the air upon me
| must have passed into a SOFT Of stupOr, which
| lasted very long