Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-31
THE TURRET DOOR.

1t was beautiful and still evening toward |
he end of summer, when in the course ID |
my wauderings about the ancient city en- |
tered the quiet and solitary close OF the grey
The rocks were gathering in the
old elms which stood around. A ruddy
light wrapped the great grey towers which
rose tar up into the evening air. The sounds
Of the city from without came family and at
intervals to the ear as walked slowly across
the close toward the low wide steps which
assembled aud wero los, in the shadow OF the
noble porch.
On reaching the great door of the cathedral
l found ii closed. But IN the centre of thls
there was another smaller door which still
stood open-and here a party of visitors, to-
whom 1 was a stranger, were endeaNoring to
persuade the ancient verger that the hour
WAS not vet too late TO permit them to inspect
the interior 1t so happened that Just rs |
came up they succeeded in overcoming his
hesitation, and he turned to lead the way
into the building.
The party followed him, and among
theul.
Inside the stiffness was profound the
lightest football awoke echoes The evening
light fell, laden with the rich and colored
gloom OF painted windows, on the dark carr-
ing of the stalls, on the great tubes of the ST.
lent organ, on the scrolls of the eptaphs, on
the marble images of warriors, priests and
kings. The silence of the antique nave the
colored gloom of the painted panes, the
sense of antiquity in all the air, impressed
their influence upon the mind with even
more than customary power. l had no
other motive i'll entering the cathedral than
to indulge the ordinary curiosity of astranger
very certainly | anticipated no more than
the ordinary incidents of such a visit No
mortal could have been less prepared for an
adventure. How could l dream that a
strange. q wildly strange experience, was TO
befall me before should stand again without
those grey and ancient walls?
And yet, so il was.
The truth of this extraordinary story is
known to many persons, and my veracity
may be easily verified. The facts Of the case
are these
The party of visitors to which | had joined
myself had completed, under the guidance
of the yerger. the customary tour of inspec.
ton round the ancient fabric, and were now
preparing to leave the building. l had fallen
for moment behind the rest, in order to eN'
| anime a fine and deeply interesting specimen
of antique carving which covered the whole
| of the wall near which | stood. The great
| door OF the cathedral, where the rest OF the
| party were now standing, was not Nlsiole
| from this spot but | could hear their voices
| plainly round the angle of the wall. Aware
| that had not much time to linger unless |
| wished to be locked up all night, | cast a
last glance at the rich tracery of the wood.
| work ami prepared reluctantly to turn
| away.
| Suddenly my eye WAS caught by a portion
| of the carving which seemed To stand out
| slightly from the rest. | put my hand upon
| the carved head OF the Apostle Peter and
pulled it outward. To my amalement the
door opened in the carving, showing beyond
| il dark passage. | stopped forward and
| looked in. As did so the door, which wa
| thick and massive, and which was huns
| slantingly upon its hinges in such a manner
| as to close with its own weight, swung heav
a., ,tNlx
| pushed it, aud coming unexpectedly upor
| me as l stopped forward, projected me int
the opening and shut behind me.
The suddenness OF the incident and the to
tai darkness in which | found myself en-
tOmbed startled and confused me. But a
first felt no positive alarm. l attempted a
once to push open the door, but to my sur
prise it did not yield. / pushed harder
harder yeti eNerted all my strength, bu
the door remained immovable.
| At last, finding all my efforts useless,
| endeavored to attract the attention of thos
outside. / raised my voice and called loudl
for assistance, at the same time beating a VII
orous tattoo with my stick against the doc
| | then paused aud listened, in the expects
tion of being speedily released. But to m
| surprise and alarm the minutes passed an
there was no response.
: With a vague terror at heart renewed IN
endeavors. / raised clamor that awoke I'll
D | echoes of the building. But still no voice r.
| piled from outside my prison, no hand r.
/, | leased the fastening Of the door. Gradual
= | the conviction forced itself upon my min
5 that | had delayed too long. While ha
. | been trying to force open the door by III
: own efforts, the party OF visitors had lett IL
: cathedral, either without observing my a.
. sence or perhaps supposing that had LETT b
t | fore them. The verger had locked up I'll
Q | building and departed. There was no on
' | within hearing to assist me.
My CONSERVATION at this discovery may |
| conceived. The idea that was tated TO pa
the night in this dark and narrow prison wa
one which / refused to entertain. Again
again, and yet again | hurled myself againi
the wooden barrier with rage, with fur,
with despair. Not until 1 had eXhauste
every effort in my power, not until ever
gleam OF hope had vanished from my minC
did give up the attempt to force the dot
: | as hopeless, and turned away from 1t to o.
3 | anime more narrowly the place OF my IN
= | prisonment Nothing now seemed left
q me but to ascertain how / might pass II
, hours with least discomfort, until | migl
! | expect assistance from without
, In my assaults upon the door had alread
discovered that the place In which i was il
D | closed was OF very small dimensions. ltwa
in fact little more than recess or deep mich
in the masonry, not exceeding three fe'
| square, 1t would neither enable me to lie
full length nor to obtain any other relief ft
my tired limbs than by the change of on
cramped and uneasy posture for anothe
The floor was OF solid pavement The roo
| as | stood erect, just touched my head. Til
! walls, like the floor, were OF solid ston
Standing close to one OF these, and castin
my eyes upward l made discovery whiC
filled me at first with surprise, and afterwar
with extreme perplexity.
Between the roof and the wall there was
space of at least tour inches Through tn
space | became aware OF faint gleam
light very far above my head. With the oil
| ject of ascertaining the length of this ape
ture l moved along the wall, keeping my ey
| ha sra ayia liph pp Al