Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-05-04
IMPRISONED BY TIE TIDE

IMPRISONED BY THE TIDE.
The Newcastle Eng. )Chronicle states
that eleven boys, ranging in age from
II to "A years, had a most extraordinary
adventure on the beach at Seaham
HarbOr Saturday. At the South side
OF the town there is a rock projecting
from the mainland known as Nose
Point, on the top of which is built the
Vane and Seaman blost furnaces. I'm
| deFrneath is a large cavern, locally
known as the "SmuggIer' Cave, which
at high tide is filed by the sea. Among
the boys referred to, the exploration of
this cave and the unearthing of treasure
of some buccaneer of the past had
long been an object to be ACCOMPLISHED.
and determination was at last come
to carry out the project at the first
fitting opportunity. Saturday was fixed
upon for the day of search, and they
started off, headed by a trusty leader,
and provided with candles, lanterns.
torches, pick and shovel. Entering
the cavern at low water they com
menced work, and soon We're so intent
upon the object of their Iabors
that they never needed the turn
of the tide, and it was only when they
found escape from the cave by the wav
they had entered impossible that they
realized their position. The water
drove them farther and farther back
into the cave, until at length they
found it impossible to recede farther.
70 avoid the rise Of the water, several
OF the boys climbed as high up the
walls of the cave as possible. Others
had no alternative but to stand pressed
up against the end Of the cavern and
allow the water to gradually creep in
upon them. Higher and higher rose
the water, and deeper and deeper the
lads became immersed until some of
them were covered up to the shoulders.
They all managed, however, to keep
erect, Notwithstanding their weakened
condition, produced by shouting for
help and numbness arising from being
compelled to stand in the water Now
and again broken wave would dash in
among them, rendering their position
still more periIOus. Moreover, the
cave was nearly dark, all the lads
lights having been put out except one,
which had escaped the wash of the
waves and continued to give forth its
feeble illumination. One OF the bows at
last, from sheer want of strength, was
washed from his holding; but soon an
other lad standing near CROPPED in the
dark, and with nothing but the cries of
his cOmrade to guide him, succeeded in
restoring him to his feet. In the mean
time the lads had been missed from
their homes, and their continued alb
sence caused inquiries to be made.
This resulted in their whereabouts be-
coming known. A rumor then got
abroad that all the boys had been
drowned, and soon fathers, mothers.
brothers, sisters, and a large body of
other men, women, and children rushed
Off IN eager haste to the top of the cliff.
There was no way of reaching them
from the shore, nor was there any pos
slblllty OF going down the precipitous
face of the cliffs with ropes. Nothing
could, therefore, be done with the hun
dreds of people who had collected but
to wait until the fall of the tide would
admit Of access to the cave from the
shore. Meanwhile the imprisoned
boys passed a terrible time; but lust
when they thought the worst had come
the water had stopped rising. Slowly
the water left the cave, and in q short
time they felt themselves in compare
tive safety, although in darkness. 1t
was, however, 10 80 o'clock at night be-
fore they were rescued.