Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-01-27

lllt Ldlt al ltlIlcbll Ol ii l'tdbllI III
day, after paving the custodian the in
significant price he asked for all the
glories visible from the elevated station.
We had looked through the telescope
for another fee-and had each assured
the others that we saw Mont Blanc per
fectly well, without for a rioment be-
lieving what the others said or convinc-
ing them that we told the truth, and
had ended our climbs by ascending 10
the highest point under the lantern-if
it is lantern-by the corkscrew stair
case, which will scarcely permit any but
the thinnest persons to pass when one Is
going mp and the other coming down.
We were party Of four, and when
the roof was reached the youngest pro
posed ramble over that portion of the
structure. To this all but myself as
scented. | was tired and proposed to
rest awhile at the foot of the tower
stairs, where the others were to pick mo
up on their return, so that wo might all
descend together. This was satlsfac
tory and off they started.
For a time | WAS quite comfortable,
and paid no attention to the passage of
time; but suddenly noticed that it was
getting dark and that my companions
had not returned. called to them first
in moderate tone of voice, then more
loudly, but received no answer.
Fearing that they would be belated on
the roof | started i'll search of them.
| walked the entire length of the ridge Of
the main roof and peered down all the
side passages in the gathering dusk, but
caught no glimpse of my companions.
Then descended to the roof of the aisle
and made search there which was also
fruitless. | became alarmed as the light
failed, and ran from one point to an
other, calling out as | ran, until found,
to my great distress, that had lost my
way | could see far below me the lights
of the great city and hear the distant
rumbling of the carriages as they drove
past on the stony streets.
But | was as effectually lost for the
moment as if had been in the heart of
an African jungle without a compass
and no Stanley on the'alert TO hunt me
up. In the excitement and despair
duced, rushed about so wildly that
slipped and fell on a long flight of stone
steps, wet with the dew which had be
gun to fall. | was not conscious of any
serious injury from the fall, but when |
brought up at the foot of the stairs and
tried to regain my footing, found, to
my despair and horror, that WAS utter
ly unable to move my limbs. ! was par
alvzed
The mental agony suffered is incon-
ceivable. Yet curiously enough spent
the first moments in specializing as to
the exact nature of the injury | had sus-
tanned. Had broken my back OF sim
ply injured my spinal cord? tried to
recall what | had heard my doctor
friends say about injuries Of similar
character but could not seem to remem-
Der anything definite. The words, 1.-THE
fifth pair" flashed into my mind and ap
peared to connect themselves in some
way with my condition; but whether it
was Che fifth pair of nerves or ribs, or Of
something else. could not make out.
could not understand either how |
could have been so seriously injured
without any sensible shock, but that my
power of locomotion was gone there was
no doubt. could move my hands and
began to speculate on the number of
things one could do with ones hands
alone. This occupied me for what
seemed to be an hour: but as the train
of thought was interrupted by a clock
striking the hour % midnight, ! con-
cluded it must have been much longer,
and wondered had not heard the pre-
ceding hours.
Suddenly the full horror Of my condi-
ton flashed upon me. was not only
doomed to remain where was, helpless
and alone, during the long chilly hours
of the night, but there was no certainty
that | would ever get away alive. My
friends would never dream that was
cluded that | had gone down and n
they missed mo would search every
where but in the night place. 1t might
be days before the particular spot in
which lay would be visited. and In
that case it would be too late. Starva-
ton would do for me, even If the injury
had received did not. In my anguish
shrieked aloud, but was duly con
seious all the time that nobody could
hear me. Visitors and custodiaus alike
must have departed hours before; and
even if my cries were heard from the
streets below nobody would attribute
them to their real source.
To the feeling Of acute anguish snc-
ceeded ono Of blank despair. no longer
specuiated on the possibility Of being
discovered, dead or alive. There was a
dull lcaden feeling at my chest, and |
found myself repeating mechanically
old rhymes and lingles and saying the
alphabet backward, as once learned to
don seeking relief from insomnia Yet
at the same time 1 was conscious that
my whole life was passing in review 10
fore me, AZ they say it does when one is
drowning or being hanged. remem-
bered that saying, too, and without any
cessation of the review | wondered in
my doubled consciousness if / were
undergoing the sensations Of a drowning
man, or Of one being hanged, and wished
could put them down on paper for the
benefit of the rest Of mankind
What strnck me az singular was that
the clocks kept on striking twelve. The
second time they did this thought must
have lost consciousness for an entire day
and that this was the second midnight
But when the third stroke Of twelve
came from half dozen clocks, | knew
it could not be two days since had
fallen.
thought first that had become de-
mented: and then it occurred to me that
If were could not reason about it in
that fashion, so the clocks themselves
must be crazy. This theory satisfied me
until the striking began again. when
went off in another fantastic speculation |
Ny friends had discovered that | was
missing, and were having the bells rung
to keep my spirits up.