The Portland daily press., 1892-10-10
A MAN IN THU BELL.


years ago about twenty of us who dwelt
in the vicinity of the cathedral formed a
club which used to ring every peal that
was called for.
One Sunday went with another into
the belfry to ring for noon prayers, but
the second stroke we had pulled showed
us that the clapper of the bell we were
at was muffled. Some one had been
buried that morning and it had been
prepared of course to ring 1nournful
note.
We did not know of this, but the rem
edy was easy. "Jack," said my COM
panion, "step up to the loft and cut off
the hat" for the way We had of muf-
fling was by tying piece of an old hat
Oh of cloth (the former was preferred) on
one side of the clapper, which deadened
every second toll.
| complied, and mounting into the
belfry crept as usual into the bell,
where l began to cut away. The hat
had been tied on in some more compli-
Gated manner than usual, and I was per-
haps three or four minutes in getting it
off, during which time my companion
below was hastily called away-by a
message from his sweetheart, believe,
but that is not material to my story.
The person who called him was a
brother of the club who, knowing that
the time had come for ringing for serv-
ice, and not thinking that any one was
above, began to pull. At this moment
was just getting out when / felt the
bell moving. guessed the reason at
once. It was moment of terror, but
by hasty and almost convulsive effort
succeeded in jumping down and throw
ing myself on the fat of my back under
the bell.
The room in which it was was little
more than sufficient to contain it,, the
bottom of the bell coming within a
couple of feet of the floor of lath. At
that time certainly was not so bulky
as l am now, but as lay it was within
an inch of my face. had not lain N.Y.
self down second, when the ringing
began. It was dreadful situation.
Over me swung an immense mass of
metal, one touch Of which would have
crushed me to pieces; the floor under
me was principally composed of crazy
laths, and if they gave way was pre-
cipitated to the distance of about fifty
feet upon loft, which would in all
probability have sunk under the impulse
of my fall and sent me to be dashed to
atoms upon the marble floor of the chan
eel a hundred feet below.
This was my first terror, but the ring
ing had not continued a minute before a
more awful and immediate dread came
on me. The deafening sound of the
bell smote into my ears with thunder
which made me fear their drums would
crack; there was not fiber of my body
it did not thrill through. It entered my
very soul; thought and reflection were
almost utterly banished; l only retained
the sensation of agonizing terror.
Every moment saw the bell sweep
within an inch Of my face, and my eyes
Il could not close them, though to look
at the object was bitter as death-fol-
lowed it instinctively in its oscillating
progress until it came back again. It
was in vain said to myself that it
could come no nearer at any future
swing than it did at first; every time it
descended / endeavored to shrink into
the very floor to avoid being buried un-
der the down sweeping mass, and then,
rehectiny on the danger of pressing too
weightily on my frail support, would
cover up again as far as dared.
At first my fears were mere matter Of
fact. 1, was afraid the pulleys above
would give way and let the bell plunge
on me. At another time the possibility
of the clapper being shot out in some
sweep and dashing through my body, as
| had seen ramrod glide through a
door, fitted across my mind. The dread
also, as I have already mentioned, of the
crazy floor tormented me, but these soon
gave way to fears not more unfounded,
but more visionary and of course more
tremendous.
The roaring of the bell confused my
intellect, and my fancy soon began to
TEEN with all sorts of strange and terri
flying ideas. The bell pealing above and
opening it's jaws with hideous clamor
seemed to me at one time raving mon
ster raging to devour me; at another a
whirlpool ready to suck me into its bel
lowing abyss. AS gazed on it, it as
sumed all shapes. It was flying eagle,
or rather a roc of the Arabian story
tellers, clapping it's wings and screaming
over me.
AS l looked upward into it, it would APP
pear sometimes to lengthen into indef-
mite extent or to be twisted at the end
into the spiral folds Of the tail of flying
dragon. Nor was the flaming breath or
fiery glance of that tabled animal want
ing to complete the picture. My eyes,
infamed, bloodshot and glazing, invested
the supposed monster with a full pro-
portion of unholy light.
1t would be endless were J to merely
hint at all the fancies that possessed my
mind Every object that was hideous
and roaring presented itself to my i'm
agination. l often thought that I was
in hurricane at sea and that the vessel
in which was embarked tossed under
me with the most furious vehemence.
The air. set in motion by the swinging
of the bell, blew over me nearly with
the violence and more than the thunder