Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1894-12-07

traDle, within the great colin around
me without the least opening to ad-
NIT air and light Terror deprived
me OF consciousness. Moaning |
dropped down. How long / lay do
not recollect But the physician told
me later that It must have been more
apoplexy than faintness
While lay there sensation crept
over me as if my feet were lying in
water. 1t rose higher and higher.
il already reached toward my knees
and 1t made me feel uncommonly
chilly. The chilliness increased. An
indescribable sensation orept over me.
as more and more the water covered
my body. AT last rising slowly. it
reached my head and finally my mouth.
i heard the regular motion of the
pump pumping water into the boiler
With horror | started up. My ter
rible situation seemed TO strengthen
me- the blood rushed to my head. but
tho Lord be praised i did not faint
again.
The stunning terror which fell upon
me when 1 first realized my fearful
situation. gave way to fervent de-
sire for selt-preservation. screamed
and shouted with all my might
again moved to the closed opening,
stretched my arm TO the place through
which | got in, and came 10 the con-
clusion that / was buried alive. |
yelled again and again in my fear so
that the walls OF my iron coffin shook
But the regular pulses of the pump
gave answer as II in mockery.i
/ gave up all hope at last and be-
came tranquil. The thought of my
death, and in such horrible way. had
now nothing terrible to me. 1t was
nothing new that man had to die such
a death Thousands are often caught
in such small spaces of ship, have
sunk to the bottom Of the sea, have in
despair beaten against the too we'll
closed matches and been drowned.
Why should not also die in this wayP
But after | had accustomed myself TO
the thought, another came to me. /
felt the water becoming hot heard
the cracking of the fire. which had TO
change the water into steam. before
IL could rise high enough to drown
me. | shuddered. My fearful situa-
ton overpowered me again. Feebly
l sank back upon the floor OF the
boiler
But my full Consciousness retur ned
again. As ! was too hoarse to shout
very loud beat against the wall
louder and louder with increasing
.orce and with u strength which only
despair could lmpart
There were men close by who ought |
to hear my knocking. Could not
hear the shuiiing OF their feet-the |
dull falling OF the wood2 Could not !
hear even the laughing of the fireman,
who was only few inches from my |
tomb. But the singing OF the water
which surrounded my knees made in |
he steaming boiler more noise than |
my weak knocking against the iron
wall
Then suddenly stepped upon a
object for the increasing |
leat forced me TO keep my feet in
notion Mechanically | reached |
'ut and touched a heavy hammer that
he blacksmith had accidentally left
here
With what delight l took this tool
With what renewed hope beat
against the iron walls OF my living
grave But oh, horrorl had
scarcely listened for a moment whom
heard the clinkingof the iron doors
which the fireman opened | per-
'eiyed how the fire which was about
o torture me to death would be fed
With a new supply OF fuel.
Suddenly new hope sprang up In
ny heart There was no choice /
night have been saved II had found
he hammer even few minutes
ooner. Now had TO take tho last
means lett to me which might save
no or might cause me death still
more horrible.
i recnllected that had a chisel in
ny pocket and In less time than IL
axes TO describe II l put II against