St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-10-04

place III the chimney while removing
the bars The execution Of this part Of
the work cost us six months Of the most
trying and painful labor. We were
obliged to work in the most uncomfort-
able and torturing positions, and we had
scarcely struck u dozen strokes before
our hands were covered with blood. The
bars were fixed in an extremely hard
cement, on which we could make no
impression without tools till we had
moistened il with water, and the water
had to be carried up in our mouths. We
were satisfied when we removed a sim
gle square inch Of the cement in the
course of night. We were obliged to
leave each one in its place after loosen
ing it, not daring to remove them till
the last moment for fear that the CHM
ney might be examined in the mean
time. This completed, we went to work
on the wooden ladder by means Of which
we were to get into the governors gar
den, which lay on the other side Of the
ditch, and to make it we set aside the
pieces Of wood sent to us as firing, using
part Of an old chandelier, notched with
our pocketknives, as saw With this
and another rude tool made from the
ironwork of our table, we cut the wood
into smaller pieces, fastening them to-
gether with small bits Of metal and
bolts Of wood that served as hinges and
screws. Thus we got single pole near
ly % feet long, through which we put
pieces of wood that projected about six
inches on either side 1t could be folded
together and easily put away into our lit
tie subterranean workshop. How we es-
capped detection seems wonderful for it
Bastille not only to visit the cells them
selves at the most unexpected and irreg
ular times, but even to set spies upon the
prisoners most secret hours. We dared
not, therefore, leave the slightest trace
Of our work anywhere. But guards have
ears as we'll as eyes, and to avoid all
danger from this source we invented a
language of our own, calling our saw
'fawn;' a hook, 'Tubal CAIN the hole
in the floor, 'Polyphemus, while our
pocketknives went by the name of pup
pies.
"And now for our great ladder by
which to reach the top of the chimney,
$50 feet above us at the least calculation.
Everything we possessed in the way of
wearing apparel we ripped and tore to
pieces, hiding each hank in 'Polyphe-
mus. One night we spent in binding
them together, but we had this satisfac-
ton, that our rope was not only as long
as we could possibly need, but as stout
too "
Ropes for the ladder and the guy and
anchoring ropes measured 400 feet.
The prisoners spent is months in the
preparations to mount the tower and
drop into the ditch. All being ready
they chose Il dark night in February
when the river was flooded and the
ditch filled with water. Standing to the
armpts in the chilling tide, they labor
ed nine hours tunnelng passage under
| meath the outer wall. AT 5 o'clock IL
the morning they emerged from the tun
mel just as the prison bell struck tn
hour and stood on the main road, FIRE,
men. After many wanderings and ad
ventures they reached Brussels separate
ly, where Allegro was Immediately ar
rested. Latitude avoided detection for {
time, but was finally caught at Amster
dam. He was loaded with irons for {
number of years, but at last became {
privileged prisoner at Vincennes. On
day, nearly ten years after his escap
from the tower, he dashed past the sentl
nels and disappeared in the crowd gath
cred by the uproar, Outside the gate hi
offered himself for arrest to the singh
guard, but suddenly dismmed him ant
hurled his musket some rods away, thel
ran and hid in a park. After hours o
wandering he entered Paris and foun'
asylum with two girls who had be
friended him in prison.
At the end Of few weeks of rest hi
daring spirit once more brought hin
into trouble. He wrote to the governo
of Vincennes asking him to interfere TO
his pardon, and also boldly went i'll per
son to two ministers of the king to su
for their protection. He was shortly re