The times., 1897-04-11
The Horrible Experience Of a
Kentucky Editor.
THOUSANDS ATTACKED HIM
They Swarmed on His Back and
Shoulders Like Bees-Dashed
Against His Face or Clung
Screechfng TO His Hair or Beard.
How He Escaped.

dram, editor oI tle central RECORD, Wiilie
hunting on Burdetts Knobs, seven miles
north of Lancaster, recently walked up a
heavy rain. He had proceeded only short
distance, when he noticed at the foot of
the cliff a wide crevasse, partly hidden by
vines and shrubbery. Approaching and en-
tering this, he was gradually surprised on
discovering it to be the outlet OF a cavern
The entrance was winding and narrow, and
on either side were steep and craggy walls.
The roof ascended at u sharp angle INTO
obscurity.
Some thirty feet from the entrance, ly-
ing obiiquely on a high projecting ledge,
there was a monster block of granite, OBJ
long in general outline and weighing hun
dreds of tons, its huge crest upreared into
the caves gloomy dome. Landram regard
ed this ponderous rock in wonder. 1t had
undoubtedly been dislodged from above by
a seismic shock, and had it fallen into the
corridor, instead Of on the ledge, 1t would
have choked it completely.
More than half OF its weight seemed now
suspended over the passage. slight shock
or the pressure of finger would apparently
have caused il TO plunge into the chasm.
IL was, indeed, one Of the death traps of
nature, grim and sinister, sometimes seen
in subterrancan chambers or upon preci-
pices. Beyond it there were evidences OF
q large chamber.
The excitement found in penetrating
the Notwithstanding which always
eXerts a fascinating influence upon dar-
Il. u
yanced boldly towards the interior, but
when two fiery eyeballs were suddenly
turned upon him from a dark corner he
came to an immediate halt. At the same
instant his dog, which had followed at
his heels, uttered dismal howl and made
a speedy exit from the cavern. Landram
threw up his gun and discharged both
barrels simultaneously, bat he never knew
what the animal was, or what became OF III,
for the internal din that beloved through
the cavern was instantly followed by an
awful crash. dense volumes OF dust and
sudden darkness, and he was thrown vio-
lently forward on his face and almost
buried beneath masses of falling sand
For a moment he was considerably
stunned. but he soon eXuicated himself
and scrambled to his feet. Then a cold
horror fell upon him, for he saw that
the great rock, shaken from its moor
ings, by the explosion, had plunged into
the passage behind him. Its towering
and colossal form, together with great
quantities of earth and fragments of
stone, was wedged tightly in the corri-
dor, constituting mighty barrier that
arose black and frightful between him
self and liberty.
BE saw no way of escape. No lay of
light pierced the gloom. Moreover, vast
army of bats, disturbed by the detonation
and shifting sand, began To swarm thickly
in the pasSa ge. They were of remarkable
size and fierceneSs. These creatures be-
gan to alight on his person, and he was
forced to beat them off with a swift aud
vigorous movement of his arms. They
swept forward in flocks as If To escape,
and that quarter OF the cave was alive
with them.
Confused and only partially aroused
from the torpcr of Information, thousands
precipitated themselves against the rocks
and fell to the floor, where they continued
to move awkwardly about. They collected
in seething heaps on every rock and ledge;
the alr was noisy with swShing wings
They swarmed on Landram's back and
shoulders like bees They dashed against
his face or chung screech hing to his hair
or beard This multitude of busy wings
stirred and whirled about in suffocating
billows the dry, penetrating dust of CEN
turieS.
Threatened with suffocaton, he increas sed
the activity of his movements TO fierce
impetuosity, each moment hurting hun
dreds of the squeaking creatures upon the
earth and tranlpling them under foot. He
was without resource or shelter in the
midst of a species of horrible tempest
That a man could preserve his pres
ence of mind in situation Of this sort
is wonderful, but that Landram did see
is shown by a plan which occurred to
him and which he Immediately pro-
ceeded to execute. Shaking himself free
of his tormentors for a moment he DOTTED
his hunting coat and poured over 1T the
stimulant and combustive contents of a
quart bottle that he drew from his hip
pocket. He ignited it with a match, and
as the flames leaped fiercely up he began
to whirl it, circle of roaring flame and
smoke above his head
The effect was magical. The flame
and pungent fumes were intolerable, and
every bat that could use his wings began
a precipitate flight to other quar- ters.
And in that spectral light the hunter
was for the moment transformed into
something inhuman, demoniacal. The cav
ern rang with his horrible outcries The
sound of bursting shells came from The
pockets of his burning coat.
Rushing from side to side of the cave
his hair tumbied over his forehead in
tangled masses, and his face distorted
he whirled the blazing torch hither and
thither, scorching great numbers Of the
creatures and burning many alive, Until
the horrid host had been driven back into
the recesses Of the cavern. Thus 10y q
drastic method did he quickly rid himself
of the shifting plague.
The eXertion- had fatigued him. His
face streamed with perspiration. Yet he
immediately began to consider the pos
sibihties of escape from his captivity.
II any avenue OF escape over the lofty
summit of the boulder still existed,
which was doubtful, it would have been
madness to try to reach it in the reign
ing darkness, either by attempting to
scale the barrier itself, or by clamberi1g
up the steepand jagged walls OF the cavern.
1t remained to be seen, therefore,
whether there was any Vulnerable point
about the opposing mass. BY the light
of an uncertain blaze, that still played
over a remnant of his burning coat, he
picked up his gun and plunged the bar
rels into the earth and sand at one side
OF the giantrock. The debris yielded little
by little to his attack.
With the energy OF a man entombed