The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-02-21
THE SUBTERRANEAN
! o~~CHAlMBER
foriganatl

b.
The following true story was told
me by German gentleman. now an
American citizen. give lt. as nearly
as I can remember. in his own words:
When was student at the uni.
versity. a number Of us made up a
party to visit ruined castle on the
Rhine. How old It was. how long It
hnd been ruin. do not know. and I
question II there is my authentic rec.
ord. 1t was doubtless built and used
during the dark ages when men were
hut half civilized and their treatment
OF each other was often as dark as the
age. 1t was in very crumblins con-
dition. and we found It impossible to
touch stone or bit OF mortar with
out its falling. 1t seemed to ME as !
walked about amid It's broken walls
and dark corridors that 1t WIS a link
between bnrbarism and civilization.
After seeing all there was of in.
tcrcst above ground one of our num-
Der noticed door that had not been
opened.
/" Where does that door lead toy he
asked the guide.
" Below,
"'Cannot we go down there|
"'Not OH any account
".Have you ever been down thereg
".No. and would not go there for
the world
"Yonng fellows that We We're. full Of
desire for adventure. we resolved to
visit the subterranean portion of the
castle We offered the guide different
amounts TO permit us to descend. each
time naming ii lar:cr sum till the bride
am ouptcd to what his regular pay
would be for a month. Then. but not
till We had NIL promised to keep the
matter n secret. he yielded. Furnish.
ing ms with couple OF lanterns. he
unfastened the door, and we passed
through
I'VE found a spiral staircase. which
we descended. Tho walls We're wet
and Shiny. and we dared not touch any.
thing for fear of its falling and bring
ing more down with It. was in con.
slant dread lest the steps | trod on
should give way. At the bottom we
came 10 an open space from which led
n passage.
- wonder where that leads to:' said
one.
".Don't know and don't care.
wouldn't go there said another.
We stood hcsitating for moment,
when the first speaker said:
81 have come here TO see. and am
going to see it all
with that he started down the pas.
sage. followed by the party.
We had not gone far before we
came to a vcritable chamber OF hor.
rors. In one part was a pit full of the
bones OF human beings while. for the
matter Of that. bones were scattered
everywhere. Picking up one. it was a
forcnrm: another wasa foot. another n
rib. another skull. ON the Shiny
floors. OH the dunk walls. crawled YER
min. toads molcs while from the walls
cxudcd Shiny moisture. The loathe.
.omc things cranled in and out of the
broken walls. among the slowly crum.
bling bones.
.Rul the horror that excited chain
OF thrilling speculaliom was in niche
IN the walls II was human skeleton
held in place by an iron band around
the body. which was in turn chained to-
the wall. The flesh having rotted
away, the band had Slipped and tie
body had partly fallen
lit was plain that centuries before In
this chamber people We're placed to die
Who were they: What was their of.
81. nf
thc fen,lal lord OF the castle. enemies
of the STATE. Offenders u: IA inst the laws
u. martyrs to their religious convic.
tiouS? We're they placed there during
the period OF the brcakng up of the
Roman empire and The formation OIL
the new civilization. when the Teutonic
barlparianS were being converted TO the
new Christian faith? Mere they early
Christians sacrificed To SunerstitionsI
that were passing away: Was it when
Chrlenagnc WAS bulding up the EN-
pirc of western Europe: Did their
burial in this dungeon cmanatc from
the fcudal srsicm when each of the
castles was fortress
"rhcsc questions courScd through
my brain, not on account Of their prob,
ability. hut rs fancicS cNcitcd by the
singular spectacle. But n moment was
spent in their flashing before me.
then | began To thiuk who this muir.
dcrcd tlIrun. were They We're most
likely sacrificed during the period next
preceding the dccliuc and fall of tie
frudal castles. when III" reformation
was swcrpin. over Europc and the