Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-08-20
GREWsoME ADVENTURE.
Had by Man Who Fell Down Disuscd
Shaft In IranSvaaI

o1aft IN ranSvaal.
1t is doubtful il any OF the com
pciitors at 3islcy rifle meeting has tx.
pcricncrd an adventure more grew
some or perilous than one that bcrcll
Ar. Mcnzius. one of the members OF
the Transvaal team.
AS most people know who live or
nave lived in or about Johannesburg
there is tlisquicling large number
of death traps on the fields" in Tho
shape OF abandoned mine shafts. which
have been left without cover and with
ont being rallied on
Il was walking from the mine TO
my home" said Mr.. Menzics, in tell.
ing the story, about $50 o'clock ON n
dark evening. | thought | was keep
ing to The road, but must have turned
aside few feet. | was going along
bflSkly enough, when | lost my foot.
hold. felt fearful blow, and then
another. had fallen down n ,isuscd
shaft. fell down an inclined shaft.
| ~ feet as | afterwards measured
| Then came a SECOND incline, 20 feet
more then third section. this time
vertical. 20 feet more Finally land.
cd a-straddlc Il couple of pieces of wat
! tie staging laid across the last section
Of the shaft
| About 100 feet below this again was
the bottom part Of the workings, fun
OF water. Had | fallen to either side
instead of in the middle onto the tim
herring must of course. have fallen
into the water and drowned
AS far as ! thought at all, I won
dcred what had happened and what
would happen next. When came to
myself little put my hand TO my
head. where there WAS al ovcrwhclm-
ing pain. and my hand became sticky,
whence ! concluded that | had struck
my head against the side in falling and
was bleeding.
For long time remained there.
clinging desperately To the staging.
and not knowing whether should
become So weak and giddy as to fall
again To my death. had no matches;
but felt my way to the side timbcrs
ami to some piping. and by these |
managed that night to climb up To
where the second section of tho Shaft
began, 20 feet aba7c
How | got through the next day I
have scarcely n notion ! know I
chung there. and listened desperately
FOR any sound which might hint of
coming help; but as the hours passed
and nobody came | had to recognize
that nobody was likely 10 come near
the workings. much less down them.
and that unless ! could save myself
there was no prospect of my being
saved.
Several times | heard people pass
within short distance OF the mine,
and then cried out as loud as | could :
hut got no reply. Once felt sure
heard my little daughter calling to mo.
and ] called hack with all my might !.
but nobody came. 7 found ont after.
ward that my little girl had been there
but, though heard her. she could moi
hear me. suppose my voice was
weak. and that the sound. when if
reached the surface, was dissipatcd
in the upper air, and so could not be
made out
Early the next morning-thc sec.
Il pnd morning Of my imprisonment
partly by shining up pieces of tim
herring. partly nv clawing' and dig.
gihg into the sides with my hands
for ] had not even knife with mc--I
managed to climber to the ton II
was 10:30-3S hours from the time
when | had fallen.
81 shall not forget my first look nj
the upper world again. was. OF
course, shaken all 10 pieces ana when
| got home I felt more, dead than
alive. London Express.