The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-27
GREWsOME ADVENTURE
Had By Man Who Fell Down Disused
 Shaft in Transvaal.

From the London Express.
 It Is doubtful If any of the competitors at Blsley rifle meeting has experienced an adventure more grewsome or peri lious than ono that befell MT Menzies. one of the members of the Transvaal team
 As most people know who live or have lived fin or about Johannesburg, there is disquietins large number of death traps on ''the fields in the shane of abandoned mine shafts, which have been left without cover and without being railed off.
 T was walking from the mine to my home,' said MT. Menzie in telling the story. about 8:30 on q dark evening. thought l was keeping on the road, but must have turned aside n few feet I war going along brislSly enough, when l lost my foothoid. l felt a fearful blow, and then another. 1 had fallen down q dis used shaft. l fell down an inclined shaft. 70 feet, as 1 afterwards measured Then came second incline, 20 feet more. Finally l landed straddle couple of pieces of wattle staging laid across the last section of the shaft.
 About 100 feet below this again was the bottom part of the workings, full of water Had l fallen to either side in- stead of In the middle onto the timber ing l must of course, fallen into the water and drowned.
 As far as I thought at all. l wonder ed what had happened and what would happen next. When l came to myself a little l put my hand to my head, where there was an overwhelming pain. and my hand became sticky. whence l concluded that had struck my head against tho side in falling and was bleeding.
 For q long time I remained there Clts ssfxl, q faI. Al not knowing whether I should become so weak and giddy as to fall again 10 my death. l had no matches. and, of course was In total darkness; but felt my way to the side timbers and to some piping and by these l managed that night to climb up to where the second section of the shaft began 20 feet above
 How l got through the next day I have scarcely notion. I know that I clung 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 to come near the workings much less down them, and that unless I could save myself there was no prospect of my being saved
 Several times I had heard people pass within short distance of the mine and then cried out loud as I could: but got no reply. Once I felt sure I heard my little daughter calling me, and called back with all my might; but nobody came. I found out afterward that my little girl had been there, but, though. l heard her she could not hear me suppose my voice was weak. and that the sound. when 1t reached the surface. was disslpated in the upper air. and so could not be made out.
 Early the next mornng-the second ~'orning of my imprisonment-par by <inine' up pieces of timbering. partly by clawing and digging into the sides with my hands-for I had not oven knife with mel managed to chamber 10 the top. It was 10.3o-sS hours from tho time when I had fallen.
 T shall not forget my first look nt the upp"r world again. I was of course shaken all 10 pieces. and when I got home felt more dead than alive