The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-08-12
sightseerss creepy. shu,idderinr feelings,

SisntseerS creepy enuoder1nG feelings
and here both male and female prison
ers were confined. Tho city hall wa
later connected with the castle by
deep underground tunneel built by tn,
prisoners through solid rock or san,
stone, which at that time owing t,
crude instruments, was very hard tt
pierce. It was built narrow and low
and without means Of illumination, blu
was used by the city as a means o.
transferring prisoners to and from tn.
castle; for soldiers in going secretly
to reinforce the guard at the castle
In case of seige; and as q last resort
for an escape exit for royalty in case
Of danger. 1t required thirty years o.
hard, tiresome labor to build the tunne
which also served as means Of get
ting water from an extremely deer
well Goo feet deep, dug through solid
stone the entire depth.) The prison.
ers were required to go from their
cells to the well for water without q
light and were forbidden to bring
any back with them for later use. OF
course the tunnel being narrow, low
and dark the journey lasted perhaps
upward Of two hours and required
great exertion for the strong ones,
and was next to impossible for the
weak ones, who through torture and
starvation were obliged to go only
when dire necessity required it of
them thus many went only once in two
or three days and thirsted and suffer-
ed in between.
we shall go upstairs and get a
guide and lantern and make the
journey ourselves, and then we can
sympathize with those poor creatures
thus tortured, Come. the guide wants
US to go in this direction, through the
small doorway and down the stairs
to the left there. My, how dark, and
the air Is SO damp. In a moment we
are at an intersection Of the tunnel.
where branch off passages in different
directions leading to the prison cells.
To the left were confined the female
prisoners. In some of the cells we
see Stocks" where the feet and
hands were placed through holes in
the thick board and there they sat on
the floor Of their cells unable to-
move. Here and there in the corners
are large iron rings used to put around
the neck and then were fastened to
the wall. We find also in the male
compartments like condition and in all
the beds are hard with only a piece of
wood or a rock for a pillow, and en-
tirely devoid Of bed cloths.
The guide calls us into one particu
lar chamber, and here we find a sort
of "windlass" scafolding, like are used
on many Of our deep farm wells at
home for the drawing of water. Ropes
are attached to it and hang with
large and small rings; the large one
for the neck and the small ones for
the wrists of he or she who is to be
tortured. The floor directly beneath
is sunken perhaps three feet to per-
NIT OF good sized person hanging
without his feet touching the floor,
and here clamps were arranged to
grip the ankles. Here was performed
one of the most brutal tortures con-
ceivable. From the ring the prisoner
would be suspended and his feet were
fastened to the floor by the clamps
and then the torturers turned the wind
lass thus stretching the Joints, of the
Lets go farther quickly, but be care
full and don't bump your head. also
hold your cloths tight to your body to
avoid rubbing them on the damn
walls. We find the we'll to1
be nothing more than common one.
except that we have reached ii through
subtereanean; passage, and now STAG
gazing up into space through a 200
foot hole Well have to hurry back
so as to see the castle. You see we
made the trip with lamp and walk
cd fast, in about forty.five minutes.
What about the poor prisoners?
At the castle. high up on the hill
We go into little cabin and see the
well again, but. remember we have
walked long way to get here and it
was no easy climb either. Here g
young lady drops some water down
into the well and after six minutes
we hear faint splash. She lowers
candles and tells us all about the well
etc. Off to the left we go to the wall
and look down a steep precipice of
solid rock on which the castle is built.
and one gets the impression that it
must have been almost impregnable at
Iormer times, or before explosives
came into use. Still father around
we see square tower in which are
exhibited the instruments of torture.
me entrance fee is seven cents, which
not dear as compared with Ameri. |