The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-08-28

| nous SNIuHueT, anu LOT years ne uSeu
TO retire In summer TO the picturesque
| little village OF Etretat, on the Nor
mandy coast. there to breast the waves
end TO wander about the chalk cliffs
and gaze forth from some coign OF van
| tage upon the blown, wet face Of the
sea"
One day he met with singular ad-
| venture, which has never been told in
print, and came near putting prema-
| ture emu to his mortal career.
At one point OF the coast Il vast natu-
raj arch nearly 100 feet in height Is
formed by flying buttress at right an
giles to the general line Of the cliffs
which plants its foot below high water
mark on the shingle beach. The cen
tral mass Of this buttress fell or was
eaten away by the waves in prehis
toric ages, leaving a pointed gothic
doorway Of remarkable symmetry and
mightier than any ever built by man.
1t is a famous landmark of the coast
md is to be seen In countless marine
pictures painted in the latter half OF
the last century.
The outer springer or pier OF this
gigantic arch is submerged at food
tide. but when the water recedes 1t is
seen TO be pierced by a small hole or
tunnel, also OF natural formation, pass
Ing clear through the substance of the
chalk from one side TO the other. This
hole is partly choked up with the flint
pebbles OF which the beach Is com
posed, but space enough remains for a
man to crawl through.
The passage is about sixty feet in
length, but is bent in its course. so that
when halfway through daylight cannot
he seen in either direction. 1t was
local feat of the athletic young fisher
men Of the region TO wrigge their way
through the tunnel at low tide.
Swinburne had witnessed one OF
these performances and made up his
mind to attempt the passage himself.
He chose day following one Of the
fierce storms OF late August. When he
reached the spot the sun was setting
and the beach was deserted. He did
not think il worth while to remove any
Of the rough tweed outing garments
that he wore. but. got down on his
hands and knees and began worming
himself into the darkness of the hole.
At first all went well, but as he pro
Ceeded the passage narrowed and tbs
Shiny walls OF the chalk rock so i'm
peded his movements that he was un
able any longer II use his arms freely,
but could only push with his feet and
unduate his body. lie had reached
The bend of the tunnel and the dark
ness was absolute. He still pressed on,
but only to find himself wedged in yet
more tightly.
A minute more and he realized with
horror that he could no longer move
an inch either forward or backward.
The waves had heaped the pebbles up
in the center. and he was now firmly
embedded within hundred thousand
tons OF solid rock.
1t was evening. There was no
chance of any ones coming to his res.
tunnel. or had been informed of his
purpose. His presence there might not
be discovered in days or weeks, and
meanwhile the tide would have risen
and fallen many times, and he would
have been helplessly drowned.
In black darkness, powerlcss TO stir
he must lie and wait for the certain
end. The recession and rise of the
tide would take, he calculated, not less
than six long hours, and his best hope
was that madness would render him
unconscious long before the end came.
But as he lay there a sound came
10 his eiTs that chilled his nerves with
fresh terror. Ii was the sound of o
wave breaking at the farther mouth
of the tunnel The tide was rising and
in few minutes it would begin to till
the narrow passage.
The realization OF this fact paralyzed
him for a moment; then il stimulated
him 10 almost superhGman effort
Forcing himself on his left side, he
succeeded In getting his right arm out
beyond him. 1t gave his body little
more play.
BY desperate but systematic wrig.
glings and twiStings he was able TO
work away from beneath him some OF
the loose shingle. and To gain n little
forward The eyertion was tremendous
and far beyond his natural strength,
Tut he was working for life or death
1t was a race between him and the
tide.
The end was sudden. The tunnel
abruptly enlarged. He could now
crawl on hands and knees. As he
scrambled forward. trembling and
rasping. a rush OF water met and sub
Merged him. but II carried him with Il
SIS IL receded. It flung him forth into
the open air like q wreck OF scaws,d
bruised. choking and exhausted. but
alive. with the blessed sky above him
Another wave caught him and drove
him up on the beach. and he retained
Slst sense and strength enough TO
scramble mp little farther. beyond
Immediate danger
81 know" he said aftcrward. "the
feelings OF soul saved from hell
James welton Gray In 81. Louis Re