The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-09-04
CAUGHT IN A TRAP
SWinburne'S Odd Adventure on
the Coast of Normandy.
FACED A MADDENING DEATH.

A PeriIous Feat That For Time En-
tombed lin In a Narrow Tunnel of
Solid Rock and Came Near Putting a
Premature End to His Mortal Career.
In his youth Swinburne was ia
nous swimmer, and for years he used
to retire in summer to the picturesque
little village of Etretat, on the Nor
mandy coast. there to breast the waves
and 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 a singular ad-
venture, which has never been told in
print. and came near putting prema-
ture end to his mortal career.
At one point of the coast a 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 single beach. The cen
trail 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
and 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 flood
tide, but when the water recedes it is
seen to be pierced by 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
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
be seen in either direction. 1t was
local feat of the athletic young fisher
men of the region to wriggle 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 4 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 it worth while to remove any
of the rough tweed outing garments
that he wore, but got down on his
hands and knees and began W0rming
himself into the darkness of the hole.
At first all went well, but rs he pro
cecded the passage narrowed and the
Shiny walls of the chalk rock 50 i'm
peded his movements that he was I'm
able any longer to use his arms freely.
but could only push with his feet and
unduate his body. He had reached
the bend of the tunnel and the dark
ness was absolute. He still pressed on
but only to find himself Wpdged i'll yet
more tightly.
\ 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 W
in the center. and he was now firmly
embedded within Il hundred thousand
tons OF solid rock.
1t was evening. There was no
chance of any ones coming to his res
cue. No one had seen him enter the
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 lie would
have been helplessIy drowned.
In black darkness, pOwerless 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
to his ears that chilled his nerves with
a fresh terror. 1t was the sound of a
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 it stimulated
him to almost superhuman 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
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