Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-09-11
CAUGHT IN A TRAP
SWinburne's Odd Adventure On
the Coast of Normandy.
FACED 4 HARDENING DEATH.
A Perilous Feat That For a Time En-
tombed Him In a Narrow Tunnel Of
Solid Rock and Came Near PUTTING a
Premature End to His Mortal Career.

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
| taye upon the blown. wet face Of the
sea
One day he met with singular ud-
venture. which has never been told III
print. and came near putting II preEa
ture end to his mortal career.
At one point Of the coast IL vast natu-
raj arch nearly 100 feet in height Is
formed by ii flying buttress at right an
giles to the general line Of the cliffs.
which plants its foot below high water
mark Oh the shingle beach. The cen
| trail mass OF this buttress fell or was
eaten away by the waves in prehis-
toric ages. leaving pointed gothic
doorway Of remarkable symmetry and
mightier than amy 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 Mt flood
tide. but when the water recedes it is
seen to be pierced by II 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 il COM
! posed. but space enough remains for Il
man to crawl through.
The passage is about sixty feet in
/ length, bur is bent in its course. So that
/ when halfway through daylight canlloi
/ be seen in either direction. 1t WAS Il
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
i these performances and made up HIS
mind to attempt the passage himself
, He chose Il day following one OF the
herce 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 worming
himself into the darkness of the hole.
At first all went well. but as he pro
ceeded the passage narrowed and the
Shiny walls Of the chalk rock 50 i'm
peded his movements thar he was un
able any longer to use his arms freely.
but could only push with his feet and
undulate 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 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
CHdHCe VI any one 3 COulluS 10 Ills 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 he would
have been helpessly 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 sound came
to his ears that chilled his nerves with
fresh terror. 1t was the sound of
wave breaking at the farther mouth
OF the tunnel. The tide was rising and
IN few minutes it would begin to ill
the narrow passage.
The realization Of this fact paralyzed
him for q moment: then 1t stimulated
him to almost superhuman effort
Forcing himself on bis left side, he
succeeded in eettin9 bis right arm ont