The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-09-15
CAUGHT IN A TRAP
SWinburne's Odd Adventure on
the Coast of Normandy.
FACED A MADDENlNG DEATH.

A PeriIous Feat That For Time En-
tombed Him In q Narrow Tunnel of
Solid Rock and Came Near Putting q
Premature End to His Mortal Career.
In his youth Swinburne was a 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
aud 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 I'm
print. and came near putting a prema-
ture end To his mortal career.
Ar one, point OF the coast vast natu-
raj arch nearly 100 feet in height Is
formed by dying buttress at right an
giles 10 the general line of the cliffs.
which plants its foot below high water
mark oil the shingle beach. The CEN
tral mass OF this buttress fell or was
eaten away by the waves In prehis-
toric ages. leaving pointed gothic
doorway of remarkable symmetry anu
mightier than any ever built by man.
Ii Is a famous landmark or the coast
and is to be seen in countless marine
pictures painted i'm the latter half of
the last century.
The outer springer or pier of this
gigantic arch is submerged at flood
tide. bur when the water recedes il is
seen TO be pierced by Il 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 fiint
pebbles of which the beach Is COM
posed. but space enough remains for a
man to crawl through
The passage is about sixty feet ia
length. but is bent in its course. SO thar
when halfway through daylight cannot
be- seen in either direction. Ii was a
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 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 the
Shiny walls of the chalk rock 50 i'm
peded his movements that be was IN
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 10 tind 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 w
In the center. and he was now firmly
embedded within hundred Thousand
/ tons OF solid rock.
Ii 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 he would
have beeu belplessly drowned.
In black darkness. powerless TO stir,
be must lie and wait for, the certain
end. The recession and rise of the
tide would take. lie calculated. not less
than six long hours. and his best hope