The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-02-12
CAUGHT IN A TRAP
Swinburne's Odd Adventure on
the Coast of Normandy.
FACED A MADDENING DEATH.


Premature End to His Mortal Caresr.
In his youth Swinburne was q IA
nous swimmer. and for years he used
% 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 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 vast natu-
ral arch nearly 100 feet In height II
formed by a dying buttress at right an
giles to the general line Of the cliffs,
which plants Its foot below high water
mark OIL the shingle beach. The cen
tral mas, Of this buttress fell or was
eaten away by the waves in prehis-
toric ages, leaving q pointed gothic
doorway Of remarkable symmetry and
mightier than any ever built by man.
It Is q 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 food
tide, but when the water recedes It is
seen to he pierced by q 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 nint
pebbles Of which the beach Is COM
posed, but space enough remains TOR q
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 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 De rformances and made up his
mind to attempt the passage himself.
He chose a 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 1t worth while to remove any
Of the rough tweed outing garments
that he wore. but got down on his
hands and knees and began wormin8
himself into the darkness OF the hole.
At first all went well. but as he pro.
ceeded the passage narrowed and the
shiny wallis Of the chalk rock 80 I'm
peded his movements that he was un.
able any longer t' 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.
It 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 been helplessly drowned.
In black darkness, powerless to stir
he must lie and wait for the certain
end. TIE 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
q fresh terror. IL was the sound Of a
wave breaking at the farther mouth
Of the tunnel. The, tide was rising and
In q few minutes II would begin to dill
the narrow passage.
The realization Of this fact para alyzed
him for q moment; then II stimulated
him to almost superhuman effort
Forcing himself on bis left side. he
succeeded In getting his right arm out
beyond him. 1t gave his body a little
more play.
By desperate but systematic wrig.
glings and twistings he was able to
work aw,y from beneath him some OF
the LOOSE shingle. and to gain little
forward. The exertion was tremendous
and far beyond his natural strength
but he was working for life or death
IL was q race between him and the
tide.
The end Wac sudden. The tunnel
abruptly enlarged. He could now
crawl on hands and knees. As hs
scrambled forward. trembling and
gssping. a rush Of water met and sub
merged him.. but II carried him with II
a. it feceded. II flung him forth into
the open air like wreck Of seaweed
bruised, 'hokinR and exhausted. bu'
alive. vita the blessed sky above him
Another wave caught him and drove
him up q, the beach, and be retained
Dust scnse and strength enough h
scramble mp little farther. beyond
In mediatn danger.