Year: 1859

l was born and brought up in the
neighborhood Of the salt works of NJ.
My father was second engineer, and l
filled the situation Of assistant. The
scene of our mining operations, at the
time of the event which l am going to
narrate, was in narrow valley, lying
close to the foot of perpendicular cliff
of rock about one hundred feet high
On its bare sides neither grass or shrub
was to be seen, and scarce any inequality
was visible, whereon the foot ofthe climb
er might find resting place. In fact, it
was considered unscalable for distance
of two miles. when it sunk down gradu-
ally at either end to the level of the plain.
Ascending the cliff, one beheld on its
summit wide plain. stretching off in the
distance, From that dizzy point he could
look down upon the works of the miners
below, close under its sides.


Upon the top of the cliff which have
been describing, l was strolling listlessly.
late one Sunday afternoon, thinking of
strange and sad circumstance which had
happened about year before in our fam
lily. My only brother. lad of fifteen,
had gone out early one summer morning
to shoot plover on the nights, and from
that hour had never been heard Of
When last seen. he was mounting the
cliff, from the eastern side, and though
(when alarmed at his long delay) we
made immediate search and inquiry, we
never gained any further information
To speak of our family distresses, and
my own heart-grieving for my well be-
loved young brother, is not now my pur-
pose but it was the only subject of my
thoughts on that quiet summer evening,
when all the noise from the works was
hushed, and the stiffness seemed ten fold
by contrast.


l approached very near the edge of the
cliff. was now at its steepest part, and
looking down its smooth sides, / thought
how terrible fall would be but my
brother could not have fallen down; in
that case his mangled body, at least,
would have been found.


l was called to myself by a strange
sinking of my feet. My first confused
idea was that the soil had given way
from the edge of the cliff. upon whose
utmost verge / stood. and that was
about to be precipitated to the bottom.
l became dizzy with horror. for felt at
once that l could not recover myself, so
sudden was the caving in Of the earth be-
meath me. I made one stumble forward
int wild struggle to save myself, felt
ringing and crushing in my ears, and
then lost all further sensation. Y


1t must have been many hours before
| was sufficiently conscious to know that
/ still existed. Sick and bruised, 1 was
long unable to raise myself from the pros
trate position in which l became aware
at last. that / was lying. 1t was quite
dark, and every portion Of earth Or stone
that I touched was wet, and a smell of
damp salt prevaded the close atmosphere.
thought | had fallen into an exhausted
salt mine, but soon remembered that |
had been standing on the edge of the
cliff. 1t was an impossibihty. Then
came the idea that must have fallen to
the bottom. and the loose earth and stones
had fallen over me. That, too, soon
found equally unlikely. and. after CROP
ing about sometime on my hands and
knees. (every movement one of intense
agony,) ! became sure that my prison
was a cave Of some extent. Too weak