The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-09 00:00:00

An Appalling Alternative.

(From Land and Water.)
A lumberer, noted for his great stature, immense
strength, and firmness of character, was at Wert
one cold day in January in an American foresf
alone. He was engaged in splitting open a trunk fe
green hard wood, newly felled. For this purpose '0
used wedges of hard wood, driven in alternately'
as to extend the rift or opening in the tenaci°ll3
fibres of the tree. The monarch of the forest thug
laid low in its pride and prime (in obedience to ceri
taiu physiological theories ascribing some degree b°B
sensation even to the vegetable kingdom), might ~
supposed to be dying hard like some immense se",,
pent or reptile extremely tenacious of life. Althoar
the day was bitterly cold, the woodman's exertioa:
had caused him to perspire freely. He paused hike
minute to wipe the moisture from his brow. IV of
turning to replace his handkerchief in the pocketid
his coat, which hung on a stump beside him, he dp
not notice that the wedge which held the tree ell("s'i
had been gradually loosening and working its
t.
out. In the act of resuming his labour his left fne7o
which had been resting on the tree, slipped jet° to
cleft, and at this critical moment the wedge
pob
forced out with great violence, and, shooting
in the air, fell at some yards' distance in the seech
Instantly the halves of the tree united with sued
fearful force as to crush and mangle the imprison
„.e
foot. So intense was the agony at first that natje
was overcome. The strong man became inseesi.o;
and fell against the stump,which sustained hill' 111,4,
nearly vertical posture. When he regained conseie
ness an appalling al tern ative lay before him. All ell° t
to withdraw the bruised limb were fruitless.
w.
was coming on. A few hours in his present
posit
freeil.g
with the temperature several degrees below
; Ole
point, involved certain death. A quarter 0f a nly
distant a road wound through the forest. °I- ea
chance lay in reaching that road, and being res- re,
by some chance passenger, or his comPani°,us+hey
turnings inevitable t ffreoeml
tdwheeoa work
hu
numbing
to
yb
iatahpes
.h
short
shanty" h ty" in whic te r•
camped. His resolution was soon taken. The No
began
o
.u., railed, would only. 11115 • 9
ening the pain in the
whirh
bowl" it,
brave fellow removed his
with all his force around
and almost impede circulation. Then raising till):
heavy, keen, glittering axe high above his heacili,e,
struck mercilessly, with the strength of despair,
~Vot
low the ligature on his own flesh once ! The trenee4o
stroke divided nerve, muscle, sinew, and bone. and
foot was severed. He was free. In agony' big
faint with loss of blood, he began to crawl 03, io
so as to checP
hands and one knee, dragging the wounded lirauted.
the direction whence succour might be exPe:sou
His slow and painful progress was mai kedb eri tot
stains on the snow. Would he ever reach lea
road 7 Oh ! how far off it seemed as he craweth
on and on, growing weaker and weaker. At 1e.,°0,5,
overpowered by a sickening sensation of feehle'-er
which he believed to be the immediate forertinlle
of death, the wretched man sinks down in
hut 11°
snow. He is within 30 yards of the road, -y,
lea
can go no further. His consciousness is fast that
ing him. He is on the point of falling int° ilia
fatal slumber from which there will be no awakhe hell
in this world, when the faint tingle of a sleig; as' •
reaches his ears. The joyous sound grows taer
mach'
tinct. Those who might save him are aPPty
RCP
ing. Now he can hear their voices in the still.llking
air—yes, they are his companions ; they are t` r
merrily, anticipating the evening -round the cased,
fire—another minute, and they will have Pasi,htl
and it will be too late. He makes one 111;;ies.
effort. Nature for an instant rallies all her elle fajlS
He utters one shrill piercing scream before he were
into a dead faint. Most fortunately the horses oa
walking. The sledge glided noiselessly along, . d
+3 eine,
the gingle of thebells did not smother that s'",,,ryiag
cry of agony. In an instant active men are hu—hithet
in the direction of the sound, and trampling ne of
and thither in the deep snow. Suddenly od- gaze
them shouts ; the others rush to the spot, an
on the traces of fresh warm blood.
trail till they recover the mangled sufferer' big
borne to the camp. Brandy is poured d°wn full
at
throat, and while a messenger is sent off
is War
speed for the nearest doctor, the wound roe
so
who lA.' ,
rarily dressed by one of the lumbcrers, fayon...
rude surgical skill. The doctor pronounces ald I'3°
able opinion ; such a ghastly wound woll tcly
lit'
proved fatal to dwellers in cities; but A.
tally.
woodman's constitution enables him to r .
api in
contribution raised by the benevolent settle an,
ld
a small farm. He is still a hale and hearty .00
f
and frequently has he gratified a circle o
.oys
They followoeth:
listeners at the village inn by recounting 01 4.hat
with some slight variation)
av
eventful day, when compelled to choose
appalling alternative.
.
his experience otifci;

•-
TIIE MILITIA.—The vario:--m-i-li—tia reginlein 0.-f
Yorkshire will be called out for the usual PeT:s-i -es
27 days' training in April of the present year, and ''';,,Jsthe
pyheaiiteoeudbsetechnoauetunttriroealsilenbdinygsti will have been coniPleted '- that
of seven days' drill beinfuoecreee
rmepenottitssitself at the different depots. The different
.11era
will have already been notified as to the day trait:Pi_
commence, and the 3d West Yorkshire Light ato
tay, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Loftus, er re.
assembled at Doncaster on the 16th April next, and til°
cruits seven days immediately preceding that date.
e,.,ea
Lo nitdahsetoraf yearaMi
main
ybwnoiEht:.
of ea
eof Pe
teebbcerrt
veag nitsl:ost
00:06-i
t:
. SS OF THE GRANADIAN.—A telegram rec 1:0,
in Liverpool yesterday morning from Licher:oler
bnolunces that the Granadian, a fine new iron et vie-
tieononcging to the West India and Pacific Stearn 141,:i tot
has been abandoned off the Azores, % coei.
all hands and
nd passengers had been saved. She W,ti eel
built
tdbedy buyesCsarps.tapinileS, wainson, and sailed from I-9 00
for the West Indies on the 28th of Januar/. She in
at Sunder
1612 '
1863-4. Spence, and Co.,
cI,T -Ail;
THE MURDER OF BARON VON RECS-- „,. nate'.
formation has been received confirmatory- of do r-.of his
murder of Baron von Decken and a large nurnherteiloW
expedition in East Africa. The baron and his
le
i 3 tip
travellers had only proceeded a distance of 3°° I'' Un...
the Luabo river before they met this Etlldsti gl/
expected calamity.