The native American., 1837-12-23


arm, where they appeared distended with their
sluggish current in the red light. The flame drew
pack and left me for moment in darkness
darkness made visible by the lurid glare Of the
"copper" which, round the surface of the stop-cock,
now snone with AIRED heat strong enough to make
the outlines of my horrid prison discernible
dark thought crossed my mind--a thought eneen-
dered by the devil, but hardly in hell more
Ifrightful. The heavy rolling flame swung back
again on the burdened nightwnd, and threw a
Pickering glare on the snged mass Of clothes on
which stood. dragged up the trousers, and
thrust desperate hand into the pocket-the stuff
of which it was made was smoking with the heat
Iof the loose silver it contaned---bdt it was not
money was in search oft was knife! I
grasped i'll half unclasped tit burned the fin
ger and thumb Of my right hand as if | had closed
them on coal of fire. l flung the instrument of
selfdestruction from me, and cried aloud to God
never to leaUe me in temptation.
did not cry in van-there were voices above
mel heard them distinctly heard footsteps
on the platform--they were gone--no, they were
|returning-they were coming to my rescue. Good
God! how shall describe the awful sense Of
present Providence-ths almost overpowering
hope--the agonizing doubts--and then the Joy,
the gratitude, the delirious ecstacy which expe-
rienced within the next half minute, as, in the
pauses of the flames roaring (for it still poured
through the building like a raging river,) the
voices of my deliverers sounded louder fainter,
or like imaginary sounds, voices of real beings,
until at length that ladder, which was to me the
welcomest sight that ever the sun shone on, was
lowered down by hurried and tremulous hands,
amid the shudders of those who never expected
to see more of the poor sufferer below than a heap
of steaming blood-stained cinders! or how shall
/ attempt to describe the establishment, the pity,
the honest pleasure of those benevolent men,
when they found that, although speechless, Qor
in all my fauces was not as much moisture as
would have enabled me to swallow the smallest
crunb Of bread, and my tongue lay in my mouth
little better than piece Of dry sponge was
nevertheless able to climb up out Of that torrd at
mosphere into which no fireman would venture
to descend? cannot do either, and l will not
much longer dwell on this part Of the nights adj
venture; suffice it to say, my last missive had
fortunately reached it's destination, and brought
my deliverers to my assistance. They carried
me in blankets to the hospital; here received all
the aid that medical service could bestow, until
sufficiently recovered to be transported to my own
lodgings, where / remained, suffering from the
effects Of degree of heat, such as perhaps no
other human being ever endured and lived, for six
weeks and upwards.
am quite satisfied that had the thermometer
not been broken, and had possessed any means
of suspending il, flor could not have held il IN
my hand much longer) it would have shown a
temperature much higher than in the experiments
of either Blagden or Bankes. am sure few
minutes longer would have been certain death, 50
that may safely say have endured the highest
temperature Of any man on record. Ny bodily
temperature, except on some portions Of the scarf
skin, at no time rose above 1lOo or 1922, and du-
ring the latter part Of my suerings II was great
relief to my hands to place them on any part Of
my person. In fact, have no doubt there was at
one time difference of 1902 to 1902, between
the temperature Of my body and that Of the sur
rounding air.
-- Street, Dublin,
July 5, 1887.