Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-08-25
MistellaMfons.
A Curious Story,

"A SSAA ASNA ASNA
The Siamese Twins have been lost from
public view for the last few years. 1t
was well known Of them that they had
married two sisters, and settled down
near Salisbury, in North Caroiana, on
well stocked plantation. In addition to
this, they have ample funds invested
through their agent in New York.
Through "a North Carolina medical
gentleman now within our lines, we had
the opportunity Of minute and full par
ticulars in regard to them. Ever since
the war began they have continued on
their plantation, and lived in the same
quiet and harmony as ever until within
two years. OF course no one ever thot'
OF drafting them, and their negroes pros
pered, except that when out of temper
from any cause, it was apt to work itself
off in striking the first one that came to
hand, from which the best escape was to
keep out Of the way. The brothers
probably never would have had any diff
fculty, but that their wives, though Sis.
tiers, turned away their hearts, and chill
dren were the cause of this estrangement.
Up to the period that each had FIVE chill
dren. all prospered well enough, but one
of them had a sixth, and this awoks envy
and jealousy to such a degree that the
two sisters, not being bound together like
the twin brothers, would no longer live
under the same roof, though, we believe,
still! in different houses on the same pl an.
tation. The brothers are now it seems,
about so years of age,but one,we believe,
the smaller and feebler of the two, looks,
it is said, now fully ten years older than
the other.
They can turn back to back or face to
face, but this is as far as the remarkable
band that unites them permits. 1t is al
most certain that should either die the
other could not survive even for more
than few minutes, as there is an artery
as large as the femoral artery that con-
meets them. A few years since they cor
responded with some of the leading sur
gical operators in London, as to the pos
sibiIity of the umbilicus which upites
them being cut, SO that in case Of the
death of one, the life of the other might
be saved. AT the request of the London
surgeon, they visited that city, and many
experiments we're tried to determine the
safety of such an operation. Among 9th
er things, l;gature was tied firmly for
few minutes round the connection between
them, so as to prevent the circulation of
blood through the artery. But it seemed
as if each would expire if this was longer
persisted in. The smaller Of the two
tainted and lost consciousness, and there
were symptoms that the same eifec, would
follow to the other. but that the process
could not be continued long enough with
out endangering the life of him who was
first to faint. Should the smaller and
feebler die, it might be worth while max
ing the experiment of operating, but the
prospects of prolonging the lito Of the
other would be very small. Should, how
ever, the larger and more healthy Of the
twin brothers die, there would seem alb
solutely no hope Of saving the feebler of
the two. From all this it is evident that
though the connection between these two
brothers is very remarkable and perfectly
unique, it is yet not so absolute as has
been usually supposed.-[Pha. Ledger.