The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1867-11-30

AtbeQgh Brunsl died at The comparatively
seF!y - u ahy-thFss. IL a svsa matter u
sorpriss thak he Lived . long. He had more
Psrsloas ssssp@ from violent dsash than Gall
70 tie lot OF most men,. We have seen that
y ths.o outset of Ms .carssr, whsa acting an
sssasnnt enginser p bis father, In the
Insmss '1unnsl - h4d two narrow escapes
from dro~nlux " the river denly burst
ina In uPsq the works Some time after.
when inspecting the shafts Of the railway
tunnel under Box Hill, he was one day rid
ing : shaggy pony at rapid pace down the
hlii, when the animal stumblsd ana fe!I
PitcbiPz the snginsar o. his head <IHh 2. eat
violence; be wss taken up for dead, but
eventually recovered. When ths Great
Western line was fnished aud at work. be
nsed frequently to ridr upon the engine
With the driver, and oe-ssionally he drove Il
himself, One day, when passing through
the Box Tunnel upon the engine at consider.
abis speed, Brunei thought he dlscerned be-
tween him and the light some object stand
ing on the same line ofarosd along wHsch his
engine was travelling. He instantly turned
on the fun steam and dashed at the object.
which VS. driven into thousand pieces. n
s6erwhrds tufnsd Out 20 be d contsactor,. !.
truck, winch had bfslfen loose from a bal
last train % its way through the tunnel.
An1ther narrow escape which he hal was On
6sard the Great Western steamship, where
he fell down o hatchwsy into the hold. and
vas nearly killed. Bus the most extraordi-
nary accident which befsll him was that
which occurred while one day playing with
bis children. Like his father, Sir Marc, be
was fond Of astonishing them win lie: ght-of-
hand tricks, N which he displayed consider
able dextcrity and ths feat which he pro-
posed to them 90 this occasion was the pass
ing OF half . sovereign through bis mouth
out As his ear. Unfortunateiy, he swallowed
the cSin, whica drspped into his windp,pe
The sccident occurreI on the Srd of April
1913, and II was followed BY frequent fits Of
coughing. and Occasional uneasiness in the
right sius of the chsst !; but No slight was
the disturbances Of brea.hing taat Il was for
some time doubted whether the coin had
really iallen into the wlndpiPe. After the
lapse Of hfteen days, Sir B. Brodie met Mr..
ksy in consultation, and they concurred in
the opinion that most probably the half SOW
ereign was lodged at the bottom of the right
bronchus. The Gay alter, Mr. Brunel placed
himself IN prone position or MS face upon
soma caHirsy and besding his head and neck
doEnwsrds. he distinctly felt ihs cola drop
towards the CLOTHS A violent cough ensu-
cd, and on resuming the erect posture he felt
q " the object again moved downward inio
Ne chest Here was m engineering diff
cultys the kks Of which NJ. Brunei haa
never before encountsred Tue mischief was
purely mechanical foreiga body had gone
INTO has breathing apparatus, add must be
removsd, VI st all, by some mechanical expe-
disnt- Ar. Brunel vas, however, equal to
the occasion. lie mad "a apparatus con-
sfrncted, Consisting OF q platform whIca
0oved upon hinge in the centre. Upon
thls he h<i hinseif strapped, and his body
Eas theu inverted. in order that the coin
might drop doxnEard BY its owa weight
and 70 be expelled Al the lirst experlmsn
the coin again slipped towards the CLOTHS,
but = cnussd s1ch IN alarming at Of convul-
|sivs coughing and appearance OF choking
thst danger was apprehended, and the ex-
pertinent vas discontinued. Two days after,
on the 93th, The operation OF tracheotomy
sas performed by SIR Bsnjamin. Brodie, as
sisted " Az Ky, wlfh the intention 81 exs
ssectlnt - eoin by -fosceps, il possible.
Two attempts % do 10 were made without
success. Tns introduction of the foaceps in
20 the windPipe, ON the second occasion, vas
attended With 70 excessive degree or irrta
ton tnat it Was felt the experiment could
not 1e G. ntlnued without imminent 4. n :er
20 life. Tue incision in the windpipe was.
however, kept open by means of . quill or
tube, untii Nay Is. by which tins Nj Blu
ners strength had suficisntly recovered to
enable the original experiment to be repeat
cd. He was again strapped to ais apparatus ;
hss body was Inverted; his back was struck
gensly, and ne distinctly felt the coin quit
| rs placs on the rigak side OF his chest. fne
openins 10 the. windpsps allowed him to
breathe while the throat was stopped by the
coin, and il thus hal the effect to prevent
tbe spasaodic action OF the gIoitis. After d
Few coughs the coin dropped into his mouth
Mr.. Brunel used afterwards 90 say that the
moment when ne heard the gold piece ssrik,
against his upper front teeth, was perhap:
the most exquisite in his whole life. TIT
half sovereign had been 10 his windpipe 70
not less than six weeks Isa II aT a4i aa