The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-04-27
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How 1t Feels to be Drowned.
Described by Man who Ia. Tried II.

Described by q Man Who has Tried II.
From the Milwaukee Wisconsin.
A few DAYS ago a workman employed at one of
the tanneries on the west side of the river, but
living on the east side, named Grace, attempted
to cross to his work upon the ice When part
way over the ice broke beneath Grace, and he fell
through. He sank Immediately to the bottom,
but was taken up by one of those hooks employ
ed for the purpose, and by strong efforts the
spark of life, which had apparently departed,
was brought back, and Grace still lives, although
having been as near deaths door as a man could
very we'll so and return to this sublunary
sphere.
Yesterday reported of the Wisconsin, met
Grace, and had a conversation with him relative
to his narrow escape. During the conversation
the man gave a sketch of the sensations which
ne experienced while under the water, which
we will endeavor to give as the words fell from
his lips. Said Grace: 81 thought that morning
as it had been stiffened over night, that the ice
would be stiff enough to bear me, as | was lit
tie late that morning, and it was long way
round by the bridge, would save time by going
across the ice instead of going round by the
bridge. Invent on, thinking what should say
to the foreman to save being doeked about quar-
to of day, and wasn't thinking but what all
was safe enough, when / rrod on a weak spot. l
then went right through. It was 30 sudden like,
and the water was so cold, and I suppose was
so frightened that all my senses went away in
fash l hit my head on the edge of the ice, and
that made me stupid, and that's what made it
look SO much like dream, perhaps. It seemed
like kept sinking, sinking all the time-not
going down like a man would in the water, but
going down fast-so fast that it took all my
breath away. Although know kept my eyes
closed all the time, it seemed like could see all
about me, and like was in the midst first, of
great field of blackness, which came up all around
me, and was very thick.
As went down, this kept growing lighter and
brighter, and from being sort of gloomy at first,
soon began to grow pleasanter, and my head,
which seemed at first all stuffed up and stupid,
began to be clearer and clearer. / have heard
great deal about paradise and all sudden like it
seemed had come to that place. didn't feel
like was anybody else, but all my senses came
to me, and the first knew / was wondering
where | was, and how came there. felt as #
IL was SO full OF happiness as l could be. Every
thing had done in my life seemed like it was
written on little page, and had it right before
me, and could tell it all, even down to the little
things. Before me could see great green and
purple and red clouds floating along, and would
hear angels and fairies singing, and knew that
they were happy, and when tried to help them
felt as happy as they were. .s -.r
/ tried to think it was dream, but couldn't
and didn't feel as if it was at all like death,
and While everything seemed so clear to me,
even to what the foreman would say when he
found that did not come, l wondered if ever I
should go back again. and if i did, what time
would have telling the boys where / had been
and what had seen. Every good action had
done came up and looked me in the face, and
although some of the bad actions all of which I
could see standing at my back, tried to come up,
they could not. / cannot tell you how happy l
felt, and how long felt 30. It was drowning, I
know, and if man only knew about it, and
there wasn't any danger of being brought back
again, it would be the happiest way to die that
ever invented. But the coming back, oh
that was awful .tt
While l was feeling SO good as / tried to tell
you about, and it didn't seem as if it was little
while, but like it was years and years, while
was thinking, it seemed like one of the bad ac-
tions crowded away one of the good Ones and
came up and looked me in the face, and instantly
all the good actions, and all the angels and the
fairies became devils of the worst kind and all
the colorcd clouds became black, and the devils
closed around me, and they yelled in my ears,
and pushed me this way and that, and then all
the clouds became precipces and caves and holes,
and it seemed as if the evil ones were trying to
push me into all of these at once, yelling and
bowling all the time and when resisted, tear
ing whole handfuls of flesh off my bones, and
hair out of my head. And tAey seemed to 90
into my mouth, and my nose, and my ears, and
tearing away inside of me until was so full of
misery that prayed that they might kill me at
once; and when l tried to tell them SO, it was
IKE as if my head would burst asunder. As /
can't tell you how happy was before, 40 can't
tell YOU how Suffered now / had heard great
deal about hell and / thought ! was there for
certain. Sometimes the devils inside Of me would
be fire and burn me, and then they would be
an ocean, and l wonld strangle and be drowning.
And when l seemed to be suffering most, all of a
sudden ] came sort of out of it, and the boys
we~ standing about me and tryn to bring me
Ito life, and then knew that had been nearly
drowned, but they had saved me. But I tell you
as L told them, if | should ever come so near
drowning again, don't try to save me, for l had
ten thousand times rather die feeling like l did
when seemed in paradise, than to be brought
TO and suffer all the torments did afterwards.