The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-11-19
(ro M coSTISuD.)
Remarkable Escapes Of Emil
nent Men.

Some years ago. q young man holding
n subordinate position In the East lndil
Company's service. twice attempted to do
prive himself Of life by swapping loadct
pistol Mt his head. Each time the pistol
missed fire. A friend entering his room
shortly afterwards, no requested him u
fire 1t out of the window Il then went of
without any difficulty. Satisfied that the
weapon had been duly primcd and load
ed, the young man sprang up, exclaim
ing II must be reserved for something
great !" and from that moment gave ur
the idea of suicide, which for some time
previous had been uppermost In hi.
thoughts. That young man afterward.
became Lord Give.
Two brothers were on one occasion
walking together, when n violent storm
of thunder and lightning overlook them
One was struck dead on the spot, the
other was spared else would the name
of the great reforiner Martin Luther have
been unknown to mankind.
The holy st. Augustine. having tc
preach ut distant town, took with him d
guide, who by some unaccountable means
mistook the usual road and fell into n by.
path. He afterwards discovered that hi.
enemies having heard of his movements
had placed themselves In the proper road
with design Of numbering him.
Baron. the sculptor. when tender boy
Of five years old, fell in the pit of n soap
boiler. and must have perishcd, had moi
workman Just entered and observed the
top of his head, and Immediately deliver.
cd him.
When Oliver Cromwell was an infant,
a monkey snatchcd him from his cradle
leaped with him through garret window,
and ran along the leads of the house
The utmost was excited among the In.
mates, and various were the devices used
to rescue the child from the guardianship
of the newly-found protector. All were
unavailing his would-be rcscuers hat
lost all courage, and were In despair o
over seeing tho baby alive again, wher
the monkey quietly rctraced its steps ant
deposited It's burden safely on tho bed
On subsequent occasion the waters had
well nigh qlcnchcd his Unsuitable ambi.
ton. He fell into deep pond, from
drowning in which u clergyman named
johnson was the sole instrument of hi:
resciie.
At the siege of Leicester, q young sol.
dicr, about IL years of ago, was drawn
out for sentry duty. One of his com.
rades was anxious to take his place. Nc
objection was made and the man went
He was shot dead while on guard. The
young man first drawn became the author
of the Pilgrims Progress.
Doddridgc when born was so weakly
an infant, that hc was believed 10 be dead
A nurse standing by fancied she saw some
signs of vitality. Thus the feeble sparl
of life was saved from being extinguished
and an eminent author and consistent
Christian preserved to the world.
John Wesley when child was only
just preserved from fire. Almost the mo-
ment after he was rescued, the roof Of thu
house where he had been, fell In.
Many years have now elapsed since
three subalterns might have been seen
struggling i'm the water Off st. Helena
one of them was succumbing. He wn,
saved to live rs Arthur Wellesley, Duke
of Wellington.
The life of John Newton is but tho his
tory of marvellous deliverance. As q
youth he had agreed to accompany some
friend on board man-Of-war. He arriv
cd too late the boat in which his frient
had gone was capsized and NIL the occu
pants drowned. On another occasion
when tide surveyor in the port Of Liver
pool, some business had detained him, 81
that he came to his boat much later thar
usual, to the great surprise of those WHIT
were in tho habit of observing his undevi
ating punctuality. IIo went out In tn,
boat rs heretofore to inspect ship. which
blew up before he reached her. Had III
LEFT the shore few minutes sooner. he
must have perished with tho rest or
board,