Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-17
? A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
A Supposed Corpse Comes to Life
Strange and True Story.

A Supposed Corpse Comes to Life
Strange and True Story.
From the Philadelphia Press, April Il.
The fertile imagination of the most SEN
satioual novelist or playwright seldom pro-
duces anything at all probable which has
not its parallel in strict truth. We are now
to tell
aa 4 STORY OF THEE CITIES,
Lewes, iDelaware), Philadelphia, and New
York, which would be incredible were it
not that our facts are obtained from wholly
trustworthy sources. On the 18th of last
month (March), Capt. S. H. Mills, of New
York city, was drowned, or, as it has since
turned out,merely supposed to be drowned,
at Lewes, Delaware. He fell overheard
from his schooner. Upon the body being
recovered, and after every attempt to restore
life had failed, it was placed in coffin, and
then again in the usual outer box, and ship
ped by Adams Express to the friends of
the unfortunate man in New L ork city.
1t remained in Philadelphia from 6 P. NJ.
to A. M. Upon its arrival in New York,
the certificate Of the Lewes, Del, doctor
was discovered to be somewhat informal,
and the advice of the Board of Health was
asked. 1t was at last concluded to open
the cases, and when this was done the man
was
FOUND TO BE ALIVE.
The best medical aid was Immediately
called in, and it was ere long thought posi-
BILE to remove the captain with safety to the
Bellevue Hospital, where he now is. He is
not only doing well, but there is every
probability of his speedy and permanent
recovery. How he existed confined within
these airless cases passes comprehension.
He was boxed up for thirty-ive hours, q
length of time very few persons would care
to attempt existence merely without food
or drink. \
He will live TO tell his strange experience.
The would-he novelist will find here q
mine. Was he unconscious the while, or
was the terrible fate which seemed inevita-
bic present to his understanding? are ques-
tions it would be interesting to have an
sWered. We trust that in mercy it was
not permitted him to know aught until his
awakening, for if he was conscious during
his journey, the mental torture may have
so worked upon him that he will live his
term ...--.
WITH DARKENED MIND.
His case is certainly q most extraordi-
AA~y NhO, anu oAlOl4A ASsNC LUC
OF medical experts. Doubtless the officers
Of the Adams Express office in this city viii
give any additional information to those
who wish to study md are capable ofstudy-
ing the affair. The beauty and pleasure of
death by drowning has time and again been
written of, and if any are capable of giving
their personal experience of such an occur
renee c'early, Capt. Mills can do SO, for he
was so nearly drowned that he must have
known all but the final gasp ofdeath.
How narrowly he escaped being buried
alive may be imagined from the fact that
up to the time of opening the box there
was no idea that he lived. Even then he
might have been sent to bis grave had not
the peculiar flush upon his fsce attracted
attention. One may well shudder, remem-
bering how difficult it sometimes is to tell
the living from the dead and that the i'm
agination can picture nothing more horri-
bic than a breathing man consigned to q
tomb. We have heard of other Incl ents
where the living have been all but buried,
and indeed buried, but we do not call to
mind case as wonderful as this in all its
details. As bearing upon the affair, the in-
tense cold about March II should be re-
membered.