The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-07-12
A nrswn,ng Mnn.s scnsn,ions.

\ correspondent OF the Chicag
Tribune, treating OF the bridge acciden
at Dixon, Illinois, says:
After many hours spent in inquiry
the right individual was at lcngtl
found, in the person Of DR. Hoffman
who was taken out OF the river in N
unconscious condition, aud fall o
water, lie was able TO come down /,
his Office this morning, although h,
had Il cash about three inches long ii
his head. lie is very weak yet, but
Notwithstanding the shock to hh
nervous system, and the menia
depression caused by the loss OF hi.
wife, he gave very intpru ding account
of his narrow escape from drowning
Your correspondent interviewed him
this morning, particularly with refer
ence 70 tho sensations while under The
water, aud learned from him What i.
Mbjoincd:
My wife and went to see the bap-
tisn Of the converts, AMI took up Il
position Oh the. bridge about thirty
feet from the first pier and between
it and the abutmcnt We were STIR
rounded by pe0plc-mcn, women and
children. Suddenly, while Mir Pratt
was entering the water with female,
] heard u report similar to that of Il
small cannon, and IN an Instant the
water closed over me, and felt That
something was pressing me down. A
heavy weight appeared 10 be over me,
! did not sink to the bottom. was
perfectly conscious, and Immediately
thought Of getting cut il possible. My
hands came ill contact With the trcstle
work, and crawling up ~ if ascend
ing Il ladder, was Fortunate in find-
ing an opening through which |
crawled, and Immediately arose to the
surface.
/ was then, as near as can judge,
about seventy or eighty feet from the
shore. / swan toward the bank, but
when near it my strength gave out, aud
| sank. While swimming, some per-
son, who must have been under the
water caught hold Of my left leg, and
tight for Il minute, preventing
me from going forward. The person
let go rs suddenly as he had taken
hold, and | gave Il stroke or two, when
/ encountered dress Thinking il
WAS my wife, who was standing beside
me when the span fell, grabbed it,
but having become engrYa,cd, WAS
obliged to let ii go. was almost cN-
hausled ut the time, and do not know
that the dress was that of my wife. !
lid not notice it particularly My
thoughts were almost wholly confined.
to her, and imagined when | saw the
lrcss il was hers.
When ] sank | was still sensible of
he surroundings | went apparently
very close TO the bottom. The current
rolled me over and over, andlny hands
frequently came in contact with the
gravel, ! could feel the water running
Town my throat and in my ears, and
Ill ut once experienced the most de-
ightful sensation. ] seemed to he Mt
)eacc with everything, and perfectly
Happy. My whole life passed before
NJ like Sash Of lightning, The events
appearing in sequence, themost prom
nent appearing to he indelibly inn
PRESSED upon my mind. Circumstances
had forgotten appeared wildly, and
did not want to be disturbed. | should
ave preferred 10 remain where | was.
While in the midst Of bcatifc rcVerie,
what my wife would do If she
we're saved, and ! drowned, / felt 4
iand on my shoulder. was pulled
mt and placed on rock. was almost
nsensible, but gradually came to my
elf. Oh, how sick and wretched felt. /
After remaining on the rock about /
n hour, | was taken TO my home. l
lcrc commenced vomiting, and fire. I
Iucntly elected water and partially /
Iigestcd food until 4 O'Clock in the at (
ernoOn.- was taken out of the water I
bout six hundred feet below the |
ridge. was very thirsty after vom- /
ting, and tried 60 drink some water,
MT the taste was 80 disagrccable that f.
could not bear it. The. only way /
ould quench my thirst was by putting /
inegar into the water, about an ounce /
nd half to quarter of pint. That I
truck me as rather curious circum- I
lance. | was greatly astOnished ut
he number of events that passed 1
Trough my mind while under the I
water. Nothing that occurred during /
was evident, but everything I
ince ! was about nineteen years old {
before me as If photographed. I
The sensation | experienced while the !
water was going down my throat was
lot unpleasant. 1t seemed as If
vas going on o journey, and was
by all kinds of beautiful