The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1874-02-12
Death OF the si.sness Twins.

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The Siamese twins died on the
18th ult., at Mt. Airy, N. G. Chang
was partially paralyzed last fall, since
which time he has been fretful, very
much debilitated and strongly ad.
dictcd TO drinking liquor as means
Of alleviating bis suffering. He has
been quite feeble for several days
indeed, 80 much 30 as to confine
both the brothers to bed, but the i'll
ness wns not so greatas to cause any
anticipation Of the catastrophe that
was to follow.
On Friday night they retired 70
bed as usual, but during the night
Chang became worse, and, to the
utter dismay Of oil his friends. ex.
pired suddenly about four o'clock on
Saturday morning. AS soon as il
was discovered that his spirit had
left its earthly tenement, and that
death had claimed him for it's own,
Eng becare so terribly shocked that
be raved wildly for while, at times
exhibiting signs Of mental aberra.
ton.
This attack wns followed with what
seemed to be deadly stupcr and all
now eagerly watched tho tate Of the
surviving twin. 30 long and insepara-
bly, united to his now dead brother.
Ii two hours it is supposed, from the
death Of Chang, Eng breathed bis
lnst The wives and families Of the
twins are in deepest grief, the chill.
dren, many OF whom arc deaf mutes'
expressing their sorrow and bereave-
ment in the most pitiful manner.
Tho Siamese twins, Eng and
Chang, were born at small village
on the coast of Siam. in the year
1911. Their parents got their living
by fishing, aud until 1889, when Eng
and Chang were brought. TO the Uni.
ted States. they made their living by
selling shellfsh. Their mother bore
seventeen children. At one time
she gave birth to three and never
less than two. But none Of these
children were defoimed. The twins
we're united at the anterior part Of
the chest by the prolongation Of o
kind OF q feshy band the size OF the
hand. This band OF flesh is about
two inches broad and four inches
thick.
After attracting vast amount Of
attention among scientists and phys.
iologists in the old world, they mar
ried two sisters and settled down
near Salisbury N. c., on n planta-
ton. In addition they had at one
period ample funds invested through
their agent in New York. Up to the
period that each had five children
oil prospered well enough, but one
OF them had tho sixth, and this
awoke envy and jealousy TO such a
degree that the twin sisters, not
being bound together like the twin
brothers, would 10 longer live under
the same roof.
The brothers. where, II seems,
about sixty three years Of age, but
one, We believe the smaller. and fee
bier Of the two, looked, it is said, ten
years olderthan tie other. They could
either tuin back TO back or face to
face, but that was MS far as the re-
markable bond that united them
permitted. a few years since they
corresponded with some of the lead
ing surgical operators in London, as
TO the possibility Of the umbilicns
being cut, so that in the case Of the
death Of one, the life Of the other
might be saved. At tho request Of
the London surgeon they visited that
city, and many experiments were tri-
cd to determine the safety Of such an
operation.
Among other things n ligature was
tied firmly for few minutes around
tho connection between them, 30 as
TO prevent tho circulation Of blood
through the artery. But it seemed
Us il each would expire if this were
persisted in. The smaller of tho two
tainted away and lost oil conscious
ness, and there wero symptoms That
the same effect would follow to the
other, but the process could not be
long enough without en-.
the life Of him who was
the first to faint. Since the breaking
out Of the rebellion the twins both
dressed in the Confederate gray, and
were both members OF the same
having united themselves
with a small BaptisS church in their
Of which they were
considered worth members.