Connecticut western news., 1874-02-13
The Siamese Twins.
Further Particulars of the Ciroum-
 stances Attending Their Death.

Further Particulars of the CfroUnl-
 stances Attending Their Death.
 The Philadelphia Press gives the re. port of Dr. James Hollingsworth, of of the Siamese twins. Dr. Hollings- worth, it says, is about fifty years of age, and very intelligent. He was born in the county of Surry, in village named Mount Airy, in which he now resides. He studied medicine and graduated from the Jefferson College, in Philadelphia, in the year 1847. After obtaining his degree of M. D. he re- turned South, and has since renamed there. The Press continues:
 "Soon after arriving in Philadelphia Dr. Hollingsworth proceeded to the of- flee of Dr. Pancoast, at Eleventh and Walnut streets, and private consulta- tion between these two gentlemen was held regarding future movements to be made in the matter of examination. The following sketch of the deceased was offered: The twins were born in the village of Maklong on the coast of Siam, in the year 1911, and came to the United States about the year 1929. After travelling through this country and Europe, they, in 1846, bought plantation at a small town named Trap Hole, in Wilkes county, N. O., about forty miles from where they died. Here they married two sisters named Yates, who were native North Carolinians, and, although uneducated women, were, nevertheless, possessed of very good intellects. The wives were both very strong and healthy women. Their mother, it is said, twas so large that when she died it was found impossible to get the body out of the doorway of the dwelling before portion of the sides of the door-frame was cut away. Some time after taking up their abode in Mount Airy they purchased second plantation about two miles from the first, and erected a dwelling upon it, to which Eng removed his family, Chang's family remaining at the old homestead. It was their custom, and the plan was never departed from, of spending three days at each house. Gold weather or warm, rain or shine, nothing whatever was permitted to interfere with their idea. Upon one occasion 8 child of the brother at whose house they were stop ping died upon the last day of their visit to the dwelling, but the following day being the appointed time for their change of base the two brothers left the scene of death, and stuck to their usual programme. On the Thursday previous to the death the brothers were at Chang's residence, and the evening of that day was the appointed time for removal to Eng's dwelling. The day was cold, and Chang had been com plaining for couple of months past of being very i'll. The road leading from the two houses was very rough and frozen. Early in the evening they started upon their journey in an open wagon or carryall, and in short time arrived at Eng's.
 Chang became chilled by the ex- posture and complained of being very cold, while his partner was in apparent good health, and grumbled because he had to sit by the fire. They retired that night, and, in answer to an inquiry from the sick mans wife, on Friday, he stated that he was much better. On Friday evening they retired to small room by themselves and went to bed, but Chang was very restless. Sometime between midnight and daybreak they protested, and said he wished to lie | refused, and replied that it hurt his breast to recline. After awhile they re- tired to their bed, and Eng fell into a the sons came into the room, and, going to the bedside, discovered that his uncle was dead. Eng was awakened by the noise, and in the greatest alarm turned and looked upon the ifeless form beside him, and was seized with violent nervous paroxysms. No physi- clans were at hand, and, it being three miles to the town of Mount Airy, some time necessarily elapsed before one could be summoned. A messenger was dispatched to the village for Dr. Hol- lingsworth, and he sent his brother, also physician, at once to the plantation, but before he arrived the vital spark had fled, and the Siamese twins were dead. The news spread like wildfire, but, the village being forty miles from Greensboro, the nearest railroad and telegraph office, of coursed edid not reach the public of the outside world until Monday. Dr. Hollingsworth made an examination of the bodies, and found the band which connected them to be an extension of the sternum for about four inches ill length and two in breadth. The band was convex above and in front and concave underneath. The two bodies had but one navel, which was in the centre of the band, and it is supposed that there were two umbilical cords branching from this, one extend ing into each body. The connecting link was found to be the ensiform cartilage, and was as hard as bone, and did not yield in the least. It may be here mentioned that for some time pre- vious to their death no motions were observable in the band. The doctor said he did not think they would have survived 0 separation, not from the fact of being afraid of separating the arteries, but from fear of producing peritonitis. No hemorrhage would have been produced, so far as could be seen, as there were no arterial connections of any account.
 There not being any means of en- balming the bodies, the following method was taken, after much persua- sion by the doctors, and final consent by the respective families, of keeping them from temporary decay A box of tin was made and the bodies deposited therein, and the coffin was dramatically sealed. This was placed in a wooden box, and 8 third box enveloped the whole. This casket was deposited in the basement of a dwelling in the vicinity, and covered with powdered charcoal to tho depth of about two feet.
 An exchange refers to young man