The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-07-01
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Remaf4abIl 1seS,srs Of sishs. :
YESTERDAY morning, in this city, q
sailor who had been blind for three years
awakened to find his sight restored; and
his interesting story sNhiM yas given to a
Globe Democrat reporter during the day, is
told below. Louis Muller, the hero of
the tale, was born in London, England, in
1847, and is therefore twenty-eight years
old. His; father was . German and his
mother an English lady. They gave their
son thorough education, and in 1858 the
family emigrated to America. Young
Muller had always fancied scattering life,
and ins1865 he ran away to sea. Whaling
was his favorite vocation, and for several
years he cruised about Baffin's and Hud-
cons Bays. On Jan. 10, 1879, he was one
Of the crew that sailed from Quebec, Can;
ada, in the whaler Auritaph, Parker,
master, for. voyage to Hudson's Bay.
They reached the battle-ground in
safety and had an extraordinary cold
season. When in latitude 664 deg.
north the thermometer reached 60 deg
below zero, and it was at a time of the
year.When- the sun. lose At 41.30 q. m and
set at one p. M. The crew could only re-
sist the cold ON deck bXaU of the suns
protecting rays, and aefcat deal had fire.
quently to be done in a sholt time. One
morning when Muller wentson deck tho
sun was shining brightly and the picfnrc
presented to his viewN dc iaB1iRg icel
fields was so enchal lit he gazed
steadily at the scene 6flae1aiaG eplendor
for several minutes. 6dddeuIy His eyes
began to pain him, and the pecniiar feel
ing annoyed him to such an extent that he
was forced to go below Whsp Muller
awoke the next morning he found that he
could not see out of his right eye, and six
weeks afterward the left optic also failed
him. The sailor was thus deprived OF his
occupation, and until the vessel could re-
turn he was an object of charity to his ship
matess About four months subsequent to
this soecufrsnSe g-thes JAuritaphS was
wrecked near the Marble Islands, in Hud-
sons Bay, and only fourteen of the thirty
souls on board We're, saved. Muller was.
one of the fourteen, and they handed safea,
ly on one of the group Of islands, which
was inhabited by Esquimaux. 1T was a
barren spot, and'daring the year hat.the
castaways resided there they subsisted en-
tirely on wolf, fox and dog meat. No
such luxuries as bread, biscuits Or tobacco
were dreamed Of by the Esquimaux. A
passing vessel finally carried away the
shipwrecked mariners ana landed them
satel yin Bedford, Mass, in-the month
of September, 1873 Muller went from
there to Cincinnati, having been recon-
mended to noted oculist of that city.
The blind man saw that gentleman, and
was greatly disheartened at being told his
case asshopelesss sMuller's friends then
advisedhim to visitSt. Louis for the pur
pose of consulting with physician who
had been eminently successful an an
oculist. In March of last year Muller
came here, and was informed by the
physician in question that his case was al ?
most beyond human skill, but that he
would undertake it. AT his physician IS
Recommendation Muller entered the
Blind Asylum, and remained there until
March last. While in that institution he
learned the trade of broom-making. He
went from there to the City Hospital, and
was operated on, but without success, and
after nine weeks suffering left that insti-
tuition as -incurable.! Poor Muller then
gave up all hope of regaining his lost
sight, and took up quarters at the New
Western House, on Third and Rutger
streets, where he applied himself industri-
ously to his trade. One week ago he
retired for the night, "blind as
bat," to quote his own language, and
on awakening at seven o'clock last Friday
morning could see plainly out of his right
eye. The man thought he was dreaming
and pulled his hair to see If he was really
awake. This did not satisfy him and he
pinched hio logs. Not content even with
this, he pricked himself to the bone with
a pin and, on seeing the blood flow, felt
thatyhe was really awake. The sensations
which he experienced were so strange as
10 he painful. He danced for Joy and
shouted like maniac. He dressed faster
than ever before and rushed off to the
office OF his former physician, where he
burst open the door and shouted, gladly,
to the physician !. l can see! L can, see p
The doctor could not believe that.th man
was sane and told him that he3was crazy.
Muller thought that such might possibly
be the case, but insisted that he could see. !
How many fingers am l holding up p,
asked the oculist. &
eFive." ass 10
"And now?''
Three" .-.......-.-
"Now?"
"One"f
The replies were correct in every. in.
stance and the doctor at once fastened to
bind up Muller's eyes, in order to protect
them from the light. The coverings will
be removed gradually, so that the optic
may be accustomed to the light by de-
grees, and the physician states that tile
fortunate sailor will be able to pilot him
self around without the aid of spectacles
in three or four weeks.-St Louis Globe.