Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-12-27
Whole. Number 1919.
Curious casos Of Slsso-IgalFiiaq.

a-S9N SeNS~f " ~ ~ -AAtlt slf
On the above subject retired nava
officer ooigingly sends rs the following
notes:
One bright moonlight niehtI was OF
deck, as was frequently nv wont. chat
ting with the lieutenant Of The middle
watch. 1t was nearly calm, the shiI
making little way through the water
and the moons light nearly as bright az
day. We we're together leaning the
capstan, chatting away, when W. sud.
denly exclaimed: "Look, H, At the
sentryP and pointed TO the quarter deck
marine, who was pacing slowly back,
wards snd forwards on the lse-gids Of
the deck. - .rf 5.fa llg. ..ls
Well" I replied, after watching him
somewhat inattentiVely, as he passed
once or twice on his regular beat, What
of HIM 2" s sIf s
@Why, don't you see he is fast asleep2
Take agood look at him when he next
passes"
I did 90, and found W. vas right.
The man, although pacing and turning
regularly ct the usual places, was fast
asleep, with his eyes closed. .s..
When next the man passed, W
6NCRBCA AAA AgAoSAGdlAI u us
side, and pacing with him, GENTLY disen-
gagged the bunch Of keys which were his
special charge, being the keys Of the
spirit room, shell rooms, store rooms,
etc, from the fingers Of his left hand, to
which they were suspended BY q small
chain he then removed the bayonet
fromhis other hand, and laid it and the
keys on the capstan head. After letting
HIM take another turn OF two, W.
suddenly called Sentry"
"Sir," replied the man, instantly stop
ping and facing round 81 he came 10 the
attention" s..1 &
why, you were fast asleep, sentry
But say you were.
No, sir. ] assure you was no"
''You we're not, eh9 Wen, where are
The man instantly brought up his
hand to show them, as he supposed, bat
to his confusion the hand was empty. 3
Where is.your bayonet2P ? continued
W.. -'-.,.-.. ..-.-.-.ff ~. +, 4. ~
The poor fellow brought forward bis
other hand, but that ives empty shso.
But the puzzled look Of astonishmsnt be
put on was more than we ceuld stand
we both burst out laughing and when
the keys and bayonet were pointed 70
him lying on the eapgtan, the poor fel-
low was perfectly dnmbfOunded. W.
was too merry over The Joke, however, to
punish the man, and he scared with q
warning not TO fall asleep again, s. a
SentTies and look-outs must be very
liable to fall asleep from the very nature
of the mcnotonous pacing, and this NAV
IN some degree account for the facility
with which seatTies have at times been
surprised and secured before they could
give any alarm. In this instance, the
most curious fact, think, was the Fegu-
larity with which the man continued to
pace his distances and turn &C the right
moment. 1 have known other instances
Of sentries and others waking IN theiE
sleep hough the end has not always
been 20 pleasant to the victims. In one
case, the quarter deck sentry, in tae
middle Of the night, crashed down the
Ward-rOom haSehRay with knuskeC and
fixed bayoneE; with rafting that
startled usall OutofOgr cabins. ThefsiloR
Iell on his back upon thetOp Of themess
table, but not much the Worse for his ex-
plot. On another occasional messenger
boy paid Us q visit In the night; he tell
hpon q Chair, which he smashed to
pieces, but the sleeper escaped unhurt.
+ These can hardly be considered true
cases of somnambulisn. bat ahOW how
men may continue their occupation
when overcome by sleep. Nothing but
seeing his bayonet and keys lying on the
espstan could have ever convinced the
marine that he had been sleeping; no
mere assertion to that effect would eFer
have influenced him.