Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-06-03
LINCOLN'S NARROW ESCAPE.
SOmnanbu!ism Which Nightly Helped
Young Physician
Derrick Dood, In the San Francisco Post.


the annual recurrence of Lincoln's
birthday sets affoat new invoices of an
ecdotes of the great emancipation, the
majority of which are obviously smok-
ing hot from the pan of the hard-pushed
paragrapher. There is nothing about
them, however, so intrinsically re-
markable as the fact that they are all
reprinted with painfully solemn partic-
ularity i'll the English papers, by the
readers of whom they are evidently re-
garded as gospel verify. Willing to still
further tighten the labors of our trans
atlantic brethren of thu shears, we con-
tribute the following plausible incident
to the general fund, merely asking
eastern contemporaries to cut off this
preliminary paragraph in reprinting,
and send us by wire the editorial con-.
ment Of the first London papers copy.
ing the story.
AS it is we'll known, the cares and
anxieties of the great war so weighed
upon President Lincoln mind as to
throw his system into a condition of
nervous sensibility of the most pain
full description. He found it almost
impossible to sleep, and, when slumber
occasionally, through sheer weakness,
visited his restless couch, his mind still
busy with questions of national expe-
diency. In fact, Lincoln became, in
time, a confirmed somnambulist, and
the most assiduOus care on the part of
Mrs. Lincoln and the attendants was
necessary to insure his safety. One
night, however, just after the Fort Pill
low massacre, they omitted to attach
The small jack-chain with which the
ankle of the president was usually fas-
tened to the leg of his bed, and about
A. NJ, he was discovered to be missing.
For long time the anxious search of
the distracted household revealed moth
ing until one of the gardeners happened
to think of the roof, and there, sure
enough, they discovered Father Abra-
ham," as he was affectionately called
by those about him, reclining at length
on the very edge of the cornice of the
west wing, at which dizzy height from
the ground he was slum bering peace
fully. How he had descended from the
roof coping above to his perilous posi-
ton was one of those mysteries solved
only i'll the land of dreams. Tt was
evident at glance, however. that it
would be- impossible to reach the mar
row ledge wherein he lay without
touching the sleeper, and all could see
that the slightest change in the center
of the gravety in awakening would re-
suit in instant destruction. The news
of the presidents terrible position
spread like wildfre, even at that hour,
and soon dense crowd gathered be-
meath in the gardens, awaiting the de-
movement with bated breath. By this
time hook and ladder company,
which had been sent for, arrived, and
began preparing their ladders for erec-
ton to the wall beneath the now plain
ly revealed figure, although how to
place them against the building without
awakening the sleeper by the jar was
the uppermost thought. At this mo-
ment young, pale-faced regimental
surgeon appeared on the roof, and,
motioning the crowd to even greater
silence, leaned over the edge and pro-
ceeded to gently lower over the face
beneath string, suspened to which was
large sponge. This was filled with
cbloroform. In few moments the OBJ
livious president was rendered still
more unconscious, and soon his rigid
body was safely approached and lower
ed to the pavement.
The next morning lit won't do to
finish this historical episode without
poetic climax) the ready-witted young
surgeon received the presidents COM
mission as the encouragement Of the
army of the United States army. Of
course we refer to Gen. Barnes.