Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-10-27
From Death 70 Life.

people to the Fulton Market slip, and
the officer and the reporter joined the
crowd to see the excitement. s.It was
nothing," one of the spectators said,
turning to 90 away; "only boy
drowned" The life-saving officer, how
ever, seemed to take different view OF
the drowning of Il boy, and he hurriediy
elbowcd his way through the crowd till
ne was ut the waters edge, with the re-
porter at his elbow. Three of the fish
ing schooners were tied up at this part
of the pier side by side, and on the deck
OF the third lay Il naked boy apparently
dead. Half dozen market men and
fishermen stood By, saying that the boy
was dead and that that was all there was
of it. The life-savin@ officer sprang
aboard the nearest schooner, and was
immediately stopped by Il policeman
who was on guard-for the boy had
been out of the water for some time.
Stand back" said the life-saver, ssI
am a physician" and, followed by the
reporter, he was soon on the deck ON
which the drowned boy lay.
The oiliccr-physician felt the boys
skin, felt for his pulse, drew up one of
his eyeldS and looked at the pupil, and
asked the by>ianders how long the boy
had been GU; of the water.
g You can't get no job here unless you
are IN undertaken" said one of the
men. "Hc was stuck in the mud most
ten minutes, and he's been layin' here
ten minutes more; so, if you fetches
him TO life, it'll be little resurrection,
! and don't YOU forget it,
The officer paid no attention to the
mans opinions, but devoted his whole
time to the boy in n way that seemed to
Indicate some hope of saving the life
that was apparently gone. The boy
parently lifeleSs if he had been dead for
Il week.
The officer opened the boys mouth,
an operation that required some force,
and found it full of mud. Pulling the
lower jaw down rs far rs possible, he in
troduced one of his fingers and care
fully but quickly cleaned it out. There
was enough mud in the mouth to choke
| the boy if he had not been in the water
Mt all. The officer whisked off his
coat, rolled it up into a pillow, and laid
it on the deck. With the assistance of
two or three bystanders, he turned the
boy over on his face and laid him so
that the coat-pillow was directly under
his stomach. Taking the boys two
ankles in one of his hands and giving
them to one of the men to hold up SO
that the patient'S feet were several feet
higher than his head, the officer pressed
carefully but firmly in the region of the
small of his back, and Immediately a
| stream of water guShed out of the boys
mouth. II had been all this time in the
lungs, waiting only for proper treat
mcnt To help it ont. The boy was then,
after Il minute or two of this exercise,
turned over on his back again, and the
officer knelt over him. Putting one
! hand on the boys right side and the
other on his left, just over what are
! Known Is "lhe short ribs the officer
gave them apowerful compression, ami
then suddenly let 90. The instant he
took off his hands the ribs srraug back
to their natural position, and Il draught
of air rushed into the lun~I This was
repeated II dozen times or more, but
still the boy was, to all appearance, a
corpse.
"Oh, give us rest on that" said
another of the men. "rhe boys dead,
and that settles it. Can't You let a
drowned boy alone"
The assertion that The boy was dead
seemed to be only too true. He looked
like a piece of marble; and the reporter
suggested that ii was not worth while to
make any further efforts.
"Why," said the officer, W haven't
begun yet. The boy may live and he
may not. But he's going to have fair
chance for his lfr, ANYHOW. Stand back
a little, all of you, and give him little
more air."
Disseminating for moment the arti-
fetal breathing process, the officer took
one of the boys hands between his own
and began to slap it vigorously, ut the
same time setting three of TIE byStand-
ers at work on the other hand and two
feet. The reporter relieved the officer
at the slapping business, and the latter
resumed the squeezing process, com
pressing the boys frame till he must
have cried for mercy if he had been
conscious. With four men Slapping his
hands and feet, and IN expert trying to
start his breathing, the boy must have
been unreasonable, indeed, had he been
dissatisfied. But he still lay rs dead as
a stick, and, happily unconscious.
After about live minutes of this treat.
ment, very much to the surprise of the
market men and the reporter, and
greatly to the delight of the life-savng
officer, the boy gave slight gasp fol-
breath.
just ut this moment Of triumph the
policeman on guard called across the
decks: "Say, you'd better let that boy
alone. He's dead enough"
"Never mind what they have to say,
they don't know what they're talking
about" said the officer. "Get me Il
glass of brandy"
He redoubled his artificial breathing
treatment, and one of the fishing sailor,
went down into the cabin and soon re-
turned with Il tumbler nearly full of moi
very inviting looking brandy. The boy
meanwhile gaSped again; had twitched
little in the legs; had rolled his head
to one side, and 1t length had drawn {
good-sizcd breath. The minute he
brcathcd the officer picked up the glaSs
of brandy and poured the liquid dowr
the boys throat.
Snow, get me two or three blankets
As quick rs You cam" said he, and a
the same time he unrollcd his coat ant
laid it over the boy. The patient con
tinued to show more signs of life. ll'
soon drew short but regular breathS, AN,
raised one hand to his head. Under
the influence of the warm brandy il
| his stomach and rhp fresh mir i'm hi
lungs, he opened one of his eyes.
ale is all right now" said the officer
getting up with difficulty and straight
cning the "kinkS" out of his back
"Wrap him up well in these blankets
and put him in berth. BE sure yol
make his hands and feet warm. If yol
have couple of empty bottles fill then
with warm water, cork them up well
and put them against his feet. In tel
| or fifteen minutes give him another glas