The National tribune., 1884-05-29
ARMLEss AND LEGLEss.
Something About the Most Famous CrivpIes oi
the war.
Iwashsn0ton Corr. Louisville PostI

the War.
Washington Corr LouSsviUc PoStI
"There are only twenty two Of us left" said
s. III. Decker, the armless do0rkeeper at tho
House end OF the Capitol Washington; there
are only twenty-five out of about fOrtv-fys
who came out of the war with both arms shot
Off Five years ago the number had dropped
down to thiTty-three. In those four years
eleven OF our number have died"
Decker has neither hand, both arms having
been torn of just below the elbow by the pre-
mature discharge of gun at the battle Of Per-
ryvile, Kentucky.
This iron hand is more useful TO me than
any artificial concern that have ever found"
He held out a curious iron instrument, looking
very much like pair of nippers, with hook
at the side. The hand in question ia .
couple of long pieces of iron joined together
like blaeksnitbs' tongs, with hook fastened
on the side. The long handles run up toward
the elbow on either side of the SIX inches Of
arm remaining below the joint. The whole Ia
fastened to band which goes up the arm
near the shoulder. With tAis curious hand
Decker receives cards, opens doors, writes a
good, plain hand with apen, and, in fact, makes
himself quite as useful as the average individ-
uai with two hands.
This is a hand Of your own invention, IS is,
Mr.. DecSer?"
"Yes," he answered sI had never seen any
thing like it. After had lost both my haads--
work to devise something that would help ms
to use my arms and take the place Of hand.
/ found that an instrument of this kind, which
would open and close by the motion OF the arms,
was the simplest and yet the best, so ] adopted
it, and have been well satisfied With It, had
one for each arm, bat found that / made httle
use of that on the left arm"
{" And are they used by any besides your
seIf2"
Yes, gentleman IN this city, who lost both
arms in the war, also uses one. / remember
an interesting experience / had with this hand
at the Surgeon Generals Office. / had called
to see about communication for an arm and ex-
planned to the Surgeon-General how / used
this hand IN writing and eating and at various
kinds of work. lie asked me TO bring my
spoon and fork, and after be had examined
them gave me a letter to copy. / toOka pencil
and copied it, making much better looking
letter Of it than the one from which wrote.
About the time had it finished a messenger
TO whom he had spoken when / entered came
In with huge dish Of oysters, and at the same
time there filed IN about half dozen officers
of the SurgeOn-GeneraPs Office. Now said
the Surgeon General, you said you could eat
with that hand, and / want 20 see you try it,
l told him that had not come there TO get my
lunch, but that If he had any doubt OF my
ability in that line, / would soon convince
him, and, taking up my fork, made use Of it
both to the satisfaction of the SGFEeon-Gene-aI
and of my own stomach. The old fellow fell
back in his chairan fairly shook his sides with
laughter until l had finished. Well,' he said,
that is the best hand l ever saw for practical
use; here is your eOnmutatioE; you are GER
tainly entitled 20 it., and he gave an order
/ for 800 communication money 10 which / was
entitled, instead of the artificial arm"
There are no others in Government employ
here who have suffered this double loss, are
/ there?"
4 - L. (.
/ away; Fernando Page, there, lost both legs,
and walks with cork ones now and he beck
! Oned to him as he spoke. " Page got his ap-
| pOintment here through a Democratic member,
Mr.. HOuseman, of Michigan"
"Yes, we are pair Of them" said Mr. Page,
/ smiling, In answer 70 remark Of Deeker's.
/ / lost both legs at Yorktown IN 1862, and
/ Decker lost both of his arms the same year at
/ Perryville. 1 belonged TO the 81 Michigan
| infantry, and Decker to the 4th artillery"
/ But Page had a tougher time of 1t than I
/ did" said Decker, with a grim smile; be had
! to have both legs amputated three times, while
| l had but the one operation performed"
Not very pleasant experience IN either
case, was it?"
/ Not so painful a one as might be expected"
/ was Deeker's answer. My arms were shot of
| about o'clock in the morning and it was
noon before the amputation was made did
not take anything to sustain me, and felt no
=
never lost an hours sleep from the less Of my
arms. During the time that I spent in reeov-
ering slept well and suffered very little pain
1 from it. / suffer some pain from them now
occasionally, especially when the weather IS
bad. Page, though, had worse time than I.''
"Well," said Page, modestly, " i had a bad
enough time, that is true. 1t did not hurt me
any when my legs were shot of; in fact, /
scarcely felt il. They were taken OF BY fTag
ment of shell, and there was only feeling OF
being stunned for moment. | suffered more
from the consciousness that they were OF and
from the unpleasant sight I presented than
from the feeling. They did not even bleed.
A half hour afterward, however, they began 70
burn, and there was some sensation of pain
when the surgical operation was being per-
formed, though not very much The first ore
ration was successful, but in being transported
over corduroy roads, as had to be, the pressure
and irritation was so great that the flaps Of skin
which had been sewed gaTe way, and when /
reached Boston it became necessary 70 have q
second amputation. This was done ii the
presence Of a class of medical students but was
not well DONE and the consequence was that
few months later had TO have third ampu-
tatiOn performed. But it IS over now, and I
consider myself quite well / get around on
the cork legs, you see, very comfortably.
" How many men are there who lost both
legs in the war as you did?
About thirty-twO, believe, now-left
" And there is one" added Decker, who
lost both arms and both Iegs-a Minnesota man,
course, to support himself. The Government
pays him pension of 800 month, as It pays
So for the loss Of both arms"