Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16


seen, or whisper heard; oil was as
solemn as the grave. His whole body
was cold as death could make it. There
was no pulsation in the wrists, the tenn
pies or the chest perceptible. His voice
was clear and powerful, hiscyes tncom-
monty brilliant and animated. After a
short and pertinent address to the med
ical gentlemen, he told me in peremp-
tory manner to bring Commodore
Rodgers to him. as he had something to
say to him before he finally left u.s.
The Commodore consented to 90 with
me, when scene was presented
truly novel and indescrbable, and cal
culated to fill with awe the stoutest
heart. The sick bay Cor berth) in
which he lay is entirely set apart to the
use of those who are confined to their
beds by illness. Supported by the sur
geons, surrounded by his weeping and
astonshed comrades, a crowd of specta-
tors looking through the lattice work
which inclosed the room, common
japanned lamp throwing out sickly
light, and candle held opposite his
face by an attendant, was the situation
OF things when our worthy commander
made his appearance; and well does he
remember the effect produced by SO I'M
common a spectacle, especially when
followed by the utterance of these words
from the mouth Of one long supposed
to have been dead: Commodore Rod
gers, [ have sent for you, sir, being
commissioned by a higher power to
address you for short time, and to de-
liver the message intrusted to me when
| was permitted to revisit the earth.
Once I trembled in your presence, and
was eager to obey your commands; but
now / am your superior, being no longer
an inhabitant of the earth. / have seen
the glories of the world of spirits am
not permitted to make known what |
have beheld; indeed, were | not forbid
den language would be inadequate tc
the task; it's enough for you and
the crew to know that | have been sent
back to earth to reanimate for a few
hours my lifeless body, commissioned
by God to perform the work / am now
engaged in. He then, in language SC
chaste and appropriate that it would
not have disgraced the lips or the pen
OF divine, took hasty view of the
moral and religious duties incumbent
on the commander of ship of war.
He reviewed the vices prevalent on ship
board, pointed out the relative duties OF
officers and men, and concluded by
urging the necessity of reformation and
repentance. He did not, as was feared
by our brave commander, attempt to
prove the sinfulness of fighting and
wars but, on the contrary, warmly
recommended to the men the perform
ance of their duty to their country with
courage and fidelity. His speeches oc-
cupied about three-quarters of an hour,
and if the whole could have been taken
down at the time, they would have
made considerable pamphlet, which
would no doubt have been in great de-
mand. DR.. Birchmore, now at Boston,
heard all the addresses, | only the last.
"When he finished with the Com
modore, his head dropped upon his
breast, his eyes closed, and he appeared
to have passed through second death.
No pulsation nor the least degree of
warmth could be perceived during the
time that he was speaking. | ordered
him to be laid aside, and left him.
Il retired to bed, deeply rejecting
upon the past, unable to sleep, when
about nine o'clock p. M, many hours
after Kemble had been laid by, was
called out of bed to visit man taken
suddenly i'll in his hammock. hanging
near Kemble's apartment. 1t was an
hour when all but the watch on deck
had turned in; general silence reigned,
and all the lights below were out, with
the exception of single lamp in the
sick apartment, where lay the remains
of Kemble. [ had bled the sick man
he was relieved. [ entered the sick
room before | retired to replace some
thing, and was turning round to leave
it. being alone, when suddenly [ was
almost petrified upon beholding KEN
BILE sitting up in his berth with his eyes
(Which had regained their former bril-
liancy and intelligence) fixed intently
upon mine | became, for moment,
speeches. and motionless Thinks [
to myself, what have | done, or left
undone, in this mans case that would
cause him thus to stare at me at this
time in painful suspense, dreading some
hOrrid disclosure. when / was relieved
by his commando me to fetch him
some water. With what alacrity |
obeyed can easily be imagined. gave
HllH Gln mug containing water, WHICH
he put to his mouth, drank off the con-
! tents, and returned to me; then 5aid
himself quietly down for the last time.
His situat on was precisely the same IN
every respect as before described. The
time was now expired which, he had
said, was given him to remain in the
body. The next day by noon, all
hands attended as usual to hear the
funeral service read, and see his re-
mains consigned to a watery grave. It
was an unusually solemn period. Sea-
men are naturally saperstitious, and
on this occasion their minds had been
wrought upon in a singular manner.
Decorum is always observed by sailors
at such times; but now they were all
affected to tears, and when the body
was slid from the plank into the
sea. every one rushed instinctively to
the ships side to take last look. The
usual weights had been attached
to the feet, yet, as if in compliment to
their anxiety to see more of him, the
body rose perpendicularly from the
water breaSt-hiUh two or three times