The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-13
FROM THE GRAVES BRINK.
1t Seemed Almost Miracle When Gen.
Sheridan Revived.
From the Ne,o York World

From the Neto York World.
The country has never known how very
near, at one moment, Gen. Sheridan was to
death. There was a space of five minutes
on the afternoon of Thursday, June7 Z, when
science itself could not have told that Gen.
Sheridan was not dead No test of death
known to medical science was absent, save
only that life did, in fact come back to the
| sufferer. The official bulletins aud
| press dispatches of the day gave only
hints Of what really happened. AS
| told at the time, the improvement
in the generals condition during the forty
eight hours before O'Clock on that Thurs
day morning had been most encouraging.
So relieved was Mrs. Sheridan that she
| consented to leave her husbands bedside
during the evening of Wednesday to drive
| for an hour with her sister. The bulletin
| issued at midnight stated that there had
| been no change in the generals condition
! since early in the evening. 1t was signed
by Drs. O'Reilly and Matthews only, the
patients condition being so favor
able that. it was not thought nee
essary for Drs Byrne and Var
row to remain in attendance throughout
the night. After = O'Clock on Thursday
| morning it became apparent that the general
had not passed a comfortable night. The
windows of the sick room had been closed
during the night and heavily draped with
curtains. The attendants at the door were
| even more reticent than usual, and little
could be learned by the reporters of how the
night had been passed. AT 8 o'clock Drs
Byrne and Narrow returned to the house
and a consultation was at once held, for the
generals condition had plainly changed for
the worse. After an examination the fol
lowing bulletin was issued
June Z, 8 A. M.-Gen, Sheridan passed a some
what restless night. He complained of nausea.
Ills tongue is heavily coated and his mind is less
clear The kidneys are doing their work. Pulse,
ia; respiration, 81; no return of hemorrhage.
1t was observed that the Row. Father
Chappelle reached the house shortly after
noon and remained for long time At
O'Clock a consultation was held by Drs
O'Reilly, Byrne and Yarrow, DR.. Matthews
being a sent. There had been no favor
able change in the sick mans condition,
and the following bulletin was given to the
press:
2P. M.-Gen. Sheridan's condition has CON
tinued about as described in this mo rnings
bulletin. Within the last hour there has been
u pronounced tendency to hard breathing.
which has up to this time been successfully
warded off.
The patient body of reporters outside
learned that most serious complications
had occurred. 1t was only given out to
them that all efforts to ward off the threat
ened attack of heart failure had been I'M
successful, and that for two hours the pull
sations were hardly percepMble to the hand
laid upon the region of the heart. A fresh
retort of oxygen had been procured and
freely administered. Brandy was also
given in small quantities at short intervals.
Dry mustard was rubbed upon the body
and strychnia in an increased dose was
given. The sick mans face was flushed a
dark red 1ecked with white patches, and
H., ,ho md rk Il
was learned that at one time he had be-
come entirely unconscious, and for more
than an hour afterward lay tossing about
upon his bed, frequently crying aloud as if
In great pain.
Much had happened in that interval
which the physicians did not think best TO
communicate to the public: but now that
there is such grateful prospect of Gen.
Sheridan'S recovery, the facts may be stated
with propriety During the afternoon there
had been another of the alarming honor
rhages of tine stomach, and this was fol
lowed by a hemorrhage of the bowels,
which so exhausted the patient that he
passed into inconsistencies, and during this
period was the supreme moment when physi-
clans, wife, brother and friends all believed
that the brave soldiers struggles were at
last ended-that death had indeed come as a
perhaps happy release There was ALSO
iutely no pulse or respiration. The firm
jaw had dropped. The eyes had opened and
were glazed. The nose was pinched with
that awful pressure which seemingly can
only come from deaths cold fingers There
was even that subtle Odor which follows 50
fast upon the final passage of the spirit and
tells that mortality has claimed its due of
the body from which what is immortal in
it has escaped.
Mrs. Sheridan had been holding the
hand which had grown colder and colder.
Col. Sheridan now gently released it from
her clasp Father Chappelle had admins
tered the last rites Of the church. He stood
by the bedside, and his experienced eye,
familiar with death in all its forms, noted
the sure signs Of dissolution. AT last he
turned away. after making the sign Of the
cross over the placid forehead and went
down 10 the anteroom where Coils Kellogg
and Blount and Gen. McFeely were wait
ing; Holding up his hand nd he he
quickly sent TO Mrs Michael Sheridan
at the house of the Generals brother,
near by Meanwhile tho watchers by the
bedside were preparing to arrange the body
in DEATH except that DIR. OReilly, hoping
against hope, was still applying every de-
vice that science and even desperate chance,
could suggest. He had opened the night
gown, applying his ear 20 the heart, could
detect no flutter or pulsation. he mad
noted all the marks Oh uehbh, oub Poisc GU
Mrs. Sheridan was kneeling in prayer for
the departed soul The grave and white
haired physician seized the galvanic bat
tery. One electrode he placed at the
base Of the neck, the other upon the
inner side of the left thigh. The cur
rent generated, he has since said, was sufii-
Gent TO have instantly killed man in
stalwart health. There was yet no sign Of
life. The physician then resorted to hypo-
dermic injections OF brandy The minutes
passed slowly, and five were counted The
watchfu ear was again at the heart There
was q feeble beat: then hardly percept-
ible inspiration. Theu the eyes opened aud
Mrs. Sheridan arose from her knees and
bent over her husband. There was com
pl.te intelligence IN the look he gave her,
and IL seemed as II the miracle Of l,sOO
years before had been repeated, add the
dead had come back 10 life.
t1to.tc H,nda at gtraugs Bros.