Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1889-12-24
HOW 1T FEELS TO DROWN.
One Who Has Had the Experience Tells
All About It,

The ship was the George Pollock.
Capt. Withers. bound from London tn
Lyttelton, New Zealand We were
about /. 200 miles south of the Cape of
Good Hope, very cold latitude In the
month of October. / was a saloon
passenger, and had been fishing for al
batrosses and mollymocks over the
stern with a long line and hooks
baited with salt pork all the morning.
About midday we went down to din
ner, but |, being anxious to catch a
bird made a hurried meal and has
tened back on deck. The Sir George
Pollock was an old fashioned ship
with high poop, and, as we had cows
on board, number of trusses of hay
had been lashed to the stern taffraif
where they were less liable to be wet
by the sea than elsewhere.
When / got on the poop, no one
else being there but the man at the
wheel, found my line had got tam
gled with the rudder. l climbed on to-
one of the trusses of hay with the in
tention of casting the line loose, and
was leaning down to do SO when the
ship gave a pitch. l lost my balance
and fell plump into the sea. From
where l was perched on the hay to the
water, as the ship rose on the wave,
was a clear drop of twenty feet or
more, and as | fell fiat on my chest
the wind was knocked out of me and
l was half stunned for the moment.
When l came to myself / was floating
pretty comfortably, my thick wooden
clothes supporting me, and my wide
awake hat floating by my side.
There was heavy swell, and as /
n nf / =
ship, looking very small. as if she were
already a long way off. / noticed.
however, that she was hove to, and |
felt sure then that / should be picked
up. My only fear was that the alba
trosses might swoop down upon me
and kill me with their terrible beaks,
as they had the carpenter of the same
ship the voyage before. A long time
1t seemed to me-and, /
my clothes having become soaked, II
tioated low in the water and could nos
longer empty my mouth fast enough
to get breath or keep the ship in !
sight. Every wave that came sank
me deeper and made me swallow more
water. | began to feel deadly cold, /
and | thought it was all over with me-
could not help blaming my friends
on the ship for their cruelty in lettinR
me drown, when they might SO easily
have sent a boat for me, but forgavoI
them and said my prayers to myself
ALI / could do now / could not keep
my head above water, and At
last l saw it green over my eyen
as l looked up, my head swan {
round and l thought I was goin3 +
% sleep. l was aroused by som4
hing touching me, forcing me dowtef
n the water, and then dragging M
'ut altogether, and the next thing #
xnew l was among men who -
alking, though / could not updl
stand them for the -
ing In my ears. handing me up
Inc nrst Ya.xme felt myself be
nd at the same 81 pf e ss;r5f aon3e on all a3|
;noe1ttsesv had been cut off by the
Ioctor with a sharp knife-and then
elf warmth all over me. Soon knew
hat l was lying in warm blankets
With hot bottles under my armplts
md feet. 1 could hear voices round
ne and knew what they said, and I
,ould feel hands rubbing my limbs
md turning me about. But could
not speak or move, or show any slgnstI
Of life, and in my inside still felt SO I
cold thought l must die I
At length / felt something very hot
in nv mouth, and 1 gulped and II |
went down my throat. 1t came again
and again. and warmed me and made
me feel better, though fearfully sick;
Then | felt a terrible pricking and
twitching Qike .'pins and needles,
when your foot has gone to sleep all
over me. After that got drowsy, ana
the next thing remember was ~
ing in my own berth with my father
and sister sitting by me. was stlii
yery weak, and l had very bad
cough. but / was out of danger ana
fast recovering. Two days later the
children in the saloon, who were all
great friends of mine, were allowed 70
come and see me. and bring me llttie
presents they had ready for me, and IN
a fortnight was up and again eaten
ing seabirds over the stern L ha~ &C,
tually been half an hour in the cold
waters of the Southern ocean, ana II
was two hours before they cou tell
for certain whether I was de or
alive.-Edward Wakefield IN Ne"
York World.