The morning call., 1890-07-31
AGAIN AFTER 20 YEARS.

Has the Electric Light Anything to Do
With the Restoration of His sight?
After cropping in darkness for over quar-
ter OF century Captain William p Dugan
of Jacksonville, formerly one of the best
known pilots on the Ohio River, now by al
most a miracle finds his sight being slowly
restored.
On January H. 1865, the Jacob StradGr.
plying between Louisville and Cincinnati,
was considered the finest and fastest steam
boat on Western waters, and Captain Du-
gan stood at the wheel in her pilot-houSe.
On one occasion she came into he Louis
willie harbOr and W as made fast to the land.
Hardly were her moorings secured before
there was an accident to her machinery,
and an immense cloud of steam rushed up
through the pilOt-hOuse. 1t lasted only a
moment but when the air was again clear
Captain Dugan was blind man, ana for
twenty-five years the light of day has been
shut out from him. lie visited many Oc-
culists, and spent a fortune in an endeavor
TO regain his sight, but IL proved all in vain.
Still the river retained fascination for
him, and he settled on its banks where he
could hear the whistles of the passing
boats. Every one of them he knew the
name of by the sounds it made, and the
boys who were tOddling children at the
time of his misfortune grew to manhood
and attained prominence as rlvermen With
out his having seen them Every steam-
bOatman from the headwaters of the Ohio
to its mouth knows the old captain, aud
will rejoice with him at the prospect of the
restoration of his vision.
When the electric light company secured
the contract with the city of Jeffersonville
one OF their lamps was placed on Walnut
street, where its rays poured directly into
the bedroom OF the blind captain. Blind
people are sensitive in many cases to varl-
atoms of the intensity of the light and the
Cri.r Of ha alaotripieit,r panfui
to the old man. An unusual pain came
into his head, and it could not be driven
away while the light was shining.
One night not long since he lay on his
couch, when suddenly the pain affected his
eyes. lnstincuvely lifting his arm to shield
his blinded orbs, the cloud that had OBJ
scured his vision for moment vanished.
ana he indistinctively saw his white shirt
sleeve. Almost afraid to believe the evil
dence Of his senses, he raised his hand In
front oil his lace and moved the fingers. In
his JOY he saw them, though very dimly.
Then he relapsed into blindness again, but
upon several occasions since his sight has
returned, and each interval lasts longer
than the preceding one. 1t may be- and it
is not at all improbable. that he will III IT,
mately regain the entire use of one eye, the
other having been destroyed years ago by
an alleged oculist 1n every other particu-
lar Captain DuGan is enjoying the best OF
health, and, although 70 years of age, he
bids fair to live many years yet.
To a Louisville COurier-JOur reporter,
who called upon him at his residence on
Front street, between Walnut and Watt,
he said: Yes, it is true that have had
occasional glimpses of light recently, but
that will yet live to be able to see is al
most too good to believe. l think some
| times, however, that there is slight opening
in the film over the pupil of my eye
| through which the light penetrateS. If this
is the case, even, 1t can be removed, and my
old age will yet be happy"
Captain Dugan is of the rather queer
opinion that the electric light on the corner
may have had something to do with the re-
storation of his sight