The Irish standard., 1891-07-04
WITHOUT SLEEP.
How It Feels to Remain Awake
for Six Days.
A Contestant in a Sleep-Fasting Match
Describes Some of the Strange
Sensations He Ex-
perienced.


Sensations He Ex-
perienced.
William E. Woodford, the Englishman
who recently attempted to keep awake
seven days in San Francisco as an at
traction for dime museum, has writ
ten the story of how it feels to be actu-
ally sleepy. Woodford succeeded in
keeping awake over six days, says the
San francisco Chronicle, when the ply
sician in charge compelled the manage
ment to stop the cruel exhibition.
Woodford, who is a bright, well-edu-
Gated fellow, says:
II entered the sleep-fasting match
with the intention of staying till the
end. I never undertook anything in
my life unless I had first determined to
see it through. The only time I had
ever remained up for any length Of time
was on one occasion when my ship en-
countered a typhoon in the China sea- l
was awake for four nights and days.
thought Of that when [ went in and
felt that I could remain awake longer
under the favorable conditions that
were guaranteed, but, must say, not
fulfilled.
1.-THE first night of the contest seemed
rather long, and ( had been without
sleep for thirty six hours preceding and
felt rather drowsy when the affair be-
gan. Friday night did pass more rap
idly, but as it grow near morning felt
rather sleepy. grew to be afraid OF
myself and was hoping that 1 would not
be the first to be rung out
II kept my eyes open by telling my
self that l.couldn't be the first to quit
in the face of all those other contest
ants. In other words, I felt just like a
man who was way out in the country
and had to walk home with the rest or
be left behind.
'tOne by one the contestants were
rung out, but the time seemed q month.
The hours grew longer and longer. Sat-
urday afternoon / had an idea that my
reason was going to leave me and that
I was going to be maniac. For an
hour didn't know where / was. Was
walking about the hall, but didn't know
it. Once nearly fell, but one of the
contestants caught me and held me up
This was the worst sensation I expert
enced during all the seven days and
six nights that L remained awake. It
was simply awful, and would not go
through it again for thousands OF dol
lars. The large crowd Sunday aroused
me somewhat and assisted III making
the afternoon and evening pass more
pleasantly than usual.
''Monday morning at three OF four
o'clock, my ghost hours, had rather
peculiar experience. I had a, waking
dream which lasted several hours, The
audience seemed to be enacting d scene
in my early life. and although I knew
was seeing double, could not get rid
of the second view or sight. | saw
everything as it was occurring iii reality
in the hall, but at the same time L saw
before me the other scene. Men seemed
to going through the sports that | used
to enjoy at school and [ saw the faces
of many of my old schoolnates.
"About this time I began to notice
that the old man who claimed on enter
ing to have remained awake an almost
incredible length of time, and who, TO-
gether with jackson, thought 1nost
likely to win, was showing signs Of
WEAKNESS. Then it was thai / thought
really had some show. 1t was too late
now to give IN. Unless that felt that
it was iniuring my health in some way
determined to stick it out. l started
cut almost like a new man. Then l
had more waking dreams, especially
inst before daybreak.
t'These hours were my mauvais quart
d'heure. Then only felt real sleepy.
''Sleepy is q mild name for it. J.
couldn't keep my eyes open at all, and
to prevent myself falling asleep in dead
earnest ran about the hall for more
than an hour at q time. Sometimes my
eyes were closed.
sit was only by repeated sponge
baths that managed to keep my eye
lids from coming together and staying
'tTowara eight o'clock in the morn
ing the sleepiness passed away and l
felt as if I had just awaked from re-
freshing sleep. Expecting to feel the
same way every NOR ming l became pre-
pared.
soften I thought was wandering
StDtuO CIlc SO1cclS teIhiISS5 III uAAS s>ASAoo,
and then I would return and ningle
with the crowds at the door.
Con these wanderings I often felt
puzzled that + was not missed While I
was perfectly aware that these were all
vagaries of the brain I was unable to
restrain myself. think it benefited me,
though. 1t relieved my brain Of real
work.
Thursday morning l had kind Of
waking dream. imagined has home
in my room looking at the birds.
"a little paroquet is my favorite, and
I always played with it. I dreamed it
had had no food and was starving. I
wanted to go and feed it, but was as
sured, of course that the birds were re-
ceiving the best Of care from the ladies
of the house. 1t passed away after
awhile, but I had the vision before ne.
''When l got home on Thursday
afternoon found things just as they
appeared in the dream. Through some
oversight the birds had not been fed
and were nearly fa1nished. The paro-
Duet was biting away at the woodwork.