Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-19
A Colorado Miner Receivers Who
Claims He Can Pull a Handker-
chief Through His Body.
PROVISIONS GO UP ANOTHER PEG.
Great Damage Caused by Yesterdays Rain,
One Man Losing His Life While
Trying to Keep Dry.
JAMES BREEN HELD DIOR RMANsLAUGHTER
Happenings Of Various Kinds in the Twin Cities on
Half.Holiday.

James Thomas, a Colorado miner ap-
peared at the Union station last evening
with a ticket to Harrisburg which Chief
Elliot had kindly given him. He was on
his way home to Philadelphia, which place
he left six years ago to make his fortune in
the West He told most remarkable tale
of recovery from injuries received that
would have killed 90 out of every 100 men,
Indeed, if his story is correct, the fact that
he lives is miracle. AT times he seemed
TO be wandering in his recital, but in
the main the details of his story
were consistent. He was a tall, slender
man, with one eve crushed in his head The
other also had been severely hurt, and
through sympathy for its mate had almost
gone blind. He could only see a faint
glimmer, just enough to outline objects be-
for him, and it was with the greatest diff
Guilty that he walked. His face wore a
deadly pallor, and it was very evident that
he had pulled through long siege of sick
ness.
A Victim of the Columbia Explosion.
James Thomas claimed he was in the Co.
lumbia silver mines last February when
the terrible explosion took place.
Ninetv-two men were killed outright or
died before rescued, and one jackson and
himself were the only two miners taken out
alive. He was pinioned to the floor of the
mine by a mass of timbers which fell on
him. Fortunately the bed beneath him was
soft, and to this he attributes his narrow
escape. If the ground had been hard, he
would surely have been crushed into a
shapeless mass For eight DAYS and four
hours he was an unconscious prisoner, when
a rescuing party discovered him, and took
him out to the surface with faint spark of
life still in his breast The men could
scarcely believe that he was living, but after
a careful examination the physicians noticed
some signs which denoted that he had not
ceased to breathe. His skull was cracked
in several places, but by careful trepanning
the effects of the fracture were overcome.
'See, ;" he said, as he took off his old and
faded straw hat, ''my head is full of silver"
The reporter looked at it and could see sew
eral ugly scars that bore out his apparently
wild statement.
Recovered Consciousness in a Hospital.
''But that is nothing" he continued. 81
can pull a silk handkerchief through my
DOuN. n Splht Out Vi lu6 props eUltTeu
nv side, near the stomach, and almost
reached through me. Some of nv ribs
were so badly broken that one had to be
taken out, and the wounds have not yet
healed. l see by your face that you
don't believe it. Few people will. IfI
had time would prove it to you, though.
i am not crazy, but telling the truth. While
] was in the mine l didn't know anything,
and when l came to l was in a hospital.
When they told me how they found me and
that l was badly hurt couldn't see how
any man could have such an experience and
live. But here am, and if 1 can get back to
old Philadelphia will gladly stay there |
for the balance of my days"
To the external view Thomas certainly |
looked like badly used up man. He had
an ugly scar on his neck where one of the
heavy pieces of timber had struck him. His
hands were rough and SCARED, and people |
wondered if there was a spot on his body |
that had escaped injury. He regretted |
most the loss of his eyesight, but he was |
thankful he still lived
There are cases on record where men |
have been pierced through the body |
and survived. During the Mexican |
War General Shields was struck on the |
breast by bullet, which passed through |
his lungs and came out at the back. The |
blood spurted from both ends. and the SOL |
diers thought the veteran was done for.
They put their fingers on the wounds and
then the blood rushed to his throat and was
choking him to death.
Cured by a Clever Mexican Doctor.
The opening became clogged, and clever
Mexican doctor was induced to attend him. |
He took fine handkerchief, and turning it
around his finger, pushed it into the open
ing, and by means of piece of wire made |
it pass through the body. The |
handkerchief was drawn out at the |
back, and with it came the con- |
gealed blood. The Generals breathing |
became freer at once, and in the course Of |
time he recovered. 1t is related of another |
soldier during the late war that he was |
stabbed through the abdomen with bayonet. |
The point of the weapon came out on the |
other side close TO the spinal column. This |
man also got well. Quite similar is the |
story of Alexis ST. Martin which is |
familiar to every school boy. He was shot |
in the stomach, and the wound healed in |
such way that ever afterward there was a |
flap on the organ that could be opened, and |
for long time DIR. Beaumont watched and |
studied the process of digestion. Through |
his work much valuable information was |
obtained. 4 few years ago old Martin was
still living, bounded by people who wanted |
TO see his stomach. He said the doctors had |
experimental so much on him that he was |
weary of life and wanted to die