New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-25

T., thc overturnod boat II was hard work. the
hardest | ever did IN my life, but mans strehgth
sometimes seems incNhaustiblc for wAlle uhuer
great stress. We finally had all but one chEu ca"sn'
and returned TO the bobbiGg boat. and the other
man was cllnging there with them, supporting them
and cheering them and ready to seize any who
should again be- carried away. l then SWAN ui'er
the fonrh child, crying out to 1t that was coming
and that 1t all right. Just as reached the
boy and .eiz,d him noticed that the stasedriver
ON orr side Of the river had been swimming out
and WAS near the boat. At that time WAS breathing
hard but felt strong and confident that we Sioulu
save them all. | worked nv way over untl ! was
within IA few yards of the boat. ! know that was
swimming powerfully and confidently Tor the boy,
safe i'm my arms and sympah"iicalIy gaining strength
from me had stopped screaming. suddenly, when
We were not more than ten feet from The boat,
Nbsolnt.iy the only sensation | had one Of
relief which | felt when | threw the boy ont OF my
aru, 80 rs not To drag him under. There was
nothing clae-no pain. TO pleasure no reflection, no
memory recncd no reasoning, not even a knowledS.
All scnsat on after that lightning like coarse ana
the flash Of my brain when got the boy cear
from me bottsd out -
II was drowned II over man drowned for
though the siagc-driver got hold Of me and dragged
linn and Unconscious. Those two saved us all.
The boat was carried in toward shore, 50 that they
But they had TO work over NE for long time
became conscious Of sensations felt pain n my
chest rs II had struck Inc heavily there
with bar OF IRON.
It will not take long to tel you about my thir1
drowning. | diving from Il bridge into swiftly
running river. when | struck my head on rock
When came 10 the surface tried TO SWIM ana
sanE Struggled wildly Till came 10 the surface
AGAIN. OF all the pains | ever suffered those We're
the worst. They We're I'm head, my BACK, my
hcart and c,cryWh r.. ! emc5 10 be whirlng IN
n mass Of tire. There horrible shrekng III
my ears. ana all the while my brain was sPltung
from terror. | frightened that sometime
within ne seemed - be screaming for help But
then Of a sudden black hood was pulled down over
my face my lungs and head filed with something
dark and oppressive. and again that was all was
drowned for the third time.
"Thev fshod mo ont and revived me. was III FOR
long time, bul II more from the ehccts OF the
wound I'm my head. | think, than from drowning
Now nv theory is this have had three eHpNr-
ence-. all d Iccnt In tb" first one becam" 50 eN-
haustcd gradually that = ;nay couldn't even thlnk
or fool II / had dice. ~,n my death would have been
painless. preceded Ly knowledge that was dylnI
In the second ! had sudden attack OF heaTt
lnlc. destroying thought and feeling Mt one stroke.
that should have died with no previous knoWlelSe
Of the !act and with sensation whatever. In the
third case should have died horrible DEATH know
Ing I was dying and suffering fearful agony Of nina
ara ioay. for mp TO the time became unconscious,
that Is was practically dead. my physical eersaons
wcr, da' o.ic0l ard my fear was horrible.
that T. seems To me- that the circumstances
attending N" drowning % man must have great
deal r. not all, t. do with the sensations Of dvlnc.
and that ones previous ne Is not likely TO reflect
anything upon that last moment Of feeling and think
ing"