The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-04-05
WHILE BURIED ALIVE
ONE MANS THOUGHTS AND sENsA-
TloNS DURING lNTeRMENT.

Though Under the Ground but Q Short
Time. This Man Experienced Much of the
Pain That Seems to Accompany Death.
After Being Rescued.
have made bold to write upon an I'M.
pleasant experience Of the year 1888, at the
suggestion of several friends interested in
studying suspended respiration. They have
told me that cases Of com plete burial In
earth (the subject being conscious mean
while) where the person inferred" escaped
with his life and was able to give Salts
factory or intelligent account of his feel
ings, are extremely rare. They mggested
that, as my accident would furnish ma
terial for consideration among medical men
interested In kindred studies with them
selves, II had better be described.
Amound was being excavated near Frank
fort. Ross county, o., in August At the
center the wall from the base line upward)
was 10 feet high. It was undermined by
the workmen, and as bent down to exam
inc small bone uncovered in the process
OF undermining a mass Of earth equal to
several carloads suddenly dropped from
above.
There was no one In the excavation, the
men having gone on top preparatory to cut
ting down the undermined wall As the
earth cracked loudly looked up and start
ed to rise. The falling mass knocked me back
about Eve feet, 80 that fell with my head
and shoulders resting on heap of loose
earth. The falling wall was of course seen
only for an instant. It looked black, and the
rush Of wind it caused well remember. My
head and shoulders were somewhat higher
than my legs, possibly foot The feet
were spread apart.
There was little pain-only pressure, in.
tense pressure. 1t forced the buttons Of
my light field costume partly inside the
flesh; my watch chain left bright red
mark along my left side. ! could feel the
watch strongly pressed against two ribs
(these were broken) The skin over my
forehead seemed being cut, but it was the
pressure Of my hat forcing the flesh between
the laced straws. A knife in my pocket
seemed burningly hot.
Thoughts courssd like lightning--past
life, future and home. ! did not think
much OF the situation, except to wonder II
] could breathe when got out. One singu-
lar thought occurred. remembered read
ing OF women who In war times buried
their husbands in ash piles or sand heaps to
prevent their being drafted into the army
| had often wondered il it were possible for
one SO placed to breathe through a tube,
as described in the stories. remember
trying to move one hand, even finger. One
could not have been more firmly held in a
mold. My arms and hands were perfectly
motionless. The chest could not be inflated
or moved the slightest distance. On the
contrary, the downward pressure forced all
the air out OF my lungs.
= L a.
my face became ms the last breath was
forced from me. Just in front of my mouth
and chin was slight hollow, formed by
the arching Of two good sized Jumps Of clay.
could move my cL n and open and shut
my mouth. That was the only part of my
entire body that could be moved. re-
member trying to keep my mouth shut to
keep out the dirt. But after few seconds
my mouth instinctively opened, and the
arch having broken down earth filled 1t.
remember the horrible sensation Of trying
to dislodge the earth and the fear Of stran.
Cling that suddenly seized upon me. Ithen
felt that was doomed to perish, but had
no fear and did not particularly care
1t was 60 seconds, SO the surveyor says,
when the men reached my head. The labor
ers think it WIS over minute, but am in
clined to believe the surveyor. / felt the
earth move slightly above my head That
gave me hope. had not thought much
Of rescue, but | gathered my remaining
strength. A shovel passed across the top OF
my head, cutting the scalp. remember
feeling It rs II a hot iron had struck me-
Then they uncovered my head and removed
Tie earth from my mouth and eyes.
For some unaccountable reason they
stopped for an instant. The surveyor says
the pressure was SO great upon the impri
soned portions of my body that the blood
was forced TO the head, and the veins stood
out so strongly he feared they would burst
Even with the head uncovered could moi
breathe They soon had me laid outside
upon some wheat sheaves. ! remember
just as they carried me ont, seeing little
yellow wild canary" perch upon tai
thistle near ut hand. heard It sing
sweet song.
As the bird few away, seemed to follow
It, dancing about the fields, perching OF
this and that shrub, just as it did. The sky
seemed to have different color from that
usually noticed; was impressed with its
| grandeur-the scenery Of the surrounding
country was remarkably beautiful, and as
observed all these things they affected me,
and cried.
They rubbed my limbs could gee the
men at work, but could feel nothing. The
partial paralysis Of my limbs continued for
some days. To some extent the accident
has affected my mind. cannot now enter
an underground cave or mine or stand un.
der an overhanging bank without an effort
1t requires all my will power to goin them.
also often dream Of caving banks and ex.
| perience precisely the same feelings as did
in reality ! neglected to state that the
earth above my head was about three feet
thick; that over my legs was much deeper.
Warren X. Moorehead in Science.