The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-01-27
DEATHS SENSATIONS.
A MAN WHO PRACTICALLY DIED
THREE TIMES nv ONE YEAR.

luton Is Absolutely Painless and With
ont Fear of Future Life.
Although neither a physician nor a
clergyman | wish to ~cOrroborate the
views of the physicians ~cOntradictlng
Rev. DIR. Epworth under the heading,
What Is Death?' in your Sunday issue.
AS a Federal soldier, May 81, 1862, l
was one Of those who fought against
the surprise Of General Johnston, at
the time commander of the Confed-
crate army, at Fair Oaks. The sur
prise was made at nOontime, while
our boys were eating lunch. remem-
Der one soldier being struck in a vital
part and killed while leaning upright
against a tree in the act of carrying a
fapjack to his mouth, remaining after
death in precisely the same position.
When | saw him standing there | mis-
took him for n live man, especially as
he seemed to me intent only on eating
his fapjack, but the illusion was dis
PEELED when touching him, because as
IN officer | wanted him to join his com
radeS
Ny own personal experience in the
matter confirms the physicians also.
The Both of April, 1886, a fire was rag
ing III my factory in San Francisco. By
some means l was about $50 feet from
the main entrance in the burning build
ing when, to my dismay, l beheld the
five story wall topple over me through a
skylight. Passively | lowered my head,
thinking only Of my coming death and
wishing it would be swift. In less than
a second thousands of bricks fell on me.
sounding like a big drumstick beating
on a big bass drum. l remember a
crash, then nothing, but when l came to
my senses | was wedged in between
heavy timbers, the upper part of my
body only being free.
About a dozen steps back Of me was a
stranger to me who had not received a
scratch, but ascertaining that my leg
waS broken, and also my utter inability
to save myself, he crawled over to me
and attempted to pull me out of my ter
rible situation. But all his efforts only
increased my suffering, and as ! saw the
flames come up | entreated him to leave
me to my fate and try to save himself.
Finally he crawled away, promising,
however, to return with help and axes.
| must have been b~ewildered, for no act
Of my past life came to my memory, but
suddenly thinking of my small, mother
less children l shouted for help, whis-
Ting at intervals through my fingers.
Some firemen must have heard, for
presently there were several streams of
water poured on me. | then realized
my danger, yet |, who had never gone
into a battle without a pang, felt none
whatever while in that deathtrap. The
water and smoke combined rust have
asphyxiated me, for when my stranger
returned leading a brave party of fire
men and policemen l laid as one dead.
Believing me dead, and being in a very
dangerous position, they cut away part
of the timbers and rudely but safely
passed me over the debris in the street.
A deafening shout from an immense
thrOng which had witnessed the gallant
rescue, streams of cold water and fresh
air revived me, and begged of them to
be careful with my limbs, which were
dangling from my body.
After many weeks of suffering the
physicians decided to break my leg
again, but being unable to do it well
while l had my senses they decided to
chlorOform me. Being subject to heart
disease | objected, but the matter being
urgent | finally consented to take the
an2sthetic. Fully convinced, however,
that should die under its influence. but
knowing that either way l would have
to die, | agreed to take the only chance
of life | had and laid myself resignedlv
on my back; yet, although convinced
that my last hour had come | had not
the slightest recollection of nv former
deeds. As heard the physicians whis-
pers gradually lost in the distance | was
only wondering what would come next.
recovered, however; but, breaking
my leg Il third time on account of some
IN my knee, it was decided
| should undergo another operation,
which necessitated the use of anapsthct- |
les again. This time the physicians |
thought l was a gOner sure, for it took
them nearly two hours to revive me;
yet, although certain of my last hour. |
could not recall my past life, and in
case did | fear death when | had |
to face it.
In each instance the passing away was
while in the fire s%uffocation
almost unconsciously, while al
most the same sensation came in the
other cases. In the case of the soldier
at Fair Oaks Seven Pines a certain time
must have elapsed between his decease
and my notice of him, yet heaven or
hades did not seem to bother him: his
seemed to be what he wanted
his eyes were on it and his mouth was
open ready TO receive it. In my own
| could claim to have died three
within a year, yet | do not think |
had any other but a sensation Of rest.
DIR. EpwOrth, in his assertion also that
either Il look Of horror or beatitude
overspreads a deceased persons face.
seems 10 forget that the Scriptures teach
Us that the soul leaves our terrestrial
envelope ut once on dissolution; hence
body canno show what reception
the soul had on the other side of the
StyX.-An Interested Reader in New
York Press.