The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-04
HAD A BIG HOLE IN HIS HEAD.
How an Obscure Citizen OF Vermont Be-
came Suddenly Famous.

| came tamouss
The recently reported account of the
death of man in a Newark IN. j.
/ hospital who had lived number OF
| years with nearly two inches of knife
blade penetrating his brains calls to
mind an interesting case which existed
| IN Vermont, says Rutland correspon-
dent. The case was so remarkab BILE, in
fact, that ii was not credited until
either actually observed or sworn to
by eminent physicians The name of
the person who attracted so much at
tention was Phineas C. Gage. Mr.. Gage
became famous by having, unintention-
ally, tamping bar shot through his
brain and living sixteen years thereaf-
ter in excellent health.
The accident occurred at Cavendish,
VT, September 10. 1s4s, while blasting
was going on in a cut in the rocks
through which a division of the Gem
trial Vermont railroad now passes.
Phineas Gage, aged twenty-five years,
was foreman of gang of men who
were employed in blasting Gage had
never had a days illness since child
hood and was. as far rs could be de-
termined, perfectly healthy.
At the time of the accident he was
charging drill hole for blasting and
sat upon shelf of rock just above but
little to the right of the hole as he
faced IT, The powder and fuse were
in position, and he was in the
act of tamping il in. lie turned
his head for an instant 10 look at
his men at work behind His iron
struck fire on the edge of the hole
an explosion followed and the tamping
bar, three feet and seven inches long.
one-quarter of an inch in diameter. and
weighing thirteen and a quarter
pounds, was projected upward oblique-
~ through his head and high into the
air, falling several rods behind him.
and was afterward picked up bv one Of
the men. covered with blood and par
ticles Of brain.
Mr.. Gage was thrown upon his back
by the force Of the blow and his ex-
tremities moved convulsively a few
times, but he spoke In few minutes.
His men carried him to the road, a
short distance away. and be rode home
in an OK cart, sitting mp with little
help. When he arrived al his
destination he got out Of the
cart himself with little as
Instance, and an hour afts.-yvard walked
upstairs with slight aid and lay down
upon the bed, when his wound was
dressed. He was conscious but very
weak from loss Of blood.
The examination of the wound showed
that the iron entered the left side Of
the face bv the pointed end. imrnedi-
ately anterior 20 the angle Of the lower
jaw, passed obliquely upward and OBJ
liquely backward, emerging in the
median line back Of the frontal bone.
The bones were broken In small fraV-
ments and forced upward and outward.
The hole had much the shape Of an in
verted funnel The frontal bone wa.
badly fractured. leaving an irregular |
oblong opening in the skull two inches
one way and three and a hal. the
other, through which the p1isntie,ns
Of the brain were distinctly seen and
felt
The wound was dressed and IN. ma a /
showed no apparent signs % serious in
1ury. excepting q curious agitation Of +,
the legs, which were alternately re- /
tracted and extended. Then began !
a battle, the natural consequence
81 such an accident, against the strong
constitution % healthy man. ~ ore /
thought il possible that he could r~cov-
er, bu, after few days he began 70 /
improve and on the EftY-stxfh ds~
from The scciden; The patient vas ~
and walking about The house ard D.
azza- The sixty-foErth dav be caught