Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-08-12
HOW 1T FEELS TO DROWN.
cter One Sharp Pain the Sensations
Were Beautiful

little less heartrelding ~ contemplate
but. IN matters Of this kind. like many
Others, things are not what they
seem.
At and rate death by drowning is not
as horrible as it may seem 10 the oE
locker. The thought Of being dragged
along the muddy bottom Of the river
and found later in some 0utOf-tue way,
willow-tlngled spot Is what adds 70
the horros Of such - death. The dread
OF such q fate IS really worse that the
fate itself / once left ibis world By
chat route as nearly as one can and
get back
It was an accident ana was some
twenty years ago. a companion and
myself were bathing in the Ohio river
At tine point where we were large
raft of logs WAS dashed To the bank.
and for quite "a long lille we amused
ourselves by jumping from the raft
into fifteen feet Of water 70 see who
could bring mp the largest number Of
white uuveis each time
We went down several times with
varying success. The last time / made
VIC tIitiH aaNl'Hf NY A.AAAHr ~ lNAF "a 90
and lcapel far out into the river and
went to the bottom head drst crop
ed about for q handful Of gravels and
spent more time ia the search than ]
should have done The water was
warm however and had no fears II
drowning
When ] could stay down no longer
] started swiftly for the surface. and
when within "a foot or two Of the top
Of the water my companion, not know
ing exactly where I was jumped head
tong into the river Ills head struck
me sTIarel. between the shoulders
and knocked the last ounce ~ air ont
Of my lungs and "a delu-e u water at
once took its place The weight or his
body falling on me produced q terri
BILE shock and ! sank TO the bottom of
the river Ike a stone.
That Is where got my experience I'm
drowning When the water rushed Into
my lungs and stomach it felt FIR AN tho
world IKE q plcurisy palm. which has
also given me p tusslc ia later years
but WIS over I'm a second Then my
body settled quietly 10 the bottom and
my arms fell limp at my side In my
haIfc0uSCiUus condition I could see all
my relatives and acquaintance crcwo
Ing about and looking down on me with
fearful faces All the events, 70 seem
ed OF my prDsy career passed slowly
in review. ana the good. bad and i'm
different acts stood ont before me in
bold relief Even little school tricks
claimed attention knew / was
drowning and remember thinking
why, this is not so hard after all,'
] wondered whore my body would be-
found and sGuddarrd go the thought
that 10 might never DE found ] also
wondered whether o. not my c0mpan-
ion had become alarmed and run
away and lect mo TO my fate or whetn-
or he was diving here and there 10
find me Then ! pictured my BURIAL
and how the clods would roSauud on nay
coffin when % was lowered into thr
chilly grave ana my fate would be
pointed out 20 other lay- hy anxious
mothers MS n warning
AT the next stage I eaulI bear bells
softly ringing in th. distance together
with little tinklu-~ ANA n1.-uFs
sounding In my gHrs Then ] began to
Ne pretty pictures Tba oa]urs " rhe
anbov danced before nay eyes ana
lnicrmmglcd and formed into all sorts
of odd shapes ! had 80 pain and 40
fear OF what was expected 10 follow.
7 seemed Ia De- enchanted mt the scene
before me- Everything was light and