The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-03-13
SENSATIONS IN pRowNIra.
The Actual Experience OF a Mar
fstf3ss sN)aQ Was Drowned. SN

Mr.. ca a. Hartley relates his ex-
pertence6 inunderevsngs tho struggles
OF drowning aud resuscitation as fol-
lows nSthe Cincinnati TmessStar
10 stand helplessly on the river
shore and Witness the struggles OF
drowning fellow.being is q narrowing
experience, and little less heart-reud-
ing to contemplate, but, in matters of
this kind, like many others, things
are not what they SEEM AT any
rate, death, 'by drowning is not as
horrible AZ it m&yu seeml!to the on
locker. The thoughto OF being dragged
along the muddy bottom of the river
and found later in some out-of-the-way,
twillow-tangied spot is what adds to
the horrors of such DEATH The
dread of such asfate isHreally worse
than the fate itself. 4 once left this
world by h a route as nearly as one
can and get back. 1T was an accident,
and was some twenty years ago. DIS
a companion and myself sweret bath.
ing in the Ohio River. AT the point
where we were q large raft of logs
was lashed to the bank, and for quite
a long while we amused ourselves by
jumping from the raft into fifteen feet
of water to see who could bring up the
largest number of white gravels each
time. We went down several times
WlVl varying SuCCeSS. Lie ldSG Uluue
L made the effort / filed my lungs
with air and leapedf far out into the river
and went to the bottom head first. 1
CROPPED about for a handful Of gravels
and spent more time in the search
than / should have done. The water
was warm, however, and | had no
fears of drowning When 1 could stay
down no longer j started swiftly for
tho SURFACE, and when within a foot or
two OF the top of the water my com-
panion, not Knowing exactly where l
was, jumped headlong into the river.
His head struck me squarely between
ounce of air out OF my lungs, and q
deluge OF water at once took its place.
The weight Of his body falling on me
produced q terrible shock, and / sank
to the bottom of the river like q stone.
That is where l got my experience in
drowning. When the water rushed
into my lungs and stomach it felt for
all the world like a pleurisy pain,
which las also given me a tussle in
later years, but was over in a second.
Then my body settled quietly to the
bottom and my arms fell limp at my
side.
In my h~alf-conscious condition l
could see all my relatives and acquain-
tances crOwding about n looking
down on me with fearful faces. All
the events, it seemed, Of my prosy
career passed slowly in review, and
the good, bad, and Indifferent acts
stood cut before me in bold relief.
Even little school boy tricks claimed
attention. | knew [ was drowning
n remember thinking, why, this
is not so hard after all pr wondered
where my body would be found, and
at tho thpurbt thot II nirbf
eve re found. " | also wondered
whether or not my companion had be-
come alarmed and run away and left
me to my fate, or whether he was
diving here and there to find me.
Then | pictured my burial, and how
the clodS would resound on my coffin
when it was lowered into the chilly
grave, and my tate would be pointed
out to other boys by anxious mothers
as Il warning.
At the next stage l could hear bells
softly ringing in the distance, together
with little tinklings and chirrups
sounding in my ears. Then I began to
soc pretty pictures. The colors of the
rainbow danced before my eyes and in
Germingled and formed into all sorts
OF odd shapes. l had no pain and no
fear of what was expected to follow.
L seemed to be enchanted at the scene
before me. Everything was light and
calm il moved about without any
visible impelling force. 1t was like
looking into a large mirror with every
beautiful thing that the most vivid
imagination could conjure up revealed
thereby. The last stage which L en-
tered increased the beauty of the sur
roundings. All discordant noises
ceased and were superseded by the
s~oftest, sweetest music that could be
thought of. Apparently 1 had been
transported to a place flooded with
bright, calm sunshine. 1t was neither
too hot nor too cold, but seemed like u
lea autumn day. Then I seemed to
rise from the ground and float OFF into
space like thistle down. Higher and
higher went until I seemed to look
down on the world from q great height,
and then came q blank. The next
thing | knew | was lying on the raft
with my companion looking down
ON me with a pale face. After
several unsuccessful attempts he had
succeeded in finding me and getting
me out of the water. BY vigorously
rolling me over a log he had succeeded
in reminding the spark of life that
remained. FOr the next half hour |
think | suffered a great deal more
tina for the same length of time be-
fore or since. | shall never forget
how it feels to drown, but would not
advise any one to try it to find out for
himself. Resuscitation is too pain
full. b..