The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-07
The LIVING DEAD
Some Curious Stories From Public
and Private History.
TALES OF PREMATURE BURIAL
A Fate Feared by Many and I'm
dergone by Some instances
Which Justify the Dread of
Being Buried Alive.
From the Philadelphia Times.

That those supposed to be dead are
often only in trance-like conditions Is
evidenced by the numerous cases on
record of recovery from apparent
death. Unfortunately the histories of
the vast majority Of these buried alive
are unwritten. Entombed beneath the
earth and closely confined in collins.
the sufferings and heartrending agon-
les of the living victims of inhumation
remain unwritten.
Many cases of melancholy mistakes
have been recorded. In 1854. in Cleve-
land, a young man carried young
woman. supposing she was his sweet
heart. from a burning building, and
when he reached a place OF safety
with his burden. he discovered that he
had saved another and that his sweet
heart had persisted in the flames.
In 1904. a fire took place in White
chapel. England, in some business
houses. principally occupied by dodgers.
So rapid were the flames that 1t was
with the utmost difficulty that the
wretched inhabitants could be rescued.
A poor woman. with a large family,
who had Just escaped. was kneeling
with her children around her. to return
God thanks for her preservation, when
she found that her youngest child, an
infant. was still missing. With cour-
age and desperation which maternal
affection heightened by despair alone
could have prompted. she flew, half
naked as she was. up the blazing stair
case. into the room. snatched the babe
from the cradle. and bore IL In triumph
to her family group: triumph-alas.
short-lived for the child was not her
own. Misled by the smoke which filled
the building she had entered a wrong
apartment and rescued the child of one
of her neighbors instead OF her own.
She FASTENED back, but by this time
the whole building had fallen in, when
she sunk senseless on the ground, and
died in few hours.
Some years ago in England. at Dali
ton-in-Furness. a girl named Newell,
after an illness of three weeks dura-
ton, apparently died. She was placed
in a coffin and the hour that had been
fixed Tor the funeral was drawing near,
when she gave signs of returning vital
ity. A doctor was summoned and the
young woman recovered.
A somewhat similar phenomenon &C.
CURED at Wembdon, near Bridgewa-
ter England. A laborer named George
Chilcot fell down suddenly on the 9Th
of September. 1884. and when picked up
seemed 20 be dead. II was supposed
that he had died from heart disease.
and preparations were made for the
mans funeral. The vicar of Wembdon.
entirely satisfied that death had taken
place. He therefore refused to bury
the supposed corpse. but allowed II TO
be placed in dts coffin. On the Sth
movements of the body were observed.
a doctor was called in. and Chilcot was
taken back to his home. At the end OF
eight days he recovered consciousness.
and finally he regained to a great ex-
tent his normal health.
These and scores Of we'll aufhanf /
Gated Instances which might be cited
that seem to suggest that soon after
animation has apparently departed II
may often be within the power OF
science TO revive It. Newell and Chill.
cot began to recover unaided by ar
artificial stimulum, and in spite of the
instantaneous condition In which
they are left. and 1t is but nature L
suppose that other apparent corpsei
might be. as IL were, called back Il
life IL help were at hand. There ar,
probably many illnesses In which tn,
patient should not be despaired of un
I'll long after the breat thing has ceaseC
and the pulses have stopped beating.
The following instances OF the dan
gers OF supposed death are related a
random from the note book OF an emf
nent scientist. who collected many o
them from various French and Germal
periodicals.
In 1887 Cardinal Somaglia. in Francs
was seized with a severe Illness fror
extreme grief. He fell into a state O
syncope. which lasted so long that tn
persons around thought him dead
Preparations were made to eulbalm tn
body. The embalmer had scarcel
penetrated into the cardinals ches
when the heart was seen to beat Tn
unfortunate patient. was returning {
his senses at the moment. had sti
sufficient strength to push away tn
knife OF the surgeon, but too late. 10
the lung had been mortally wounded
and the patient died in a most lamer
table manner.
In 1889 a Mr.. B., OF Poitiers, Franc,
fell suddenly into a state resemblin
death. Every means OF bringing hin
back to life was used without intei
ruption. His two little fingers wei
dislocated and the soles of his Re,
were burned. but as none of the:
procedures seemed TO produce any e
feet they were on the point of placin
him in a coffin when some one recon
mended bleeding him from the arm
and feet. and he. TO the great aston
ishment OF all, recovered from his al
parent state OF death. and declare
that he had heard every wore that Ia
been said. and that his only fear wa
that he would be buried alive.
In October. 1887. Mr.. Dechamps, 3
inhabitant OF Lyons. France, died
the end of a short indisposition. II
obsequies were ordered for the ne,
day. When the coffin lid was abo'
TO be nailed down at the funeral Il
corpse sat upright in its shroud al
asked for something 20 eat. The pc
sons present were about to run avn
in terror as from a phantom, but we
treasured by Dechamps himself. WI
had happily recovered from his Il
hargic sleep. Due care was bestow
on him and he lived. After his reco
cry he stated that he had heard
that had passed around him witho
being able TO make any movement
give any expression to his sensation
At Belgerac. on the 9th OF Decembl
1912. a man who suffered from CONT
uaI want OF sleep took a potion pi
scribed by a physician; the patie
slept so soundly that he could not
weakened. which caused so much an
Al ~ a.