The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-09
SAVED FROM 4 wATERY GRAVE
HjaImar Hanscn's Timely RescC
From Drowning.

From DrOW ming.
Hjalmar Hansen, a Swede, employed on
dredge No. 9. on Tybee knoll. is at St
Joseph's hospital. congratulating himself
ana being congratulated by his friends up
on his narrow and remarkable escape from
drowning a few days ago.
Hjalmar, who is called Charley for con-
venience, was al work repairing the buck
ct of the dredge. the scow being along
side. After finishing his work he made
jump from the bucket to the scow, miss
ing It by a few inches. which in his case
was as good as a mile. The scow was %
feet long and contained four corhpart-
ments or pockets, all Of which were closed
These pockets being N-shaped, left large
spaces between the sides Of the dredge and
the hinges of the pockets. The tide was on
the food, and catching Hansen, sucked
him under the dredge, carrying him the
whole length of the scow, humping him
into each pocket as he was carried along
which operation took some time, and had
the effect of filing Hansen full of salt wa
ter, greatly TO his discomfort.
As soon as ne had fallen, the alarm was
given on the dredge but as no signs of the
drowning man were visible it was be-
lieved he was drowned, as the dredge was
in deep water, and the current was very
strong. Inspector James Il. Connolly, OF
the United States Engineer office, was on
board IN his room, and was not aware
that Hansen had fallen overheard until
he was given up as lost. He Immediately
ordered the boatman, Ned, 10 get the bat
eau ready, and taking all the facts into
consideration at a glance surmised that
the unfortunate man was underneath the
scow and II he came to the surface 1t
would be from the side or end of the scow,
furtherest from where he had fallen over
board and along the axis of the current.
The bateau was ready in an incredibly
short time.
Hansen came to the surface, as antici-
pated, but at some distance from the bat
eau The boat headed for him but he i'm
mediately sank and came up about 25
feet distant, the second time. 1t was then
seen that he was perfectly unconscious
and to all intents dead. The body went
down again and came up the third time
about - feet further up the river, the
bateau coming after him rapidly. 1t was
here that Inspector Connolly, did some ra-
pid mental calculations.
Believing that If the body came to the
surface again 1t would be about ten feet
further on, he directed the bateau to be
rowed to the spot, as near as it could
be Appropriated; upon reaching there he
saw below the surface of the water the
motionless and apparently lifeless body
of Hansen. His short dark hair was the
nearest part of him 10 Mr.. Connolly, who
managed to secure a portion of IL be-
tween the thumb and foreinger of his
right hand Hansen's body, being as fun
of salt water as it could hold, was so
nearly the specific gravity of the fluid
in which it was floating. that it was finally
guided near enough to the surface by Mr.
Connolly TO enable him to secure a better
and firmer grip on the body by grasping it
by the lower jaw, Ned the boatman, be-
ing fearfully apprehensive that the hair
would give way and the body be lost.
The man was fully three feet below the
surface Of the water and go
ing toward the bottom, when Mr.. Con
molly managed to reach him. When haul
ed into the bateau'he was perfectly blue
| and gushed out quarts of water He was
| taken aboard the dredge, and it was
twenty minutes before signs of animation
were noticed and thirty minutes before
| he gave forth a sound.
A tug was sgnaled and in about an hour
! Hansen was taken to DR.. Graham, at the
! quarantine station, who followed up the
good work of those on the dredge. He
| was then brought up to the city and sem
| to St. Joseph's hospital, still suffering from
| the severe experience he had undergone
mere Is not the slightest NOuDL tHdl nan
! sen would not have recovered were II not
for his stamina. He is about feet Il
! inches in hight and weighs about 1S
! pounds He is a strong, active man, but
only a fairly good swimmer
When he fiji st came to the surface tbs
| whole head showed; the second time his
! forehead only, and the third time the tor
| of his head. As he did not come up the
| fourth time, the old belief that a drown
! ing body comes to the surface three times
| was again verified.