The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-03
JOY OF SUDDEN DEATH.
CURIOUS TESTIMONY PRESENTED
BY4GERMAN PROFESSOR.
rour or Five Seconds of Delightful Expert
encc While Bounding Down the
Face of n Mountain.

DFRIIN. Sept. l5.-Dr. Helm. the ceie-
brated geologist and professor OF the
Zurich University. declares that suuoeh
death by a fall, by being run over or oy
being swallowed up by machinery water
or by snow avalanche - the most peauti-
full way OF leaving this life-is indeed pre-
fcrable to any other mode or FASHION Oh
departure for the unknown regions.
ITO drop from a precip.ce." says the
doctor, "moans, subjectively speaking as
glorious an end to the victim OF accideht
as death on the battlefield. 1t Strikes
man suddenly, without asking one to be-
come acquainted with those nasty eihis-
saries of bodily dissolution, sickness, anu
pain. while the mind Is clear and during
Increased mental activity he takes Hight
without the least feeling OF uneasiness.
! have looked into the faces OF many Alp
climbers who met death by unluciy falls
and. Ike others failed 20 read Of previous
sorrows, OF fear anxiety. pain, or terror.
THE relatives and friends of persons
having suffered sud len death often lament
their fate for a special reason that has no
existence I'm fact. They dream OF horri-
bic fortunes TO which the departed, in
their opinion, have been subjected Others
get over the shock by saying 10 them
selves. Thank the Lord It was all over
in a jiffy' In reality, there MAS nothing
TO overcome Tho death aRony-if. indeed
we can speak of such under the circum-
stances-dd not last a minute, neither
was It Of a seconds duration. II 1t had
been its Photographic counterpart would
appear on the victims face; but II you
take ten people who died in bed and ten
who expired in their boots and contrast
their features you viii find that the IA
cal expression of the latter is far more
pleasant, more tranquil, more hopeful,
than that Of persons who apparently de-
parted this life well prepared for the
long journey. and. IN many cases, resign
ed to their fate
II have viewed the bodies OF the broth
ers Wettsten, who recently died by fall
ing off the Jungfrau. The faces Of both
these young men oore the stamp Of SER
enc happiness. ] am quite sure that, as
they were rolling TO their graves. they
experienced the same lofty feelings that
] and others underwent while standing
at the threshold of eternity. Their happy
and composed features indicate that at
the time Of death they were above ply
steal pains, that they had made their
peace with God and the world; con-
oillatory feeling dominated their minds;
they were rushing down into blue, rosy,
magnificent heaven. so soft, so blssfnl-
and then suddenly all was still.
IN case OF accident followed by sud
den death the state Of unconsoiousness Is
not preceded by any pain, and while the
body is approaching this condition a Soc
ond Is equal to a thousands years IN du-
ration to the mind of the stricken person.
q .f a.
It does so with infinite suddenn ess. Death
following in the wake Of unconsciousness.
works no change physically o. wentully
perceptible by its victim; the state OF
quietude OF painless expunction. remains
mistaken.
"No. there * not even that feeling OF
paralyzing terror I'm facing sudden death,
or what appears Ike sudden death, which
overcomes one I'm the event Of lesser dan
ger. Neither myself nor the half hundred
rescued victims of Alps climbing whom
j have interviewed on the question expert
enced anything OF the sort at the supreme
moment. our feelings-those Of myself
and my colleagues in danger-correspond-
ed in all respects, we were serene; our
mode Of thinking was uncommonly rapid,
but at the same time fun OF self-pOsses-
sion.
Before / relate my own experience ]
viii give the interview I had with the
well-known Alps wanderer, Sgrlst. who
recently had a backward fall off the
crown OF the Korpfstock Alp, Switzer-
land This IS his report
Although l fell backward from the
tremendous height. l experienced none Of
the anxiety which occasionally attacks as
in dreams at supposed falling accidents
on the contrary. 1 felt as II ] were car
ried downward slowly on giant wings
that protected me against collision. Dur
ing the whole duration OF the fan con-
seriousness never left me. Without feeling
the least bit embarrassed or frightened I
reviewed my situation and the future OF
my family, and the various features Of
my own and their cases passed before
me with unequalled rapidity l have
heard people say that I'm falling great
distance one Losses his breath; ! never
lest my breath. and when my body finally
bounded against the rocks at the foot
OF the glacier ] became unconscious with
out experiencing any pain whatever. !
felt nothing Of the many wounds on head
or limbs received during my Journey down
the prec.pice from coming into contact
with rocks and masses OF &C. The mo-
ments when / stood at the brink of future
life were the happiest ever experienced.
/ remember clearly reading the provisions
minds eye; the big sum of money which
death was bound 10 bring TO my loved
ones l saw before me counted cut on
green cloth table, all I'm crisp bills and
shining gold"
DR.. Helm gives the following descrip-
ton Of lis journey down r mountain side,
which. as he fully expected. would end
In certain death:
Il was coming with two friends from
the summit Of he SAINTS in ST. Callcn,
when. M the height OF .. 400 feet. we found
ourselves opposite q snow field lying be-
tween two mighty rocks that hal TO Doc
traversed. Ii was a perlOus path, run
ming apeak for several miles IL seemed.
Ny companions hestatCd 10 take IT, bui
/ decided to slide down on both feet
standing up boldly. ] went down with
uneQualled velocity, but there was no dam
ger until l made a movement TO save my
hat. which the current OF air WIS carry
inc along. l fell and lost all control OF
my limbs. ..o
"Ouick as the wind / flew against the
rocks to my left. rebounded' anu Mo9
thrown upon my back, head doWh""iu'
suddenly | felt myself carried through
the mir for at least 100 feet, 10 hhaiiy IAN"
a,.ot,,e. a ,,ioh snow wall. At the instant
fell il became evident 10 me that was
:. NO thrown aeaanst the rock, and ana
-. ,,+,,os. 70 avert that calamity by Dig
,,t,o, with nv fingers In the snow and
9s1.,.i,e, the tIns OF them horribly without
,,,-r.,ro d, | heard distinctly the duh
,oiee nroduced when my head and back
,.,-,ci, against the different corners OF
49,. rocl,. also heard the. sound IL gave