Birmingham age-herald., 1895-01-27

I
 visited saw nothing to compare with Bir- mingham. l recognized in her young giant, destined to become the man ufactur- Ping metropolis of the world. So settled down to work and made money rapidly.
 "Only one thing bothered me now, and that was this eye. Every time wind storm cameup 1 felt sharp, keen pain in the back of my head and eyeball, and would see a man in the throes of death | with the blood gushing from his nose and mouth A cold wave would roll over me and would see the dying horses. When the wind storm was over my optical illus ion vanished, but l noticed each time that could not see as well as before. Things went along this way ustil the summer of 1886, when decided to revisit Europe and consult some of the renowned oculists of the old world. We had calm sea and easy sailing going over; nothing occurred to disturb my equilibrium. One after an- other consulted all the noted eye surgeons in the various European centers; none of them gave me relief, but all informed me that had trouble which would eventually cause the loss of sight in one, aud proba- bly, both eyes. In the meantime they said but little if anything could be done. This settled it; so, after visiting my old mother at Corfu and passing through an earthquake and cholera epidemic, l headed once more for America on the 18th of November, 1887. Having sailed over the Adriatic sea to Brindisi, Italy, 1 boarded the cars for Naples, where arrived three days later, and immediately took passage on an Anchor Line steamship for New York. There were about 800 passengers on board, representing nearly every nationality under the sun. Everything went superbly; the weather was fine, the ocean calm, and the steamer moved along , seo renely until we were about 15OO miles from Gibraltar when things took a change. It was on the 10th of December, about 5 p. m. that heavy gale from the northwest set in. The wind was freezing I 4e 1AI hon tFtatr 4 tnlT TaE the next morning, when it was at it's max mum of intensity. Pandemonium reigned supreme; people were wild, some crying and others praying, while they were all knocked about and piled up in struggling masses as the ship was tossed to and fro. Lord, save us! Allahl Allah! My sweet Savior, etc.. etc., were words wildly artic- uated, so as to be distinctly heard above the roar of the winds and clash of the waves. 1 made au attempt to go on deck and succeeded. The first and second cap- tains were on the bridge. walked up near them and saw despair plainly depicted on their counteuanc9s, and heard the nrst captain say to the mate: She is doomed; all is lost we can do nothing more; she is bound to sink.' They left and went to the captains cabin. A few moments later a great wave rolled high over the deck, tearing the iron bridge away and knocking me down, but caught to the steps Of the hatchway. Immediately felt the old pain in my head and eyeball and saw the dying man and horses. When the wave had passed over cast my eye around, and, looking upward, saw man standing on the steps of the hatchway staring wildly at me. I spoke to him, but he did not notice me. Thinking it was an illusion I stretched my hand out to ascertain. Finding that it was man in reality looked at him closely and made out an Italian, and spoke to him in his na- tive tongue, but he stood like statue. l took hold ot and shook him, but could not make him budge. 1 then tried to pull him down, but he had an iron grasp on the railing and his body was as rigid as bone. Thinking that the fellow had some sort of fit concluded to go for the ship surgeon. Finding him we returned and found the man still standing just as had left him. After an examination the doctor pro- nounced him dead from fright.e The poor fellow had been literally frightened to death.
 "This circumstance created a new photo. graph in my eye, and every time wave rolled over the deck l would feel twinge of pain; see the dying sailor, horsss and this dead Italian all distinctly grouped to- gether. Try as l would l could not pre- vent it. Whether my eye was open or closed saw it just the same, and the pc. the optical illusion, and they disappeared simultaneously every time.
 "After thirty six hours the storm quelled down. The ship having weathered it
 
 we arrived on the Fist of December, 1887. Five days subsequently, landed safely in Birmingham.
 "My sight grew dinner and dim and thunder storm came up I experienced the pain and visual illusion, and about six months ago the trouble cul- minated in total blindness in my left eye, with very poor vision in my right. The illusion now became constant, and all thOnpb I couId n Of see the most DOWerful electric light, yet would feel twinge of pain every now and then, followed by vivid picture of the dying sailor, horses and dead Italian, all in plain, open day. eyesight, when fn reality all else was as dark as erebus to me.
 s'To conclude, I consulted Dr. Ralph M. Russell of this city, and gave him a history of my case. Re took me in dark room, examined my eye by reflected light and ex- plained that the eye was like photographic camera; in other words, 1t pictured every thing it saw, that the picture ordinarily faded away rapidly, but that In my case the powerful nerve influence, connected with the exciting circumstances when the im- presson was made, together with a pecu- liar susceptibility on my part, the photo- graphs had remained permanent, and by their action on the lens had caused a chem ical change, whereby the lens gradually lost its transparency and became opaque, forming cataract. The lens being on the interior of the eye shut the light off from the optic nerve by reason of it's opaqueness. The lens, he said, could be removed by cutting my eyeball open, stating that by taking the lens out my sight would be re- stored and my illusion cured. The opera ton was done. It restored my sight and. cured my optical illusion, just as the doc tor said it would. My object in wearing this shade is to filter the light into my eye until the wound has thoroughly healed.' ---------------------
 SEVEN WERE DROWNED. LONDON, Jan. 25.-The fishing boat