The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-27
HOW 1T FEELS TO DIE.
Not by Inches, as BY Disease, But
Suddenly, by Accident.

Dr. Helm of Berlin, who has given
much painstaking investigation of the
sensations experienced during the
instants of consciousness that inter-
vene between a sudden accident and
death, gives a graphic account of an
accident experienced by himself. He
was exploring in the Alps, and by a
mishap stumbled and fell down per
pendicular wall OF more than one hun
bred feet, and the following are the
thoughts that flashed through his mind
in his descent:
4 reckoned that my descent down
the mountain side lasted five or six
seconds. 1t would take me two hours
to describe the thoughts and feelings
underwent during this short space of
time. And all my thoughts, notions
and ideas were thoroughly consistent
and coherent, not mixed up and jum-
bled up as in dreams. First, as al
ready intimated, / saw the possibility
of my fate. 1 calculated to myself:
ten to one 1 viii be a dead man on my
arrival at the bottom of the mountain.
If, however, l find myself alive and
fully conscious, l will have to take
some of the Vinegar-ether which, on
leaving the Saints, placed in my vest
pocket. A good thing, I unused to my
self, that it is where it is. 1 would
scarcely be able to reach for it if it
was still in my knapSack, where l used
to carry it. l will take two or three
drops Of the ether on my tongue, 1
continued in my thoughts. That will
revive me from taking cold. But what
about my stick? All, that may be use
full if l live. and besides, it is a. beauti-
full alpenstock. will keep it. And
true enough, 1 held on to it. Then [
thought it might be well TO take off
my spectacles and throw them away,
they might break and injure my eyes
l reached for them but was unable to
do as / intended.
Thus 1 spent several or may be
only enc precious second in egotisticaI
circumspection. After that my thoughts
turned upon the consequence which my
death would have for my family 1
must try to save myself for the sake
of my wife and children, l argued
The friends that are with me are prob
ably famed by terror. and 1 must dou-
BILE their energies by calling for help
if l can. a good way to spur them, [
thought, would be to cry out j am all
safe, but must have a drink at once
Then L managed to be present when
the news of my death reached home
l heard my wife and children cry and
lament and l tried to condole with
them. 1 even cracked jokes in this
endeavor. Again l saw with my
minds eye the confusion that would
reign in the university on account of
my failure to begin lecturing That
brought back to me all my struggles,
my earlier training, my trials and
small triumphs. My life from child
hood to manhood glided past my men
tai observation like a living picture,
vivid, impressive, joyful and sorrowful,
as it had been. Tableau followed tab
leau in quick succession, each figure
being distinct and incidents being per-
fectly and completely pictured When
/ arrived at my present state and con-
dition | saw a magnificent blue heaven
opening to receive me. All was serene
happiness, while rosy and violet clouds
marked the horizon. Into this heaven
l foated with perfect equipose. with
beautiful anticipation while my nun
dane eyes perceived my body flying
through the air, and saw the snow
field below. I heard a dull thud; had
struck the ground
Upon being restored to consciousness.
his train of thought began exactly ait
the point wehere it was lost by striking
the ground-to his vinegar ether and
alen-stock. His conclusions, from
all the cases examined, were that peo-
pie have a similar mental experience
in all cases of accident terminating