The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-05
AMONG THE DEAD.

The conversation turned on yellow fever,
| and gave my experience:
II have had the fever more than once
that 10, If the opinion Of q surgeon be worth
anything. You see, gentlemen, 1t was this
way: had had the fever in New Orleans
In lSb3--bad case, so tho doctor said-but
recovered, and, after drifting around the
world, brought up in the harbor of Ha-
vana one fine day in June, first mate of a
trim little bark.
In those days there was yellow fever
hospital there, and in the season merchant
vessels crews were taken by N. jacques at
so much a head, by contract! II taken
sick, they were cured or killed-generally
the latter--without further charge, Alt IL
no contract was made why, you paid by
the day; but, If Ill, go to the hospital you
must, by Spanish ordinance.
well, you see, our boys commenced to
go under, first one and then another, until
had hardly any one left, and to end this
part was lugged off myself to the Beglas.
They broke the fever on me, when / began
to get SO hungry could have eaten dom
key, | think; but 1t was no use. Soup,
gentlemen, @ very little bread, and that
was ALL complained to the house sur
geon. He spoke Of relapse, fatal results,
etc., but was not satisfied with that, so /
watched my chance and got piece of cake
one night at 10 o'clock. Never did any
thing taste so good. Then went to sleep.
"Old Down Below, as the sailors called
him, used to come round every morning at
10 O'Clock, and when he entered my ward
! was the first one he visited.
You have been eating said he de-
MED 1t, but he didn't believe me and passed
on with the cheering remark that 4 was a
dead man. l laughed, but soon after be-
gan to feel queer. The servant looked very
impertinent, and became oblivious to all
surroundings in my attempt to correct him.
II became conscious that evening when
some one lifted up my eyelid and then said
Take him out It's no use. It flashed
on me in a second that they were to take
me out to die. When 700 or 800 are dying
daily, they can't waste their time with
them-at least they think they can't.
had seen many go the same road, and they
never came back. So felt the cool night |
breeze first, and then that sensation that is |
Understandable; bnt inseparable from dead
house. was put downson my stretcher
and left there to die, and knew 1t. Pret- |
ty soon they brought in another one-he
was raving-and then another one in the
same condition. We were given up, and
there was no time to waste on us. The
1rst one, in his delirium, managed to get
scross my body, and there died. My brain
never was SO clear as 1t was that night,
md after the other one was dead, which
;oon happened, lived my life over again.
1.-The old songs used to sing came back
% me, and could sing them, so to speak,
Scenes long forgotten passed
n review, and, after had gone through it
IL thought that 1t was years that had
ain there, 1t seemed so long since left
he bark-so long since I had heard any
ne speak. Gentlemen, lived 10, 900 years
hat night. could feel my hand against
ny side as you feel with your hand asleep,
) you term it. could feel the dead man
cross me, as though he were pressing some
ne else and then by and by a slight rose
to hue took my eyelids. What was it2 I
1uld not open them. Was 1t the transla-
on of the soul to the other, the great un-
nown, world beyond the dark riverp /
fought SO. was not afraid. I thought,
am dead
1.-The hue became more intense--it was
he sun-and with it came the carriers of
he dead. Men dying with Yellow Jack
lust be buried soon, and so they bury
'rly those who die during the night. I
as the fret in. would be the last out.
Il heard the steps of the negroes as they
came fainter in their retreat and as
icy became louder In their advance felt
e stretcher lifted up, the oscillating mo-
On as they bore me along, when, like a
ssh OF lightning, came the conviction
at was not dead. could not move
tried in vain to open my eyes. Iprayed
at they would cast their eyes upon me,
it felt they would not could not see,
it knew they were not looking at me- I
have heard the word agony used, gentle I
en-, but never appreciated 1T until that n
oment / never felt the meaning of IL \
It'll then. Was to be buried aliyeP How I
lg before it would be overp Would thew r
Tx overmy head, and could l then hear
amp Did the earth transmit sound YER
ally as we'll as horizontallyp And how
~ before it would be all oyerp r,
: AT last one carrier made misstep, the o
etcher canted to one side and my head
'pped down. They noticed that-then
face. They dropped the stretcher and
mt away. Soon the surgeon came.
Take him back, said he IN try -
at I can do
i had no pulse. My heart did not beat. a
ey poured something down my throat.
cut its way down like thread of fire.
increased in dimensions-that warm
ing--and soon in pleasant swoon 1
all sense of everything. Iawoke to-
I'd evening and could open my eyes. ~
Id move. When the surgeon spoke, he y
'ely said:
You were saved by ID feet, my boy
In two weeks I was aboard the ship al
in and was the only one left of Is.
did hot feel it yet, the horrible thing N
nd gone through, until they reported n
death of the captain. Died in the u
house they said. Buried this morn
: Then got out of NJ BERTH gentle.
|, and believe if ever IL sincere prayer =
offered to the throne of heavenly -
'e 1t was mine that night on board r
vessel in the harbor of Havana.
hange