The new North-west., 1897-02-12
HIS NINE YEAR SLEEP
THE RIP VAN WlNKLi SLUMBER OF A
PENNSYLVANIA MAN.

his Wi1e ana Ihree Sn1IdFen t1afe fassea
Away While He Slept On-Wife Saved
Him From the Knife fe-Long Delayed
Operation May Now BE Performed.
In little farmhouse at Nicholson
tunnel lies man who bids fair to out
rival Rip Van Winkie rs a sleeper.
This mans sleep has already lasted
more than nine years, and if Michael
Fernan ever awakens it will only be to
find that his wife and children have
succumbed to the care and anxiety in
oident to his continuous and extended
slumber.
AS Mr.. Fernan appears to be as rug
ged and strong as he did on the morn
ing that he began his long sleep he may
surpass Rip Van Winkle's record un-
less the mystifed physicians perform an
operation that will awaken him at the
risk Of transforming him into a raving
maniac or fastening his death. Had !
not been fer the touching devotion OF
his wife the operation would have been
performed several years ago.
Nine years ago last July Michael Fer
nan was employed as watchman at
the Nicholson tunnel, on the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western railroad. He
was of robust health and very industri-
GUS, and during the alternate weeks
when he watched the railroad tunnel by
night Le was in the habit of spending
several hours each day i'll cultivating
the little farm that surrounded his
home. One morning Fernan returned
from his work and told his wife that he
was feeling we'll, but very sleepy. He
went to bed without eating any break
fast.
At noon one Of the children came
down stairs and said, 'sFather won't
wake up for dinner But the sleeper
was not disturbed When, however,
Fernan did not appear at supper, his
wife Went to his room, where she found
him stretched across the bed still
dressed in his working clothes and in
what appeared to be q sound and nat
ura] slumher. Her efforts to awaken
him were unsuccessful, and as he was
still sleeping heavily the following
morning physician was summoned,
but his attempts to awaken the sleeping
man were equally fruitless.
In the course of several days other
physicians were called in, and after a
consultation electric shocks, ice cold
water baths and the trickling Of ice
water down the PATIENTS spinal column
were resorted to as we'll as the piercing
of sensitive portions of his body with
pins and needles i'll the hope that his
! sleep might be broken. But the sleeper
never WINGED, and every shock was fol
| lowed with equally barren results. The
| physicians We're mystified, and the un-
easiness of the family increased as he
| slept on week after week and month aft
er month.
Every morning and evening Fernan's
wife would prop him up in bed and
place foods that did not require masti-
cation within his mouth. These were
swallowed passively. During this time
the sleeper increased i'll size, and in CT
der to give him more attention his wife
had him removed to room which
measured about - feet square, adjoin-
ing the kitchen.
More than 10 months passed before
his wife and children were made happy
by one day finding that the sleeper's
eyes were again open. He converscd
nationally Of things that had occurred
prior to the beginning of his long SUM
Der and expressed amazement when ac-
quainted with the facts of his sleep He
said that everything was blank to
him during his years nap.
Eight hours after awakening Ternan
again complained of feeling droWsy,
and a few moments later he was again
asleep and had to be removed to his
bed. He was allowed to slumber in his
trousers, flannel shirt and stockings,
and when the weather was pleasant
Mrs. Fernan would lift him to his feet
and lead his hating steps through the
kitchen to the side porch, where she
would seat him in a big rocker while
she cultivated their small farm, gath
cred the fruit, harvested the hay crop
or dug potatoes. Although he had no
way of showing his appreciation of her
kindness, Mrs. Fernan insisted that
'sMike liked to sit on the porch when
the sun was shining" In addition to
caring for her husband and attending
to the household duties, Mrs. Fernan
performed the work of a farmer with
such success as to be able to provide
comfortable living
Fourteen weary months passed before
the sleeper again opened his eyes, with
his mind apparently unclouded, but
four hours later he again succumbed to
drowsiness, although he battled desper-
ately against it. Another year passed
before he reopened his eyes and asked
for his wife, who had just stepped over
to a neighbor's. but when she entered
the house, breathless and excited, her
husband was again sleeping.
Mrs. Fernan began to fail rapidly
aftei the sixth years strain. Nor did
her misfortunes come singly, for two of
her children died. Several months ago
she succumbed and died Since then
another of her children has been taken
away, but Fernan sleeps on, obliyious
of his great Loss.
1t has now become necessary to find
another home for the sleeper, and
medical commission appointed by the
courts has adjudged him lunatic in
order to gain his admission to al asy-
lum, and it is probable that an opera
! tion will now be performed upon him.
The doctors disagree in their diagnoses
of his trouble, but the most probable
aynlanntiOn seems TO he that If is a