Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-10-17

went raving mad on the seventh, and
flung themselves overheard. They
sank like stones, and on the eighth
day, within two hours of the arrival
of help, two more collapsed and died.
The remainder were too weak even
to throw the bodies overheard, and
two hours later the brigantine Brigh-
am Young of San Francisco sighted
their tlag-a shirt on the end OF an
oar-and rescued them. One of the
five never recovered his reason, and
died year later, but the others slow
ly regained strength; and theirs is
the record for endurance without any
particle Of sustenance. Two of the
crew still live; others We're lost at
sea on the Newfoundland Banks
three years after.
Strange to say although more than
| one professional faster has lasted 40
days without food, not one has exist
ed II.
y tramp steamer-the st. Anthony
went down in the Indian ocean not
long ago, and six men drifted in a
boat for II days without food, but
| they had n fair supply of water in
kegs. Water will keep a man going
for a long time. One of this crew
died; the others were picked up by
steamer and recovered.
On land, Ellnson's Arctic expedi-
ton from Norway lost both itself and
, its stores north of Franz Joseph Land
which iC a Gold and lnnn1Xr die
trict. They tied with the st. Anthony's
crew as regards time, living II days,
though three of the 10 explorers died
during that time. They did not suf-
fer from thirst, because of the snow
and had one dog to divide among
| themselves during the awful fortnight
on the ice-pack. At the end of it they
came upon some seals, and were able
to kill and eat some of them. Two
more men died from over-eatinG, how
ever, but the rest got safely back.
These records are easily beaten by
the various scientific and professional
"fasts' that have taken place, but one
must remember that the scientists
have every advantage in the way of
comfort, and make the thing as easy
as science can make it. Among the
records Succi, an Italian, achieved
40-day fast; but he allowed himself
water during the "starve," which took
place in London. He also mixed a
chemical "eliXir' with the water. Al
though 40 days is a tremendous fast,
it is not so thorough a test as the ship
wrecked one Besides, scientists and
"profs" feed themselves to just the re-
quiste pitch before starving.
The most genuine feat of starving
is that of Signor Tosti, who went
without anything whatever in the way
of stimulants, and nothing passeu his
lips during Is days. This is the
worlds record for starvation. He was
an absolute skeleton when the test
was over. 1t is needless to say that
this sort of trial wrecks the system
and shortens life.
One of the queerest things about this
kind of trial is that you may live
longer on nothing at all than on food
without drink. If supplied with plenty
of dry food, but not water you would
expire about the end of the fifth day.
An example of this was the case Of
three sailors in a boat in mid-Atlant-
ic. They had ample biscuits and meat
-tinnGd-but the lack of water drove
two of them mad on the sixth day,
and the other was unconscious on the
seventh, when they Were rescued.
This is the longest time known for
food without water. 1t would be bet
ter to leave food alone, but few would
be able to do so.
Living without air seems impossible,
| but both scientists and ordinary folk
| have done it, though not absolutely
without the great life-giver. Four
men were imprisoned in a coal mine
not long ago, and theirs is the longest
accidental" time known. fall of
roof shut them in n hemetically
sealed cell, only 10 feet by three and
! four high. They We're cramped to-
| gether like cherries in a bottle, and
they were alive, though unconscious,
on the evening of the third day when
rescued. There have been several
similar cases lasting only two days,
and one man-Jacob Bennett-was
buried in a space six feet square, and
was alive, but dying, when rescued
on the afternoon of the third day.
Brissac, n French scientist, had
himself sealed up in a six-foot square
room, and stood it for five days, TAX
ing food and water meanwhile. He
prepared himself for it in every way.
and as an actual feat. 1t does not