The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-04-06
SINGULAR DREAMING
TWO PECULIAR CASES OF GRAIN AC.
TIvlTY IN SLEEP.


Problem lie Could Not Master
While Awnke-An Excitia,; and Al
most Tragic Railway Journey.
An Edinburgh lawyer, a confirmed
somnambulist, went through Il pccul.
lar experience some little time ago.
One evening, after dinner, he told his
wife that he had a most difficult law
case which would occupy him half the
night to study out. For hours there
after he grapplcd with its intrcacies,
but finally dcsistcd, saying it would
he impossible to make his brief until
morning. since the case presented some
difficulties that he had been unable to
master.
lie fell asleep from exhaustion al
most as soon as he went to bed, but in
few minutes rose, and. seating him
self at his desk, wrote furiously for IN
hour or moro. Then. carefully folding
and ndorsing the sheets he had writ
ten upon. he put them away in Il pi-
gcouho,c of his desk. after which, with
out speaking, he returned to his bed
and slept soundly till late in the morn
ing.
At breakfast he expressed some I'M
certainty as to his "indinS solution
His wife told him to look through his
desk which he did, discovering the
paper he had written in the pigeon
hole where he had hidden it, AS lie
read it JOY mingled with amaZcmcnt
showed plainly in his face, for the pa
per was \ clearly reasoned, correctly
phrascd brief OH the intricate case,
with all the obscure points smoothcd
out, He had not the slightest recol-
lection of having written the docu-
mcnt.
Another extraordinary case is that OF
Il young man who. an hour or so be-
fore starting on railway journey, paid
Il visit to a steamer in which his par
ents were financially interested. In
the course of the inspection he entered
the little chamber in the bow of the
vessel where the anchor chain is coilcd
ana was Impressed hy the chambers
Smallncss and the crampcd quarters it
| would afford n man sent down there to
supcrintcnd the paying out of the chain.
In due course the traveller went to the
railway station and engaged Il snug
scat in the corner of Il first class corI'i-
dor and sleeping carriage. He had The
compartment to himself. The train
had not been long on its journey before
the young man was sound asleep. But
he imagined that he was awake and.
morcoycr. that lie was imprisoned in
the little anchor chain compartment Of
the steamer. The vessel was under
way. he thought. and moving more rap
luIy lIi;in ir Iiuo ,--.~...n N ct,,n,nr
to move before.
His first idea was to so Oh dec; ut
once, but he could not get out of the
cell-likc chamber. lie could not stand
erect even. the compartment was SO
little, as he found out at the cost Of an
lima aginary bumped head wErn lie at
tempted to rise. Then. to his surprise.
lie found that the room lad Il window,
evidently q dead light. hut square and
unusually large. This he tried to raise.
but. failing. determined to break it.
rnr,. fns ,Uosfos ~s-f,sc anchor
chain and by its aid reach the deck.
There was only one way TO smash the
-,---- >-,a .,,", -~eor' ,,y- strtx,ug u with
his clinched fist. He knew that this
would result in cut hand probably,
but he riskHd it all tic same. for he felt
certain now that the vessel was in a
storm and likely to go down any mo-
ment. in which case hV would he
drowned like !: "at in n trap.
Having smashed the glass, he found
that the window was double. and he
| distinctly remembers hrcakin;. the out
side pane. after which. with profuSrly
bleeding lands. he carefully picked out
| the bits OF glass remaining in the
! saSlicS. so that he could climb out
After removing the last remaining
fragment OF glass from the sash he
carefully thrust his head and arms out
and hcgan TO feel for the chain 1t was
nowhere to be found. Then he pulled
himself half way ont Of the window
and reached upward
TO his great joy. he found he could
reach over Tie edge of the deck: but to
his dismay. ii was curved and smooth
| oifcrn" no Drnirction >vhatS~~r Ivy
which he might pull himself up. That
| being fhc case. and not wishing to fall
Into the water and be drowned. he
| painfully drew back into the little
chamber. However, he must certainly
escape or be drowned, ana after get
ing his breath lie would make another
attempt to reach the deck
As lie lay painting and frightened he
accidentally reached in the direction
away from The headlight TO his sur
| prise. lie touched Il swaying window
I blind, and the next moment he sound
himself lying on the floor OF the corri-
] dor or the onrushing train. with WIN
| dow down through which he had cvi-
IDENTITY been trying TO reach the deck OF
Iii" imaginary steamer. The wonder
was ne did not lose his grip ana fall on
the line. 1t was his fear of being
drowned that prevented him from 5c-
ing killed on the railway. The young
fellow had long and serious illness