Arizona republican., 1901-06-14
THE BLISS OF FALLING
Sensations are Pleasant Even if Death
 Does Follow the Flung.

January Prof. Heirn, the geologist of Zurich, an arden, Alpine climber. stated recently in lecture that life contained few experiences more agree able and enjoyable than falling over a precipice or slipping into glacier erevasse. Even the landing after the | fall was free from anything of pain or terror. Merely a jar and then uncon- sciousness. Prof. Heirn first cited the sensations described by Swiss climb CT, who fell from the top of the Karp- fstock. in Switzerland.
 The plunge, which was taken back ward, was in nowise accompanied by the anxiety felt when one dreams of falling. l seemed to be borne in the most pleasant manner gently down. ward. and had complete consciousness during the entire fall. Free from all pain or fear. contemplated my posi- tion and the future of my family, which I knew was assured by the in- surance I carried. And this contem- plation was accomplished with rap idIty which had never before known. Of the losing of my breath, of which | and onl.. the heavy fall on to the snow covered ground caused me to lose sud- denly and painlessly all cons.ciorsness. The brulsing of my head and limbs on the rocks as l fell caused me no pain. The reawakening, however, brought with 1t entirely different and far less agreeable sensations"
 Of his own experience of the sensa- ton of falling. Prof. Heirn said: 'As noon as stumbled I saw that I should be dashed over the rock, and awaited the shock. l dug my fingers into the snow in the endeavor to stop myself. but merely tore open my finger tips, causing them all to bleed. but feeling no pain from so doing. I plainly heard the striking of my head and back against the rocks, and the thud when l landed. Pain. however, did not feel until half an hour later when l re- vived. During the fall came a flood of thought. Every thought and impress sion was clear. in nowise dreary and confused, and was logically connected with the one which followed.
 First, contemplated the probability of my fall. and said to myself: "The rock over whose edge I shall be dashed evidently descends sheer. for l cannot see the ground on the other side. It becomes, therefore. a question whether or not there iJ snow at the foot. If so. the snow will be melted near the wall and will form 6 ledge on which shall land. and thus escape with my life: if not, then I shall strike on the rocks below and death will be unavoid- able. If I am not killed and am not unconscious. l must at once take out my little vial of liquor and drink a few drops cf 1t. My alpenstock l must hold on to. for it may prove of use I thought that I would take off my snow glasses and throw them away. for fear they might be broken and the splin- tered glass get into my eyes; but the position in which I was falling pre- vented my moving my hands suffl- ciently to do this.
 Another train of thought busied It. self with the effect my fall would have upon my companions. said to myself that when landed, no matter whether was hurt or not, l mus'., If possible, call out with all my might, I am in TO- wise injured!" in order that my com rades might rouse themselves from their terror and be able to make the difficult descent necessary for the bringing of assistance to me. I also thought that I should not be able to deliver my lecture which, five days later, was to mark my entrance into the pro- feo3orship. I realized how the news of my death would shock my family, and in thought tried to console them.
 "Then I saw. as if upon a stage, my entire life pass like a series of tableaux before me. I saw myself as the chief actor. Everything seemed glorified as by some heavenly light, and all was beautiful and free from pain, from anxiety and norrow. Even the memory of sad events was distinct, but not sad. Exalted and beautiful thoughts doml- mated and connected the single scenes. and Q divine Squietude sank like sweet music into my soul. Ever more and more plainly I felt myself surrounded by a heaven of glorious blue, filled with clouds of rose color and of violet. sank gently and painlessly into it, and saw that I was flying through the air toward field of snow. Objective observations. reasoning and subjective feeling were indulged in clearly and simultaneously. Then I heard dull thud, and my fall was ended. At the same moment it seemed to me that black object rushed by me, and called two or three times as loudly as could: T am in nowlse injured. I took some drops of the liquor I reached out for my snow glasses. which lay unbroken beside me on the STOW: I felt my back and my limbs to see that no bones were broken.
 "When I struck lost consciousness. Every sensation. every activity of mind and nerve was annihilated for a half hour. The black object which passed me was the passing of consciousness. And. without realizing 'thia half-hour interruption, thought and activity were resumed exactly where they stopped. Between the stopping and resuming was an absolute blank. The beautiful heavenly visions were mo-