The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-05

THE BLISS OF FALLING.
The Sensations Are Pleasant, Even
If Death Follows n Plunge.

From the New York Medical Journal.
According TO the Medical Review for
January, Prof. Heirn, the geologist of
Zurich, an ardent Alpine climber stated
recently in lecture that life contained
few experiences more agreeable and en-
joyable than falling over a precipice or
slipping into a gIacir crevasse. Even the
landing after the fall was free from any
thing of pain or terror. Merely jar and
then Inconsistencies. Prof. Heirn first
cited the sensations described by a Swiss
climber. who fell from the top of Krapf-
stock, in Switzerland:
THE plunge, which was taken back
ward, was in nowise accompanied by the
anxiety felt when one dreams of falling.
seemed to be borne in the most pleasant
manner gently downward, and had COM
plete consciousness during the entire fall.
Free from all pain or fear. l contemplate
ed my position and the future of my
family, which 1 knew was assured by the
insurance / carried. And this contempla-
ton was accomplished with a rapidity
which 1 had never before known. OF the
losing of my breath, of which people talk,
there was no suggestion, and only the
heavy fall on to the snow-covered ground
caused me to lose suddenly and painlessy
all consciousness. The bruising of my
head and limbs on the rocks as L fell
caused me no pain. The re-awakening
however brought with it entirely differ
ent and far less agreeable sensations"
OF his own experience of the sensations
of falling, Prof. Heirn said: "As soon as
/ stumbled saw that 1 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
Ar,era inc sd fh.rn oil IN
bleed, but feeling no pain from so do
ing. l plainly heard the striking of my
head and back against the rock and the
thud when / landed. Pain, however, I
did not feel until half an hour later,
When / revived. During the fall came
flood of thought. Every thought and i'm
preston was clear, in nowise dreary and
confused, and was logically connected
with the one which followed.
First, 1 contemplated the probability
of my fall. and said to myself: The rock
over whose edge l shall be dashed evil
IDENTIFY descends sheer, for l cannot see
the ground on the other side. 1t becomes,
therefore, a question whether or not there
is snow at the foot If so, the snow will
be melted near the wall and will form a
ledge on which I shall land. and thus es-
cape with my life; If not, then l shall
strike on the rocks below and death will
be unavoidable. If l am not killed and
am not unconscious, l must at once take
out my little vial Of liquor. and drink
a few drops of it. My alpenstock I must
hold on to. for ii may prove of use
thought that | should take off my snow
glasses and throw them away for fear
they might be broken and the splintered
glass get into my eyes; but the position
In which / was falling prevented my NOV
ing my hands sufficiently to do this.
Another train Of thought busted itself
with the effect my fall would have upon
my companions. / said to myself that
when | landed, no matter whether l was
hurt or not. ! must, II possible, call out
with all my might, j am in nowise In
juredv In order that my comrades might
rouse themselves from their terror and
essary for the bringing Of assistance TO
me. ! also thought that / should not
be able 20 deliver the lecture which five
days later was 70 mark my entrance into
the professorship. / realized how the
news OF my death would shock my fam
ily. and IN thought tried 20 console them.
Then / saw. AZ n upon a stage. my
entire life pass like a series Of tableaus
before me. I saw myself a. the chief ac-
tor Everything seemed giorihed as by
some heavenly light. and al wise beau
tful ana free from pain. drom anxiety.
and sorrow. Even the memory 81 sad
events was distinct. but not sa9. Exalted
ard beautiful thoughts dominated ana
connected the single scenes. and . divine
quiefude sank like sweet music into my
soul Ever more and more plainly
fflf myself surrounded by d heaven -
glorious bloc filled with clouds n TOss
color and N violet . sank gently and
paluiesfly soto d. and ssW mat ! WAS
fyns through nlf or toNef0 Odd ~
SNOW Objective observations. fegsou'ng.
an9 aul5eeuye feeling Nffs INDUCED ~