Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-03-19
HIS SILVER ABDOMEN.
Hurt Many Times Worse Than tho Pres
ident, Yet Lived.

ident, Yet Lived.
Discussing the non-recovery of
President Mckinley from the
wound in his stomach, says the Bal
timore Sun. has recalled to many Bal
timoreans the desperate wound re-
ceived by Col R. Snowden Andrews
of the confederate artillery service,
now living at No. 1O7 West North ave-
nue..
Col. Andrews was riding on his horse
at the battle of Cedar Run, when a
Shell struck him on the right side,
completely tearing away the abdominal
wall, crushing the bones of the hip
and narrowly missing the intestines as
it passed out.
Col. Andrews was placed by the road
side by some friends. Messengers were
sent for surgeon, but none could be
found. The colonel lay by the road
side from noon until night, when an
ambulance picked him up. All that
time he had been suffering, fully con-
scious, without any relief whatever,
and no dressing to his wound. In fall
ing from his horse and afterward as he
eign substance entered the wound.
After being jolted over the rough
ground for eight miles he was depos-
tied in a farmhouse, still alive, much
to the amazement of the driver, and
all that were aware of the case. When
told of the wound the army surgeon
who had been unable to respond had
declared that his services would have
availed nothing. At the house the in
mates thought he was about to die
at any minute and said it was useless
to send for a doctor, but the colonel
insisted that he was going to get well
and to satisfy him a country doctor
who was passing by was called in.
This physician also said it was useless
to do anything, especially as he had
no instruments with him save such as
were carried in the usual assortment of
country physicians. Colonel Andrews
declared mat he was not going to die
without a strong fight for life and Or
dered the doctor to proceed.
Acting under these positive instruc-
tions the doctor pulled out the intes-
tines with his bare hands, the colonel,
who was under no anaesthetic, bear
ing the suffering in stoical manner.
Pure spring water was used to wash the
intestines, after which the doctor re-
placed them as carefully as he could
and sewed up the wound. He then set
the injured leg.
1t was a slim array of instruments
with which the feat was accomplished
and even they were not of the best,
for some of them were so rusty from
long lack of use that the operation
had to be stopped while they were
sharpened and cleaned on an emery
stone. That the wound in itself did
not kill the colonel is a wonder but
that he did not die anyhow Of blood
poisoning is something that has never
been understood.
When the doctor had finished his
work the soldier was laid fiat on his
back in bed and left to be treated by
his orderly, assisted by the OCCASION
al visits of the surgeon of the battal-
ion. They were absolutely without
medical appliances Of any kind, medi-
cines being scarce in the south in those
Gays, anu all luey COulu w was W
bathe the wound every half hour with
cold water. This they did, with the
remarkable result that no fever devel-
oped and in six weeks the patient had
recovered his strength to such an eX-
tent that he was able to be carried to
Richmond on a train, partially support
ing himself on crutches. AT Rich
mond he remained as convalescent
for several months and then returned
to active duty in the field. But the
actual work of soldering was too much
for even his wonderful strength and
constitution at that time, SO he was
withdrawn and was sent abroad in
the interest of the confederacy, serving
there for many months, but was not
able to again take his command.
When Col. Andrews reached Rich
monl the best doctors in the confeder-
acy took charge of his case, and he
was fitted out with a silver plate to
wear across his abdomen, and he has
worn it ever since After the war he
became almost as strong as he was
before the wound and frequently went
fox hunting. 1t is related that one
day he rode so miles on business and
pleasure combined without feeling any
serious effects from the unusual exer-
ton.