Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-04-03
HOW 1T FEELS TO DROWN.
ANYTHING but PLEASANT" So Says One
Who Came Near 1t.


Who Came Near 1t.
Drowning is q pleasant death" is A
remark constantly made by those who
aever gulped down salt water into the
delicate tissues of their lungs. | was
bathing in rough wafer on the beach OF
watering place in Northern France.
swept out 10 sea, struggled, sank be-
came insensible. and was saved by thee
courage and skill of a gallant French
man who wrote his name that day ~
NY mothers New Testament as me-
mortal Of the rescue. ThisSwas all. The
circumstances werf 1inary. A thou
sand such may occur every year. Psy.
chologically. however, there are points
/ Of interest which arise principally from
the fact that remember all that hap
pened during a period of time which
may have been four or five minutes,
but which appeared 10 be as many
hours.
Almost Immediately | entered the
water, the much resounding roar Of the
waves struck me as desolating and sor.
rowful-full of forebodings and terror.
Ashamed Of this fancy, instinctiyely,
but foOlishly, fought my way seaward
and was promptly out of my depth; not
because | intended TO run any risk, for
could not swim, but because the
strong current had scoOped out a hol.
low in the sandy bottom, which had six
feet of water on the top of 1t. Tumbled
over by the waves, the concentrated
agony of the moment when the water
closed over my head for the first time
cannot be described.
1t was the bitterest point Of the strug.
gle. Cruel and omnipotent force, with
out warning or reason, surrounded me.
and my frantic and determined efforts
TO escape only incensed the pent-up
passion TO cease holding my breath and
to inhale once more. felt instinctively,
as | writhed in the cold, black water,
that If once succumbed to the tempta.
ton TO expel my breath, which almost
burst the ribs in my angry efforts TO
retain it, the end would come; that |
should be compelled TO breathe inward
while covered with the pressing salt
water. At this time must have given
way and the dreaded stream Of air
bubbles rose TO the surface.
A few weeks before | had watched
the drowning Of cat in the clear water
of running stream. The animal was
tethered TO stone, and had fought
with upturned face for liberty. When
the bubbles rose in a silver fountain
from the corners of its mouth, it stood
at the bottom swaying in the gentle
current, turned over, and after one final
struggle gave up the ghost. This scene
came vividly before me. | thought OF
this wretched cat and was half amused
TO think that my case was the case Of
the cat. There was no fear. The actual
circumstance filled my attention. and
the piteOus longing to escape became
subordinated to the feeling of intoler.
able pain. Eyes, chest, limbs were all
one solid pain.
Just then touched the sandy bottom
''NA4 10y hhStlS anu hLttS ana DaStllY
snatched a handful of sand and water
10 thrust in my mouth to end this strug.
gle for air. All | wanted was to end
the pain. No thought of death, except
as an interesting and immaterial factor
IN the situation, came over me. II ls
true that | remembered that | should
De missed when dinner time came and
was found missing and thinking of
the home people. thought of a blue
lie mad left on chest of drawers in
my bedroom, which had intended to
put on. Then, suddenly. | found nv
eyes above water for a second. and
saw two blurred fingers near. On this
sank again, and was conscious Fl relax.
ing effort and sinking out of con.
scious state to one in which one dream.
ed without knowledge what the dreams
were
FROM this | awoke in great pain IN
the center Of crowd on the beach.
Whlther my rescuer had borne me. My
nrst thought was one of infinite an(
uhreasoning shame, but the nause
caused by swallowing so much sat
water quickly brought me back to eath
again.