The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-21
FELT DEATH
SIX TIMES.
Minneapolis Man Tells How L
Feels to Give Up ONES Life.
WAS TWICE THOUGHT DROWNED
Crcs He Was Nearly SMchersd In an Air.
tight Trunk and 0Gcs He Attempted
Suede.
WAS TWICE THOUGHT DROWNED

Minneapolis. Mimi April @.-Prohably
no man ever lived who has not at one
time or another asked himself the ques-
ton, How does Il feel 10 die?'
In Minneapolis there lives a man who Is
able to answer it. This man, whose ex-
perience battles comparison, is William j..
Rohr. Since he was boy going TO
school. he has travelled six different
routes attempting 10 cross the River
styx. but each time. as he expresses IT,
st Peter turned away and announced
false alarm"
Rohr Is confident that the slender
thread that holds his life possesses mar
veIous strength. for he has passed
through the following ordeals. each Of
which brought him near death:
Fell through a hole I'm the ice while
skating on a millpond; unconscious when
taken from the water.
Fell into a river while protecting
bridge against an ice foe; unconscious
when taken from the water.
smothered in an alright trunk while
hiding in game OF hide and seek" un-
conscious when found.
Fell over a precipie In ST. Paul 20 the
ground below. distance Of l05 feet; un-
conscious when picked up.
Stricken with consumption and given
up 10 die. but refused 10 allow physicians
TO have their way
Attempted suicide by shooting himself
twice in the breast with revolver, un-
conscious when picked UP, but not dead.
SENSATION OF DROWNING.
What is rather unusual in Mr. Rohr is
that he has experienced the novelty Of
writing about his own death sensations
When | slid under the ice OF the mill
pond this was the beginning OF "a series
OF accidents that have followed me 10 this
day" he says. "As my slide carried me
20 the edge OF the thin ice and into the
water thoughts began to flash through
my brain
What would mother and father say
when my lifeless body had been recov-
ered?-if ever
with the shouts of my playmates ring
ing In my ears. ! passed through and
made a supreme effort to drink all the
water under the ice. 1t came into my
nose and mouth. and | began TO fell that
! had all could hold
'frhe passage OF such large quantities
OF water through my nostrils gave me
strangling. suffocatlng sensation, which.
IN turn, gave way to one that seemed to
be desire TO ny--to wave the arms-and
then a bump. and IL family dawned on
my drowning mind that II was the fee
which covered the pond.
The last sensation was as II floating
away on the crest OF leecy clouds. as
they swept through the sky on n sum-
mer's day. and then inconsistencies.
When | came to there was adisagree-
able sensation of some one trying TO use
my arms for pump handles. A pressing
down OF the chest, and, at last. voice
crying, He lives"
suFFoCATIoN is PLEASANT.
Describing the sensation of suffocating
In the alright trunk. he says
The fear OF suffocation fifinally gave
way TO one Of pleasure. and | felt az
though music was floating around with
the melodies rising or falling as / drew
near or receded in the distance. Hours
afterward ] heard voices strangely fam
iliar."
Describing his attempt at suicide. Rohr
says:
Advancing before a mirror so as TO
better see what / was doing, grasped the
handle and pressed the mizzle to my
breast and pulled the trigger.
"A flash. report, and ] felt something
itNe NNuutu ptith OF a PIN IN my side,
Well, what was the trouble?
u guessed that the mizzlc had defect
ed In the effort required 10 pun the trig-
ger.
There was numbness coming over
me, and realized that if 1 were to end
IL all l must forthwith insert another
bullet nearer IN.
Frantic with rage and frrenzled at the
unsuccessful effort, ] again pressed the
weapon 10 n place where I thought the
heart must be, and as the realization
came over me that this was 10 be the end
OF all my sleoplessness, and the heat. |
seemed 10 gloat over the fact tat they
could be cheated so easily. Nervously
and hastily ] again pulled the trigger
when consciousness returned. for
strangers and aphysician kneelins by my
my design. ! found the room filled with
strangerrs and aphysiclan kuecing by my
side as | lay on the floor