Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-11-26
REvERIE OF A FALLING MAN.
What Anderson Was Thinking of Dur
inu His 1oO.Eoot Drop.

ing His 1oo-Foos Drop.
John Anderson, tho former naval
Jackie, who while painting ironwork
beneath the high bridge month ago,
was severely injured by fall, is rap
idly recovering at the city hospital
Both his thigh bones were broken
His left leg was fractured near the
ankle, a portion of bone was torn from
his right hip, and he was wounded
about the crown of his head. But he
will not be permanently manned or
disfgured.
On the afternoon of May 20 he was
Y swinging happily like bird or twig,
within a sling six feet below the road
way of the high bridge and about 100
feet above the Mississippi River. The
seat of swing is short piece OF
plank. 1t is attached at each end to
ropes, which,, passing through
block, return to the sling as a single
rope. BY lengthening or shortening
this rope the man in the sling can
I lower or elevate hlmSelt.
81 was hanging close to one Of the
steel rods" said he yesterday, "a rod
that I was painting. Ny rope was
good and fast. l had no warning of
aay danger, when the sky and the
clouds, and the bottom Of the big
bridge in the middle of it all dashed
past my eyes and the air whistled in
my ears like typhoon in the China
seas. l knew was going down head
first. No, 1 wasn't frightened. said
to myself, Now I'll strike the river be-
fore long, and if keep going like this
III strike the water head first. which
will be just as good as diving; and be-
ing a good swimmer l can easy get
ashore l wondered, too, if I'd beat
my paint brush down. Funny what
little things fellow will think about
at these times instead of worrying
about his own neck. -
But about sixty feet down. didn't
measure the distance then-I struck
one of the cross rods slantins blow
with my head But my legs, sort o
! 'uddled up as rel! probably, came
full force against the rod. l could
hear the bones crack. They made
quite a loud noise like percussion
cap. Still it was the blow on the head
that hurt me most. Then, though
not before, l thought to myself. We'll,
its your last cruise for sure, and
things got black before me. guess
tainted
But the cold water brought me to.
bobbed up as natural as a harbor
buoy. I soon opened my eyes and l
suppose l smiled. thought, just as
if l was somebody else. Say, mate,
you didn't die this watch, did you?' |
know l felt awful good about it. But
soon as made my first kick, or rather
tried to make it. found that both my
legs were hanging as heavy and dead
as shot in canvas bag. They didn't
pain me, though. And when found l
couldn't swim felt my gun was
spiked for sure. Blu just then l
heard the crew up aloft on the Bridge
hollering Good boy, Sailor! You're
all right! Keep it up! Boats coming!
Keep a padding, Jackie. 1t did
sound fine and hearty, let me tell you.
And so l kept a paddlin' until a man
reached me in boat fifteen minutes
after I dropped down.
81 was pretty nearly done up. l
knew how my legs would hurt me if
he tried to pull me over the gunwale
of the Lat, and 1 tried to make him
tow me alongside. But he couldn't
manage that and he did haul me in,
though it was a mighty tough expert
ence didn't faint again, and after
l was once in the hospital began to
feel quite comfortable. I've had very
little pain; they take such fine care
of patients here. st. Paul Pioneer
Press.