The sea coast echo., 1902-12-13
REVERE OF A FAILING MAN.
""a' anderson Was Thinking Of Dur.
ing His 100.Foot Dron

John Anderson, the former naval
jackie, who while painting ironwork
beneath the high bridge a month ago.
was severely injured by a fall, Is ran.
,uiy recovering at the city hospital
Both his thigh bones were broken
his left leg was fractured near the
ankle, portion OF bone was torn from
ms right hip, and he was wounded
ABOUT the crown of his head But ho
VIII not be permanently manned or
disfigured.
On the afternoon of May 20 he was
swinging happily like bird OF a tw;,,
within sling six feet below the road.
way OF the high bridge and about 100
feet above the Mississippi River. The
seat OF q swing Is short piece of
plank. 1t Is attached at each end to
ropes, which. passing through a
block, return to the sling as a single
rope. BY lengthening or elottealng
this rope the man in the cling can
lower or elevate himself.
Il was hanging close to one Of the
steel rods" said he yesterday. 20 rod
that was painting. My rope was
good and fast | had no warning of
any danger when the sky and the
clouds. and the bottom of the big
bridge In the middle of 1t all dashed
past my eyes and the air whistled in
my ears like typhoon in the China
seas. knew | was going down head
first. No, wasn't frightened. said
to myself, Now I'll strike the river bc.
fore long. and II keep going Ike this
III strike the water head first. which
Will be just as good as diving; and be
ing good swimmer | can easy get
ashore | wondered, too. II 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 slantlny blow
with my lead. But my legs, sort o
huddled up as | fell probably. came
fuli force against the rod. could
hear the bones crack. They made
quite a loud noise like a percussion
cap. Still 1t was the blow on the head
that hurt me most. Then, though
not before, | thought to myself Well,
Its your last cruise for sure,' and
things got black before me. guess
I tainted.
But the cold water brought me to.
] bobbed UP as natural as a harbor
buoy. | soon opened my eyes and
suppose | smiled | thought, Just as
II | was somebody else. Say, mate,
you didn't die this watch, did your
know | felt awful good about 1t. But
soon as made my first kick, or rather
tried to make 1t. found that both my
legs were hanging as heavy and dead
as shot In a canvas bag. They didn't
pain me, though. And when found
couldn't swim | felt my gun was
spiked for sure. But just then
heard the crew up aloft on the bridge
hollering Good boy. Sailor! You're
all right! Keep II up! Boats coming!
Keep padding, Jackie. II did
sound fine and hearty, let me tell you.
And 80 | kept a paddlin' until man
reached me in boat fifteen minutes
after I dropped down.
Il was pretty nearly done up. /
knew how my legs would hurt me II
he tried to pull me over the gunwale
of the Lat, and tried to make him
tow me alongside. But he couldn't
that and he did haul me In,
though 1t was mighty tough expert
ence. didn't faint again, and after
| 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.