The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-07-11
A HUNDRED-FooT TUMBLE.
Thoughts Of a Falling Man While Shoot.
ing Through the Air.

why, lccI Dull!; j was Nlshlhe
they would let me 20 out aud roll on
the lawn" said the man who fell five
stories just the day before.
Falling 100 feet down an elevator
shaft is not exactly u pleasant scnsa-
tion-one has no time for feeling
and IT i; not often. says the Denver
Post. that after it is over there are
pleasant memories of the incident.
Frank q. Ici. i. a restless patient
at st. Joseph. hospital. Iii. check
and lip are scratched and hi right lit.
tie finger is wrapped up. Otherwise
there is no evidence Of the accident
which befcll him at the new Adams
hotel.
II can't tell just how | fell said
he. laughing. ~. II he was glad to see
a visitor. II went 'si.,-bOom' with
just a little accent on the ,i... and !
have been lying here wondering how
much brain | have. didn't think |
had much gray matter in my ,kull I'M
Ill ] was being carried To the ambu.
lance. Ordinarily ! would not have
paid any attention TO the .haft sides
~ ! went up-in fact. | didn't. hut
when | started to fall everything
flashed before INT. every chip aud
block on the floor. and particular,
the boards at the bottom.
"licfore ! fell | felt the rope on one
side Of my swing giving way. Then ]
remembered swinging out If a seven.
story building recently with halfaton
Of iron for a fire escape. all hanging
on the two ropes that supported me
md I wouldn't believe one Of them
wa breaking. yelled at the spac,
below to let that rope alone bclicy
ing some n was iampering with the
free ends by which | had pulled my
swing up on the pullcys.
Then anne the horrible jerking,
breaking Of strand after sirand-it
seemed to unraycl and break by bits
] suppose 1t took two seconds for me
TO start. hut il seemed like 20 minutes.
When ] Jaw the cause Of one end oi
my board sinking | reached for the
other rope. but.-.iss-down ! went.
A. ] slid of the board thought u doz.
en- things. First | realized like
ilash Of Lightning that | va, facing
death without u chance in my favor.
No. ! never thought Of the mean
things | had donc-nor the good.
nor my friends aud relatives. II was
death. dcath-snrc and swift. coming
NJ ne like u cyclone. and ! relaxed to
die; a thousand rushing noise. seemed
to bcwildcr me foran ins,art-a very.
very short instant-,hortcr than a
clock can measure. and my mind
passed To the bottom Of the shGft.
My head VA, pointed down and |
turned over. | don't remember
thinking how | would strike. but by
some impulse or action | turned over
and prepared 10 alight in asittingpo pc.
,ltion.
"Thcn the sensation grew pleasant
! seemed to he riding ON the wind
above the earth. while the object.
shot by lie cannon balls. ! seemed
to he in u roveric when | reached the
third iloor-l know it was the third
for remembered later Of having seen
a stick projecting there felt a pain
in my face. My finger and my face
tipped the stick and gave me those
scratches aud then | thought Of the
boards at the bottom. ! knew they
were there about 10 inchc, apart. and
with the vision of these boards be.
fore me, ~forgctful Of the na.he. Of
light as ! passed the different floors.
| struck.
at didn't hurt. | just felt as il a
thousand cannon doomed all at once
into my ears and then all was black.
next awoke a. they carried me
TO the ambulance, ! thought about
eursing. Every time an ironworker
gets hurt he curses. An ironworker
can give a trooper pointers ON pro-.
family, but somehow death came
looming up before me again. went
through it all over in my mind. and
! did not cuss. | haven't the habit,
htweyer. | drew up my arms and
1911 l-