Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-10
GricYc, BiSSct & Holland
FELL A HUNDRED FEET.
What He Thought of in Time That
 Seemed Long.

Seemed Long.
 John Anderson. the former naval jackie, who, while painting iron work was severely injured by fall, is rapid Iy recovering at the city hospital. Both his thigh bones were broken, his left leg was fractured near the ankle, q por- tion of bone was torn from his right hip, and he was wounded about the crown of his head. But he will not be permanently maimed or disfgured. On the afternoon of May 20 he was swinging happily like bird on twig, within a sling six feet below the roadway. of the high bridge and about 100 feet above the Mississippi river The seat of swing Is a short piece of plank It is attached at each end to ropes which, passing through a block. return to the sling as single rope. By lengthening or shortening this rope the man In the sling can lower or ele- yate himself.
 1sI was hanging close to one of tho steel rods,' said he yesterday, rod that I was painting. My rope was good and fast. had no warning of any danger. when the sky and clouds and the bottom of the big bridge in
 
 eyes and the air whistled in my ears
 like a typhoon in the China seas. l knew I was going down head first No, wasn't frightened. I said to my self. Now I'll strike the river before long, and if keep going this way I'll hit the water head first, which will be just as good as diving; and being a good swimmer 1 can easy get ashore. I wondered. too. if I'd beat my paint brush down. Funny what little things a fellow will think about at these times instead of worrying about his own neck.
 But about sixty feet down--I didn't measure the distance then-I struck one of the cross rods a slanting blow with my head. But my legs sort O huddled up as I fell probably, came down full force against the rod. l could hear the bones crack. They made quite loud noise like percus- sion cap. Still it was the blow on the head that hurt the most. Then, though not before, I thought to myself, Well. it's your last cruise for sure and things got black before me. I guess I tainted
 But the cold water brought me to- bobbed up as natural as a harbor buoy. I soon opened my eyes and I suppose smiled. I thought, just as if I was somebody else, Say. mate you didn't die this watch. did you?
 But soon as I 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 I found l couldn't swim I felt my gun was spiked for sure. But just then I heard the crew up aloft on the bridge hollering Good boy. sailor' You're all right! Keep it up! Boats coming! Keep padding. JacSier It did sound fine and hearty, I tell you And so I kept paddlin' until man reached me in boat fifteen minutes after I dropped down.
 "I was pretty nearly done up. knew how my legs would hurt me if he tried to pull me over the gunwale of the boat. and I tried to make him tow me alongside. But he couldn't manage that and he did haul me in, though it was mighty tough expert enee. I didn't faint again, and after I was once in the hospital began to feel quite comfortable I've had very lit tic pain; they take such fine care of patients here.-St Paul Pioneer Press