Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-08-20
FLUNG into THE SEA
Experience of a Man StruuuIinu
In Mid0Cean.
SENSATIONS OF DROWNING.
A Iansie of Wild Thoughts Combined
With Vague Notions of Time and
sPaee-The Dreamy Doze, the Res
cue and the Knife In His Back.

INC creamy Doze, the Res
cue and the Knife In His Back.
Standing on chair near the deck
rail of an ocean liner, a sudden Iurch
of the vessel flung me into the Atlantic
lnstlncuvely as l went over | held my
arms out for the dive, and while was
still falling heard the cry ring out
Man overboardw
Down, down l sank, for the fall was
from a considerable height. Being able
TO swim little, | was spared the first
mental agony experienced by the non
swimmer who unexpectedly finds him
self in deep water. The surprise
caused by the suddenness of the fall
filled my brain, but as struggled to
regain the surface, my lungs almost
bursting, the horrible thought OF the
propeller churning out its 100 revolu-
tions n minute flashed upon me-
Should be mangled beyond recogni-
tlon in second? Oh, for another years
sweet life! Would my leg be cut clean
off or
l could see the sky again, and took
great breath of fresh air, though sick
with fear. Then | saw the steamer
had passed. | was spared mutilation
to die slowly by drowning.
How rapidly the steamer was vanish
ing! l could catch Il glimpse of if
when green wave lifted me high In
the water. | would only be able to
swim for ten minutes-ten little min.
utes!-though | was still In the prime
y 7 . -
have reused somebody to action, And
yet l was alone in the Atlantic. with
possibly two miles of water between
me and the bottom.
| looked round anxiously to see
whether a lifebuoy had been thrown
There was nothing in sight but wide
waste of water and the fast disappear
ing steamer.
My arms were growing heavy. All /
tried to do was to keep my head above
water, but l seemed to have been do
ing that for an hour. My legs. too.
were refusing to bend The end could
not be far away.
My arms must both he broken. for
they would hardly move, and they
ached terribly. What a long time a
man could keep afoat, was vaguely
glad 1 could not swim very well, be-
cause it would have meant waiting for
the end such long time. 1t made one
drowsy.
Another wave lifted me up, and
saw the steamer had changed its posi-
ton. 1t must be going back to Eng
land to tell them at home what had
happened to me. How soothing the
sea was! If only could stop trying to
work my arms that aching pain in
them would cease and might 90 TO
sleep.
Sometimes when | saw the ship.
which never seemed to get any farther
away now, | remembered | was fight
ing for another minutes life. 1t had
been harder at first. but now the sea
lulled me into happiness.
What on earth We're they playing at
on the steamer? l had nearly caught 1t
up again. only somehow | had got in
front Of 1t. 1t grew bigger quickly,
and it was coming straight on. IF
those ridiculous people were not care
ful they might run over me yet.
Perhaps it would be better to go to
sleep, after all. My arms were easier.
md did not want to breathe so much
low. 1t was getting dark and ever SO
much colder than it was last night
rhe steward must give me an extra
blanket
Why was everything SO haZy and the
oom stuHy? | could hardly breathe.