The Detroit times., 1909-05-22
ax DR.. c. Il. CLARK.

WASHINGTON. May 22.-lh TINS
effort of mine to determine what war
ren's mental sensations were. am at
tempting TO make feeble science Ten
what only the Creator can best tell
the story OF the last five SECONDS OF
the unfortunate mans life.
Every school boy knows that BODY
heavier than air falls 10 feet the nrst
second, double that the second, dou-
BILE that the third. and SO on 80 nVe
and q fraction seconds elapsed from
the time Warrens body was cast on
into space until he struck, Az rect De-
low. :.
He didn't lose consciousness. as II
NAV be popularity supposed. lie was
alive 10 what was happening TOT every
one of those awful h0 feet-terripiy
conscious of II all.
have. in my minds eve, photo
eraph of his brain for those five fate
ful seconds. ! think ! can see Tue
thoughts and sensations that were
recorded there.
His first and his last second were
,he worst think although the last
must have found him reconciled TO
degree To the fate that awaited him,
must have brought him To fuller real
i1ation that his time had come.
Although il was with the speed OF
n cannon ball, he dropped slowly that
first second He only fell l6 feet In
that stage you'll Remembering did
not reach the acme OF veocity untli
the last second. when his body COW
cred a distance of more than 264 feet.
Warren didn't do much thinking Ill
tho first half second. longer even imam
the fifth full second. He mad lost ms
footine he knew: he was falling. lie
was terribly frightened.
He recovered himself TO some ex-
tent I'm the latter half oil that htst
second. He very likely grabbed IN.
stinctiyely for something that woulu
save him, for some support.
II was i'm the second second that ne
hogan To more fully comprehend what
Rad come TO pass He had fallen
from the Metropolitan tower. Ills
body was plunging down, down, down
TO death He was thrilled. He telt
cold chills His head filed with
hood.
In the third second his eyes began
IN sce All had been black before.
Ha had had no time TO use ms eyes
| ant now-now he saw the city unfold
cd below him. He had seen II rom
higher attitudes than this before, Dut
| then II had always been with lndli-
ference with the careless eyes thaI
danger had given the iron worker.
He was plunging down into twenty
! faurth.gt, To him now but haIIoW
! CANYON rift in the skyscrapers. ihere
were people down there, many OF them
My God, was he going 10 MT one
He could see, great black squares
THEY were roofs across the street 100
far away from him TO strike here
was nothing between him anu DEATH
Warren may and may not nave oeen
praying man. but heatheh Wouiu
/ pray at such q time. AS ne zen 'he
second stage, his lips moVeu-ne pias,
ed lie though of his family, his
h srierds his life flashed by in swift re-
view his sins with his good WORKS
80 mistakes with his achievements.
lie shut his eyes. and prayed the fast-
ar Ills Inns moved fast, not as fast
as the brain that impelled them, but
1 not too fast for the recording anger
above.
Now he has come to the last second.
the fifth and a fraction. He prays no
r,ore He thinks no more OF the pres
nnt ~, the past--it Is the future tha-
| concerns him. Will | be killed out
right or will God b. less merclful' VIII
I die lingeringly Warren had no
Thought of life. Death could not De
avoided Death could not be avoided.
Nearer. nearer, nearer-he WASH
dropping to the street, the street was
rushing up TO him.
Thud, It was all over before MS
brain could complete the thought
II was the merciful. instant death
he wanted.