Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-28
The Argus Daily Story
Brought Back to Life-By F. A Mitchell
copyrighted by Associated Literary Bureau

Z ray telescopes for looking through
stone walls and other modern devices.
TO give our readers the most remarka-
bic achievement in science ever pro-
duced by mortal man.
In the year 1850. when the thermom-
eter stood so degrees below zero Fab
renheit, there died in Chicago Muriel
Anderson. The night of her burial
her lover went alone 10 her grave, ex-
humed her body and removed it to his
laboratory. his object being TO attempt
to reanimate it. he had not then per-
fected any process by which this could
be accomplished and for the time be-
ing devoted himself to preserving the
body. His method was twotold. sur
rounding it by chemically produced
cold-250 degrees Fahrenheit-and her
metic sealing. This accomplished, the
body was left in a vault under the
laboratory, and the professor proceed
ed with his experiments for resuscl-
tation on the lower animals.
Time passed without any results suf-
ficiently certain TO warrant the nrn-
fessor In riskinG the life of his loved
one in cold storage.
Professor Swartz died without CIV
ing up his secret, but he made provt-
sion for continuance OF his work
contingent upon certain happenings.
Recently the ground on which his lab
oratory stood was sold for the purpose
of erecting a 200 story skyscraper upon
it In digging for the foundations the
workmen came upon a subcellar or
vault fifty feet below the surface in
which was a large glass mausoleum.
Attached to II was a notice TO look in
the wall behind a metal plate. There
was discovered a paper stating that
the mausoieum contained the body OF
Muriel Anderson. supposed to have
died in 1855. Then followed a state
ment giving the process for life preser-
walton and the results OF Professor
Swartz's investigations with a view to
terminating bodies.
The find was reported 10 the owner
of the property. and he summoned
member of the corps of investigators
OF the institution For Scientific Re-
search. The mausoleum was removed
to the institution and the paper read
and discussed at a meeting OF its staff
of Investigators. 1t at once appeared
that certain obstacles that had been in
the way of Professor Swartz had been
removed by recent discoveries made
at the institution.
The first question discussed was
/ whether the body would be found upon
examination to have retained the germs
! OF life for half a century. but 1t was
agreed that this knowledge could only
be gained by the right process OF re-
/ animation. That process was under
discussion for several weeks with ev-
ery effort to keep the secret Finally
! DR. Shuntunner, Phi. D., |. S. Gnvesti-
gator in science), presented plan OF
procedure that captured the investiga-
tors, and it was determined to put 1t
in practice at once.
The glass sarcophagus was found to
contain water, but at temperature of
145 degrees minus, or in the solid
form. It's introduction had been in
tended TO show that water should be
introduced when resuscitation was com
menced: warmth was gradually intro
duced and with it ininitesimsl quaint
ties of oxygen and then a little ordi-
nary atmosphere.
The body resembled a skeleton GOV.
cred with leather. but under slow
process of the introduction of air and
water a slight filing out was percepti
BILE. The latest microbe antiseptic was
used, and successfully. So slow was
the process that it was week before
the watchers began to perceive the
slightest sign of living organism, and
even then there was no certainty con
corning it.
1t would be impossible for the unset
entific mind to follow the various de
vices preventive Of danger applied by
the revivers Results alone can be Civ
en-. Within ten days the body had as
sumed some degree of roundness
There was still the pallor formerly sup
posed to indicate death, but now known
in some cases to indicate only sus
pension of the action of the heart. The
first sign OF life was a slight tremor. a
which the rcsuscitators clasped one an
others hands in an ecstasy OF hope.
1t was soon after this that the bod
was removed from the sarcophagui
and placed in a warm bed. The region
about the heart was then alternatel!
elutched and released once in severa
seconds to start the action of that or
gan. The Suns were worked to ant
, fro TO start respiration. A very small
quantity OF food was administered.
On the eighteenth day while the re
suscitatOrs were all present the lip
moved. and the single word adrian
was family spoken.
; The scientists were delighted. Bu
, their JOY was soon turned TO disap
, pointment. Despite all effort and car
the signs OF life died away and nav
rever returned. 1t is believed tina
, wheE consciousness returned II brough
, with n the liza bility to mental distress
. which we now know is the body
? greatest enemy. This produced the re
q action.
A life held in suspense for years IN
y been temporarily restored. But wha
are the conditions of this suspendez
!. animationI Who knows2