Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-01-08
'.rribes Sensations When He
Nearly Lost His Life.
s4,r Was Almost Drowned, Was
g,unded by an Arabs Spear and
lHs:ked With Deadly Cholera
and Still Lives,

r,-5o1-In the course of an adj
-r-gus life l have been face to face
I'm death many times, but l recall
more than three occasions when
lost hope and resigned myself to
sTs the warm precincts of the
.4rfgl day." says a London writer.
w actual thoughts and feelings at
sa times were so different from the
~sgIIv accepted ideas on the sub
Id that l venture to think that
vrivtion of them may possibly be
gdared of interest to many.
Il was my luck to be drowned once
bon a time-as far as senation went.
eii not happen when | walked over
wharf in New York on a dark night,
when l found myself under on
7r.grned surfboat on the west coast
Africa, but it occurred in a public
thinning bath in London, and two
lends looked on and laughed while
7ss drowning.
. We had gone into the bath early
he morning after a firing nights
57uk and We three were the only oc-
--1r.s. I was frolcking about at
b. deep end. when l was suddenly
.g-ed with cramps and let out a
.EalgIcd shout of distress. My
Bends knew that l was a good swim
b, and thinking that I was acting
re drowning man. as I had often done
.so-P in their company, laughed at
p comicaI flounderings and my
g.1t-sd appeals for help.
Indeed. IS long as l retained con-
Eolsress, nay thoughts seemed to
G1csGtrate of their own volition. up
% The asininity of my companions in
@ J5iag able to see that | really was
toglius At no time during my
Guggles was there any thought Of my
lt .ie nor did it occur to me to
Oh prayer, although I was a religi-
0' nan and knew that l was very
,aar death
Ay last sensation was the fancy
"a, ! heard soft. tinkling music. an
-'s'cn that has been explained to me
& 2-uag been caused by the water
-'sLng into my ears.
.Aen, again, / was once unlucky
al3sh to get a couple of inches or
a broad bladed Arab spear poked
5&se0 two Of my ribs. and the
@o,or told me frankly that if l had
Z! oying messages to leave l had bet
q speak them while l could. as
qua soon be beyond speech.
Tie chaplain thought that | was IN
Afsmts He was not of my faith,
y, De was no narrow sectarian, and
g e-er6d me the consultations Of my
W. religion as we'll as he could. But
y voice sounded as if it came from
~ and ! couldn't follow what he was
'''a3 ] only wished he would come
carer so that I could make another
''sI2t to finish that message. II
- message l had always intended
Secd before the curtain was rung
."l and it seemed to be the only
ing that mattered.
'la Blood that weIled up into my
-o-.A vas choking me, and It was
'.Ai-i-oh. so painful!-to breathe;
= a.,er all. l thought, dying was not
d. and I could be glad to so If
-A'e only finish that message.
ne scene shifts now to a cholera
-~P All the seizures up to mine
. ended fatally, and l had no hope
1S'eTer Of any other issue. But /
1 thinking Of the hereafter. My
--u vas entirely taken up to the ex-
-slon Of everything else. with the
.'oie physical agony ! was under
aug. and was longing for death
'oMe 10 put ar end to 1t. 1t seemed
lie that there was no boon like
'9'l' and I craved and longed for 1t
'ome with all my soul