Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-03
BLIND S0LD|ER-POET
RECA|Ns HIS SIGHT
Australian Nearly Goes Insane With
Joy When He Finds He
Can See.
NOW HAS COLOR BLINDNESS
Will Rejoin His Anzac Comrades in
trenches OverscaS-Lccturcs in
Behalf OF Red Cross-Vertcbrae
DiSlocatcd.
[Ry Associated rrcssl


cloud. the bayonet thrust and the bull
let wound have caused many repeti-
'ion IN the war of the familiar story
OIL the Light That Failed" But, among
the thousands of combatants whose
blindness VIII ever through their
lives prove poignant sacrifice is one
VINO almost miraculously has rccov-
cred his sight. And as an inspiring
Sequei 10 tho story of his physical
rehabilitation, the victim has an
nounced his intention of going back
to the trenches.
1t was in the fierce lighting before
Gallipoli in 1915 that Thomas Skeyhill
a slGanaler in the Anzac forces. was
instantly blinded by the blast Of an
exploding she'll Following terrific
homoardment from tho Franco-British
meets that succeeded In silcncinE the
TURKISH forts at the entrance 10 the
DaTdanelles. thousands Of Irish. Aus
tralians and New Icalanders with Brit
ism and French troops landed In an CT
tort 10 sweep past the defcnses of the
peninsula and take Constantinople.
Inc world knows the story For
nearly year the allied forces stroye
faiantly TO take defenses that proved
impregnaole. Thousands of lives were
sacrihced, and many bodies were
manned by the whitening fire that
came from the foes positions on the
hiiltops. IL was in December. 1915.
Just about month before the allies
carried out their splendidly succe ssful
evacuation that the light was taken
from Skeyhilrs eyes
Months of service had given Skew
nil deep insight into the motives
that had induced his comrades 10 sac
rihce gladly their lives lncapacita,cd
for further lighting, he sought to
preach the gospel OF the allied effor,
from the lecture platform and through
the press. Although barely over his
Ta1ority-he enlisted at IT.. age of
nineteen-he soon became known as a
powerfully effective lecturer. His
speeches. were instrumental in rally
Ing hosts of Australians man power 10
the colors, and his verse, published
under the title OF Soldiers Songs OF
Anzac." caused him TO be popularity
known through the Antipodes as tho
blind soldier poet"
recently he left Australia. wnere his
name mad become a household word
10 come 10 America for series of lee
lures IN the interests OF the Red Cross.
HiS hFst addresses at San Francisco
were heard oy more than 10000 rco-
PIC he met with similar successes in
Keno, Salt Lake City, Denver and
hnal!y in the national capital.
Although suffering from his physiral
oisao!hties. Skeyhill announced his in
teh'!oA OF inausurating an individual
1--WE win the object OF raising $1,000
wv TOT Inc Red Cross. He had been
Ni"ic'eo with violent headaches for
more than month. In San Francisco
ne had been obliged 10 go 10 a hos
pfal' in Reno he had bIed nearly 70
death from hemorrhages. and in Wash
inGton he suffered greatly from pains
In his neck.
a Washington specialist found that
'Ae veTtebrae I the base of SkevhiIrs
neck had been dislocated in three
places, presumably by the shock tina.
rad blinded him. y simple os,eopatbtc
operation was undertaken, and as tho
vertebrae were snapped back into no.
sit'on the sight returned to the SOL
dieEs eyes. 1t was explained bv tho
physician that the displaced bone had
impaired blood circulation and nerve
connections with the eye centers of
the brain.
AS the realization came to Skevb;iI
that The darkness that had hung ov.-
MIN Tor more than two years had bee,
oispel!ed he became seized with AN
estate JOY that nearly unhinged his
m'nd. His mind became a blank CON
corning the years that had elapsea
SINCE his injury, and he imagined him.
sell back in the bayonet charge in
which he had been wounded His con-
dition became SO acute that he W..
removed TO hospital, but after :,
nights sleep he regained his mental
poise.
skeyhill Immediately after he o..
Grafton was able to see objects will
perfect clarity. but for several DAYS
Vas ah!icted with color blindness This
rapidly Is disappearing. and his sigh,
Is expected TO be as good as ever in
snort time His case is believed 70
b. the first in which q comnietc cure
OF smell shock has been Effected.
The soldier poet viii complet. h,s
work In the Red Cross drivA and then
VIII Try 10 r"join his Anzac comrades
IN IN" trenches overseas.