Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1887 — SLEEPING WONDERS. [ARTICLE]

SLEEPING WONDERS.

Feats Accomplished by Some Men While in the Arms of Morpheas. Sleep in most individuals lasts for the space of eight hours. Exceptions to this statement are numerous; whether these arise from duty or laziness we shall not venture to examine. Sir E. Codrington, the famous naval officer, when a midshipman, could watch on deck for nineteen hours; this left only five for sleep, which in his case was most profound—so profound that no noise was sufficiently strong to waken him: yet if the word “Signal!” was whispered in his ear he awoke and was on deck instantlv. Beporters in the House of Commons require great exertions to keeping themselves from sleeping. A few years ago a distinguished member of “the gentlemen in the gallery” took down a speech while he was sleeping. His statement rests on his oath. Calvin tells of a friend of his reading aloud to him while asleep. The organ of vision was alone active. Coleridge, the dreaming philosopher, composed “Kubla Khan” (one of his poems) while fast asleep. Next morning he was sure there had been an acquisition to his literature, but was too negligent to write the stanzas. A few days afterward he attempted to recall the verses, but they had for the most part fled, and the poem as it now stands is but a fragment. Every one knows that extreme fatigue induces sleep, and this in spite of surrounding relations, which in ordinary circumstances would hinder any one from resting. Previous to the shortening of the hours of work factory children frequently fell asleep while working at the machines, although well aware that they would incur severe punishment by doing so. The North American Indian at the stake of torture has been known to go to sleep on the least remission of agony, and will slumber until the fire is applied to awaken him. It is on record that during the heat of the battle of the Nile some of the over fatigued boys fell asleep upon the deck, and during the attack upon Rangoon, in the Burmese war, the captain of one of the steam frigates most actively engaged, worn out by the excess of continued mental tension, fell asleep and remained perfectly unconscious for two ‘hours, within a yard of his largest guns, which were being worked energetically ,whole perjod. Habit aha time, placs and circumstances, predispose us all to sleep. The celebrated pedestrian, Captain Barclay, when accomplishing his extraordinary feat of walking I,ojo miles in as many successsive hours, obtained at last such a mastery over himself that he fell asleep the instant he lay down. The doctor’s wife never hears the door bell during the night, although the noise is sufficient to rouse the weary husband; but should a child in the nursery cry, then the mother, oblivious to all other sounds, hears at once the infant’s voice. It is related that the Abbe Faria, who acquired notoriety through his power of inducing somnambulism, was accustomed merely to place his patient in an armchair, after telling him to shut his eyes and collect himself, and pronounce in a strong voice, “dormez,” which was usually successful. There seems to be no limit to the wonders displayed by man in sleeping. Condorcet, the mathematician, solved one of his most difficult problems while asleep—a problem, too, which puzzled him during his waking hours. A professor of theology in the University of Basle once wrote a sermon while asleep; he found it in his desk next morning. The preceding night he could not grapple with the subject as he desired, but the performance of his sleeping hours was quite satisfactory to him. Jenny Lind was one of the most celebrated singers of her time. No one could rival her powers except a factory girl, who sang sometimes better than the famous Jenny. The girl could not attempt any difficult piece when awake, but when sleeping she sang so correctly, so like to the renowned artiste, that it was difficult to distinguish between their voices. On one occasion Mademoiselle Lind heard the girl, and even tested the accuracy of her powers by giving her a long and elaborate chromatic exercise. Ihis the sleeping girl performed, much to the wonder of the famous Swedish singer.