FELIX TANNER.

Northern Advocate, 3 May 1911, Page 6

FELIX TANNER.

THE MAN WHO STARVES TO LIVE.

STORY OF HIS LIFE.

(From "Sydney Sun.")

Felix Tanner, the fasting man! How well the present writer, remembers the fuss and excitement in Melbourne over 20 years ago, when Tanner entered upon his 40 days' fast in the southern capital. There was keen interest over the man's self-imposed crdeal, and many religious people raved with indignation at the supposed attempt of the fasting man to equal or excel the 40 days' fast of the Founder of Christianity.

Felix Tanner's task was held to be also useless, brutal, and barbarous. The police and the Government were called upon to interfere.

Tanner did not look too good towards the end of his experiment, and he appeared worn and aged. When Felix Tanner announced himself at "The Sun'" office, the writer was astonished. The man looked younger than he did 20 years ago. Now he his broad-shouldered, portly, and bronzed individual, a picture of strenuous, healthy physical activity; a man who possesses the necessary bodily strength and mental determination to do unlikely things. And the story of his life, which he rattled out in lively fashion, shows that he has mixed up matters considerably during his 50 odd years of worldly restlessness.

"People think I'm not an Australian," the man of many fasts commenced, "but I am, and a native of New South Wales. My first appearance 'n public life as . a tight-rope walker, and I was engaged for a considerable time under different managers at the Bondi Aquarium. My masterpiece on the tight-rope was crossing the Blow Hole at Kiama, which was a very ticklish performance, and always drew big crowds., While at Kiama I was one of the party who went out in an open boat with Pilot Fraser and another was in distress, and which had been was i ndistress, and which had been abandoned by her crew. We fought out in the face of a black 'nor'-wester.' and it was a terrible struggle, but we succeeded in bringing her into port, and were rewarded by the Government for valuable services rendered , .

"In. 1889 I pulled a parachute into position in the clouds at Ashfield, and afterwards made many successful descents from my balloon all over Australia and New Zealand. The novel and sensational feelings of the parachutist appealed to me strongly, and I keenly enjoyed all these experiences.

"In 1890 I commenced my first fast of 40 days at the Melbourne Wax Works, which was successfully carried out under the strictest supervision by Melbourne's leading medical men, including Dr. O'Hara and Dr. Felix Meyer, who are still living.

"Later, in '91 I accomplished a feat of 40 days and 40 nights at Broken Hill. Also one at Adelaide, where I had 20 students from the Adelaide University and 20 from the hospital, together with 11 of the senior docroi's in Adelaide to watch my undertaking, and see that there was no fake in the proceedings. On the 20th day of my fast I was cited to appear before the House of Assembly to show cause why the Government should not put a stop to such an exhibition. A member named Coldwell had asked the question in the House if the Government were aware that public taste was being vitiated, and 19th century civilisation insulted by the performances of a young fasting specialist (referring, of course, to myself), and if, in the ev?nt of death occurring, should not the medical fraternity interested be considered as aiders and abettors in the destruction of human life? The result was that the Government decided not to interfere, and the fast was successfully completed to the satisfaction of the medical gentlemen, and the students who had maintained a constant vigil over me all the time.

"I then went to New Zealand, where I have lived ever since. After the wreck of the Elingamite at the Three Kings I carried out a 21 days' and nights' fast at Wanganui. My motive was to demonstrate a valuable truth in case of shipwreck. There were sixteen persons left on a raft from the Elingamite, and in less than four iays the raft was picked up by the warsivip Penguin, with only eight of the number living. Had those unfortunate people only known the value of salt water their lives may have been saved, because the salt water would have been absorbed through the pores of their skins, and thus being filtered, would have been admitted as fr3sh water into their bodies. The fact is not generally known. In all my *asting experiments I usp salt-water baths, and can, therefore, speak with authority of the value of salt water as a lifesustainer. I would like this knowledge to be spread for the benefit of those cast away at sea. This was a

wrinkle I learned from Captain Dudley who was connected with a yacht Migonette disaster in the year 1880, when he had occasion to kill and eat his cabin boy off the Capo of Good Hope. Dudley was tried for his life in London for the terrible act, and sentenced to death, but was afterwards reprieved. The whole world at the time rang with the awful deod! Captain Dudley, by the way, returned to Australia, and was, strangely, the first victim to the bubonic plague in Sydney.

"For similar purposes I have carried out numerous fasts in New Zealand. I have had no selfish reasons. My motive has been to educate the people and give them the benefit of ioy experiences.

"I was the diver who located tlie sunken Elingamite in March, 1003, and proved her. to be in a position that would enable divers to recover her treasure. The inducements held out to me, however, were not sufficient, and other divers trok the work at le;ss money. The lives of tv/o clivers wore lost, and only £4000 out of £18,000 recovered. The remainder is still lying in the wreck.

"The study of theatre work md stage craft has always interested m", and a few years ago I developed a scheme of stage execution, which was put to the test with startling effectiveness and success. The managers, however, considered it too realistic and gruesome to stage, but I believe it will still be used. Pistols and daggers, with the present murder performances en the stage, are just as objectionable as the skilful representation of an execution.

"My next move was to build an unsinkable lifeboat known as "Tanner's Ark," which I tested in Cook's Straits, and along the roughest parts of the New Zealand coast, with '.horoug'aly satisfactory results. The ark was 30 feet long, and 9 feet 6 inches beam, and resembled a barrel. She was r a .:'? fectly seaworthy, and equipped in every department. She could carry three tons of provisions, and 400 gallons of water. I designed, built, ami navigated the boat myself. There was no inducement held out for life-saving appliances in New Zealand, and I abondoned the venture. "The "Ark" is still at anchor in Timaru .

"Within the last few years I have focussed my attention in the direction of inventing a marine governor for steamships to prevent the racing fit propellors» and avoid breakages and breakdowns at sea. I brought the invention to Sydney to carry out the necessary experimental work, and it has proved a complete success. It ?.ias been purchased by a syndicate in Nelson, New Zealand, and patent rights have been taken out throughout the world. I feel confident that this work of mine will go far to lessen the loss of life and property at sea. Since my arrival in Sydney I have been pushing my invention, and am glad to say that the governor is going to be put on the ocean-going boats at once.

"My ambition in life has been to try to do some good for humanity, and in the alleviation of human suffering ' 1 have always hoped to help. For 16 years I have known of an effective cure for cancer, and have been in communication with the Imperial Research Committee of London for the last two years. The difficulty seems to be in the fact that I don't belong to the British Medical Association. I have carired out numerous tests wi-.h gratifying success. In New Zealand I offered, through Dr. Mason, the Public Health Officer, that if he would arrange with the Wellington Hospital trustees and medical staff to have three cases set apart for treatment I would find the necessary ingredients for them to carry out successful experiments. Dr. Mason wrote to ma that it was impossible to arrange sucha programme. No inducements were held out to me to divulge the secret of my discovery, yet in the Dominion cancer is rampant. In London there are 5000 deaths from cancer every year that are medically attended, while more than that number of people never receive medical aid. I'm prepared to entertain offers from any of the medical authorities in New South Wales or elsewhere. Why don't they hold out a substantial prize for a cancer cure?"