A CANNON BALL SENSATION.

Western Star, Issue 910, 3 January 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

A CANNON BALL SENSATION.

; 1* ’ 4 l- x \J) 'Ll!s,'*-lii i ! j;> ]J() t ; M,_ i ßoutibous / e,;ithe Prench savant,. served' Napoleon’s army , and was , pre-! sent; at etigagements.'AF the Battle of Wagram lri ISOD, he was in thd'.hedt of tKe| ranks around him, had been terribly thinned by.shot, and.at subset he waa nearly isolated. ■While reloading' l his musket he 1 was shot down" by a cannOn' ball. His impression was that theßall had .passed thr o ugh , his iegs belo w his kne es* completely severing them* for he suddenly sank down, shortened; as hej believed to the 1 , eiteht of’ About 5 p. fbbt in measurement. The trunk of the body, fell backward onfebe ground-and the man’s senses were paralyzed by the shock Thus he lay, motionless, among the Wbdtided and the all nighk ndt dprmg to move, When consciousness partially : returned, lest the lossjof ; blood i should be fatally l * increased. 'That he 1, felt- no pttin he attributed ito thiet'stufihibg etfebt bf the shofckßn' his bervous system;', and he was, s.till; mentally tooinumbed to.,‘ be able,, to I reasp n ! as to why' f he had not bled .. to death; M dawn 'he was afousedby one of the/medickl staff, who Came round to; help the.; wounded. “ What’s the matter with, you, my good fellow P” said; the surgeon. " “Ah, touch me tebderly’ doctor;” replied M. Boutibotikbj ‘‘ h c'ktihOn bail has carried off my legs I” • The .surgeon examined the limbs referred, to, and then, giving, him ■ a good-shake, said; with a laught “Get up %ith J VOU V there’s nothing the matter With your legs I” M. Boutibouse sprang up lb Utter astonishment, and Stobd firmly bn the legs which He had thought lost forever. “ I felt.more thankful,’’ said he, ; than, I had ever felt in the whole ‘course of my life before ! IMd ilbt a Wound about ine. I hud ibdepd Been shot down by an immense cannon ball, •. but instead of passing through my legs as Infirmly believed it had, the ball bad passed Under my feet ahd had plowed a hole in the earth .beneath at least a foot in depth, into,, which my feet suddenly Sank, giving' me the idea that I had been thus shortened by the loss of my legs ‘Jfamili/ KeralA