Daily National Intelligencer

MOST EXTRAORDINARY!

One of the most singular circumstances recorded in the history of accidents, occurred in the town of Middlebury, Vermont, on the 16th instant, and exhibits, in the hero of misfortune, a mind excelling, in the cool, deliberate and determined virtues. The subject is as follows: Artemas Shattuck, on that day, in a piece of chopping that he was clearing, felled a tree across a stump, in which situation it remained nearly balanced, the top, however, buoyed up the butt; while thus suspended, he undertook to cut the tree in two near the stump upon which it was lodged, and while standing upon it for that purpose, he cut so much more upon the upper part than the under part of the tree that the weight of the butt caused it to split, and at the instant of the greatest vibration or separation of the severed parts, his foot slipped into the cavity of the opening timber, and remained as firmly fixed as in a vice. He fell immediately backwards, in which fall he lost his axe, but soon recovered a position that enabled him to hold upon the tree by one hand; with the other he drew out his pocket knife and cut a limb with a hook attached to it with the intention of drawing up the axe and cutting the tree to liberate his foot, but soon found his efforts fruitless. He next tried to break his leg, as that would have enabled him to turn his body in a position to sit upon the tree, and wait the lingering hour of assistance; but his position prevented even the gratification of this harsh relief. Finding his strength failing fast, and no prospect of timely relief, (as no human assistance was within three quarters of a mile) he adopted the only alternative that remained of saving himself from the hard and horrible death of expiring while suspended in the air, with his head down and his feet up. With his penknife he deliberately severed his foot from his leg at the ankle joint, and on his hands and knees bent his course for home. In this posture he crawled a full half mile before his calls for assistance were heard, and twice had to deviate several rods from a direct line to a rivulet to quench his raging thirst. We are happy to state that he is likely to do well.