Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-04
APPALLING ACCIDENT!
A Man slowly Roasted.

One Of the most shocking accidents it has
ever been our lot to record, occurred last
week at Mountain Ash, South Wales, to a man
named David Thomas, who earned his bread
as a lime burner at some limekilns belonging
to the Navigation Coal Company. Having
drawn the lower part of the kiln and got out
about a CARLOAD Of lime, he thought that the
burning stones on the top of the perfected lime
did not descend AS they ought, and asked his
wife, who happened to be with at the time, i
she would go to the top Of the kiln, and inform
him whether they had sunk or not.
The wife went to the top as requested, and
seeing that the stones had not snnk, but still
preserved a level surface, she called ont, ''they
have not moved a bit" He joined her at the
kiln, and taking up a long iron bar, which was
kept there for the purpose of thrusting among
the stones when any hitch occurred, he went
towards the month Of the kiln. His wife beg
ed him to keep back from so dangerous o pc
sltion, at the same time reminding him that if
the stones should slip he would be drawn with
them into the burning kiln. He said, "Oh,
never fear; | will take care of that; and, dis,
regarding bis wife's repeated supplication, he
stepped forward to the top Of the kiln, and
commenced thrnsting at the stones with bis
iron bar.
For a few moments the mass remained firm
and resisted his attempts to disturb it; but
upon his increasing the violence Of his thrusts,
they began to descend, and as his unhappy
wife had predicted, to draw him with them
AS he descended slowly the fiery stones closed
around him, until at length the lower part Of
his body became completely embedded in the
| hurnIpo M g IJ;nT cl,r:oEr r,o,o koo,t ...,o
ing, and his agonized wife endeavored to pull
him out. The state of the kiln made this q
work of difficulty and Of the greatest danger
ana when at length she did seize his hand and
endeavored to drag him out, she found to hel
horror that the burnt flesh yielded to hel
touch, and came off in pieces, rendering it i'm
possible for her to obtain any hold.
The horrors of her situation can be bette
imagined than described. Atlength her erie
attracted the attention of a number of men
who were standing near an adjacent colliery
and who lost no time in repairing to the spot
in the hope of being able to render some assis
lance, 1t happened that one of Mr., Craw
shay's boats was passing at the time, and tn,
boatman having laid-to, to gaze at the acci
dent, a man named Hobbs. ran to the boat
seized the boat rope, returned with it to tn
top of the kiln, and was preparing to throw i
round the body of the unhappy Thomas, wh'
was still slowly burning and writhing in tn
most intense agony, when the boatman Dayi
Jenkins, ran after him and took away the rope
saying it was useless to burn it as be could lie
him have an old one. He deliberately walked
back to the boat, leaving the poor sufferer il
the midst of the fire, picked out an old piec,
of a rope, threw it to the men on shore, ant
then went off with his boat, without attempt
ing to offer the slightest assistance. Hobbs
and one or two others at length contrived f
throw the rope around the poor sufferers body
but alas! they found that they could not sue
coed in getting him out, AT length some on
suggested that an iron bar should be place,
under him to lift him out. This was done, ant
the frightfully eharred body of the still livin.
man, some portion of which had been literalh
burned to cinder, was got out. OF course hu
man strength could not survive such suffering
and lie died. a