New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-02-17
An Appalling Accidental Man Slowly
Roasted.

One of the most shocking accidents it has ever
been our lot to record occurred two days since at
Mountain Ash, South Wales, to a man named David
Thomas, who earned his bread lime burner at
some limekins belonging to the Navigation Coal
Company. Having drawn the lower part of the kiln
and got ont about cart-lOad OF lime, be thought
that the burning stones the top of the perfected
lime did not descend they ought and be asked his
wife, who happened to be with him at the time, if
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 sunk, but still preserved
level surface, she called out, a. they have not moved
a btn 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 &C.
Cured be went towards the mouth of the kiln. His
wife begged him to keep back from so dangerous
position, at the 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 of that :; and, dlsregarding his wifes re-
peaed supplicatOns, he stepped forward to the top
Of the kiln, and commenced thrustng at the stones
with his iron bar
For few moments the mass remained firm and
resisted his attempt TO disturb it but upon his in
creasng the violence of his thrusts they began to de-
scend, 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 burning mass His shrieks were heartpiercing,
and his agonZed wife endeavored TO pull him out.
The state of the kiln made this work of difficulty
and OF the greatest daDgef. anu When at length she
did seize his hand and endeavored to drag him out,
she found to her horror that the burnt flesh yielded
to her touch and came of in pieces, rendering it
impossible for her to obtain any hold.
The horrors OF her situation can be better imag
ined than described. At length her cries attracted
the attention of a number of men who were standing
near adjacent colery, and who lost no time in
repairing to the spot in the hope of being able to
render some assistance. 1t happened that one of Mr.
Crawshay's boats was passing at the time, and the
| boatmen having laidto to gaze at the accident, a
man named Hobbs ran to the boat, seized the boat
rope returned with it to the top of the kiln and was
preparing to throw it round the body of the unhappy
| Thomas, who was still slowly burning and writing
in the most intense agony, when the boatman David
Jenkins, ran after him and took away the rope, say
ing it was useless to burn it, as he could let them
have an old one.
He deliberately walked back to the boat leaving
the poor sufferer in the midst of the fire. picked out
an old piece of rope, threw it to the men on shore
and then went off with his boat without attempting
to offer the slightest assistance. Hobbs, and one OF
two others, at length contrived to throw rope
around the poor sufferers body but alas they found
that they could not succeed in getting him out Al
length suggested that an iron bar should be
placed under him to lift him ont. This was done, and
the frghtfuy charred body of the still living man
some portion of which had literally been burned to
cnder was got out. OF course, human strength
could not survive such sufferings. Penn lnq
|