The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-01-30
Appalling Accidental Man Slowly
Roasted

One of the most shocking accidents il has ever
been our lot to record occurred two days since ut
Mountain Ash, South Wales to man named Ds-
vid Thomas, who earned his bread lime bum
er at some lime kilus belonging to the Navigation
Coal Company. Having drawn the lower part Of
the kiln and got out about cartload Of lime. he
thought that the burning stones on the top of the
perfected lime did not descend as they ought, and
he asked his wife, who happened to be with him
at the tine If she would go TO the top of the kiln
and inform him whether they had sunk not.
The wife went to the top as requested, aud see
ing that the stones had not sunk, but still pre-
served level surface, she called out, "they have
not moved Bit" lie Joined her at the kiln, and
taking up long iron bar which was kept there
for the purpose of thrusting among the stones
when any hitch occurred, he went toward the
mouth of the kiln. His wife begged him to keep
back from so dangerous a position, at the same
time reminding him that If the stones should slip
he would be drawn with them into the kiln. He
said s0hneyer fear; will take care Of that" aud
disregarding his wife's repeated supplication, he
stepped forward to the top of the kiln, and COM
menced thrusting at the stones with his iron bar.
For a few moments the mass remained firm and
resisted his attempts to disturb 1t: but, upon his
increasing the violence of his ihrusts. they began
to descend and. as his unhappy wife had predict
ed, to draw him with them. As he descended slow
ly the fiery stones closed around him, until st
length the lower part of bis body became COM
ple;ely embedded In the burning mass His shrieks
were heart-piercfng, and his agonized wife endes-
this work Of difficulty and of the greatest dan
ger, and when at length she did seize his hand and
endeavored to drag him out she found 10 her horror
that The burnt flesh yielied % her touch and Gang or
IN pieces, rendering impossible for her to obtain anu
hold N'''''' ''S
The horrors of her situation can be better i'm
agined than described. At length her cries at
tracted the attention Of a number OF men who ere
standing near an adjacent coliisry, and who lost
time in repairing TO the spot, i'm the hope Of
being able to render seine assistance.
1t happened that one Of Mr.. Crawshays boats
was passing at the time, and the boatnian having
laidto TO gaze at the accident, 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 around the body of the uRhappy Thomas,
who was still Nlowly burning and writhing In the
most intense agony, when the boatman, David
Jenkins ran after him and took away the rope,
saying useless 10 burn IL, he could tsf ttes
hare an old ofe. He deliberately walked back TO
the hoat, leaving the poor sufferer in the midst OF
the fire. picked out an old piece Of rope, threw u
TO the men ON shore, and then went on with his
boat, without attempting TO offer the slightest as
sistapce. Hobbs, aud or two others, at length,
contriyed to throw the rope around the poor sui
ferers body; but, alas! they found that they could
not succeed in getting him out. At length some
one suggested that an iron bar should be placed
under him 10 iift him out. This was done, and the
frightfully charred body of the srili living man,
some portions Of which had been literally burned
to cindar, was got out. OF course human
strength could not survive such sufsrings, and he
died.