Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-06-02
Miraculous Escape Man Carried 100
Feet from the Earth.

The Wheeling Lte1'iGeaccr soberly re-
late> the following startling incident. If
true. it certainly deserves record as re-
markable accident and escape:
The most f.ishtful, ana at III, same
time the most remarkable accident vs.
have ever seen on record occurred at the
Catholic Church, yesterday morning
Some twenty persons were engaged in put
ting up the new bell which arrived from
Pi,tsJurg the evening before. There was
wimd,ass erected on the ground, to which
was attached a match block and shieve.-
! Immediately above the open space in the
, cupyla, to which the bell was to be drawn
up, there protru3el a beam, to which was
! auacLId ngu her match .blacb md palley,
and the bell WIS to have been conveyed to
the top by means Of strong ropes, working
| through these shelves by the power Of the
windlass and cylinder upon the ground
The bell had been raised in this way al.
most mp to the open space in the cupola,
and the men were Just ready to pull it in.
A man named Thomas Newton was be.
low, engaged in guiding the folds OF the
! rope as it wound round the cylinder. To
do this, be had frm grasp upon the rope.
When the bell had reached great height
from the ground, one OF the cogs in the
wheels Of the wiullass fixture gave wav.
Another revolution Of the wheel ripped Off
all the cogs: the bell fell to the ground,
and Newton, who had holt OF the lower
ehd of the rope, was carried up with fri ght-
| ful velocity, distance Of enc hundred feet
from the ground, and about four fctt above
the aperture where the bell was to have
been taken in. For the instant every ono
was surprised beyond measure, and before
those engaged in the work could compre-
bend what had happened, Newton. with
his hands all laccrated and bleeding,
worked himself down opposite the aper-
tnre and called for help to those within
Bishop Wbelan, who was on the platform
in the cupola. reached out at the risk of
his lie almost and seizlnr Newton by the
waist, pulled him from his awful position.
The accident struck everybody with
Amusement, and all but the eyewitnesses
were 10th to believe in the incredulous feat.
The bell weighed three thousand seven
hundred pounds, and as it fell without hin.
drance, some idea may. be formed OF the
rapidity with which Newton assembled
lie says he though; Of letting 90 the rope
bat before the thought was clearly defined
! hf was al the beam, a hundred feet above.
He had not time to let 20 his hold upon
the rope Some cogs and pieces Of ma.
chinery we're hurled distance of two
squares from the church and a Mr.. Smith
who was standing near, received an ugly
wound in the face from a flying particle.
Mr.. Newton was taken to the office of DR..
! Hupr, where his wounded hands were
dressed. The flesh was all torn from tho
palms of his hands, even to the bone,
which is supposed to have been done BY
the death grasp, and his sliding down the
rope during the swim passage into the air.
Altogether, we suppose there is not more
startling or remarkable accident, or q
more miraculous escape on record.
! - -
nsB" PArEiuK Rom. Esq, left town yes
terday afternoon, in company with Judge
HrRRAnD, for Spirit Lake. We believe
he was sent out by the Register and Re-
ceNer Of the I. 5. Land Office in this city
to Investigate important charges that have
been made against prominent party there
for computing trespass aud waste upon
the Public Lands, by cutting tlmber, &c.
rFn. The Omaha" did not leave st.
Louis until the 23rd Nay. She will be
here the beginning Of next week. Saw
,rRs 4 Co, aud A. GRoSINGER will Re-.
ceiye new goods on her.
nm. Hon. O. q. HOWE, District Attor.
ney. and Judge SskLrZtR of Clay county.