River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-08-23
The Most Terrible Death on Record.

A Young man named Edward Clou-
tier. engaged in vanishing furniture
on the third floor of No. 81 Atwater
street. met with a horrible death yester-
day. The young man has had great
passion for gymnastics, expecting TO
attach himself to circus as soon as he
became proficient. While working
around the building he has used all his
spare moments in swinging from beams,
turning handspring, and performing
other feats calling for suppleness and
activity. He was seen clinging to the
main shaft Of the two hundred horse
power engine few days ago, and was
warned by his employer never to at
tempt the feat again. This shaft runs
along within thirty inches of the floor,
and makes about one hundred and fifty
revolutions per minute. In the morn.
ing, Yesterday, after finishing up Ia
Bile, Clouter went to the north end of
the building, and prepared himself to
pc, form some feat which he had studied
up. Taking the tackle rope, which is
used 10 hoist articles from the alley be-
low, he passed the free end over the
shaft. This much was ascertained after
his death, but his further proceedings
will never be known. A boy was work
ing forty feet away, and was first
alarmed by hearing Cloutier call out,
Stop the engine-quick y Running
around, the boy saw that he was caught
in the folds of the rope and wound over
the shaft. The boy ran, as did others,
but it was two or three minutes before
the engine could be stopped, and then
the victim was past help. As soon as
the rope dashed him close to the shaft
the young man had to turn with it.
One of his arms was caught around the
shaft so that it drew his face and shout
der close down, but left his limbs free
to pound on the floor. The noise OF his
feet striking the boards was heard half
a block away above the hum Of the ma.
chinery. His boot heels tore strip off
one of the boards, and were then firing
from his feet clear across the room. His
hat went the other way, and his pants
were stripped off and thrown fifteen
feet away. After the boots flew oil. the
young mans bare feet whipped the floor
800 or 400 times. The feet were
mashed up TO the ankles so that they
spread out like brooms, and looked like
pieces OF bloody beef. The bones Of the
ankles struck the floor until dents half
an inch deep were made in the boards.
After the tackle rope had been wound
up its full length il had to snap, but
this did not let the victim loose. After
the engine stopped, Cloutier had to be
cut loose from the shaft. He gave a
gasp as they released him, but died as
they laid him down. One of his arms
was broken half dozen times, and in.
heed there was hardly whole bone in
his body. His legs were mere pulps,
his breast crushed in, his ribs broken,
fingers broken, back and neck broken,
and a worse sight never was seen. The
nUUr was covered with blood aud flesh,
and the strongest men shuddered as
they looked. Coroner Grau was called,
and jury was impaneled, and YER
dict rendered on the spot. Theverdict
was to the effect that the deceased came
to his death while trying an experiment
with rope around shaft making l35
revolutions per minute. The verdict
was thus worded to make palmer the
fact that the young mans recklessness
brought about the accident.-Deroit
Free Press, Juil &c.