Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-08-11
A ST. LOUIS HORROR.

A ST. LOUIS HORROR.
Four Men Suffocated in a Foul Vault.
ST. Louis Republican, July 81.
People living in the vicinity of the
Vulcan Iron Works were startled yes,
terday afternoon by the report that
through fatal chain of accidents four
men had lost their lives in privy
vault.
The circumstances of the affair, as
elected at the inquest held, were as fol-
lows Some time since, Thomas Dona-
hoe, living on the east side of Benton,
between Marceau and Clay streets, was
notified to abate nuisance consisting
of full privy vault. To effect this, he
had new privy vault dug beside the
old one, about % feet in depth, and
5 feet across. He stated his in
tention to move the cor tents from the
old to the new vault, and then have the
old one cleaned. Had he done this the
fatal catastrophe would not have oc-
Cured. Instead of so, doing, however,
he concluded to save expense by drain
ing the contents of the old vault into
the other, and had intended to do the
work during the night. For some rea-
sou, however, he changed his mind and
went down into the new vault yester-
day afternoon about o'clock to tap the
wall. He had no sooner made an open
ing in the brick wall than deadly vol
ume of gas, always present in out
houses, rushed through the aperture.
A single inhalation was sufficient to
paralyze his strength. Almost n 81
instant his hold on the ladder loosened
and he fell to the bottom of the pit a
corpse.
a young man named Charles Prunty,
boarder at Donahoe's house, soon af-
forwards remarked that Donahoe was
gone.'a long time, and went to see what
was the matter. On looking down, he
saw the ifeless form half buried in
filth at the foot of toe ladder.
He shouted an alarm 70 several
others who were within hearing, and
then rushed heedlessly down the led
body before life should become extinct.
Those who had heard his call and seen
him hurriedly enter the vault ran
Immediately to the place, but, when
they arrived, could hear no au-
swer to their anxious inquiries as
to what was the trouble. Peering
into the depths of the horrid pit, they
could discover the two bodies lying to-
gether at the bottom. No doubt the
second man had been overcome by the
foul air as soon as he arrived opposite
where the wall had been tapped, and
had persisted almost Instantly.
By this time quite a crowd had col
lected, and among them was a young
>man named James Henry. He, not
supposing the men dead, and seeing
the necessity for instant action, pre-
pared to descend to their assistance.
With greater prudence than the one
one who had preceded him, he tied a
rope about his waist and arranged that
at a given signal those above were to
draw HIM out. This agreed upon, he
went down to save, if possible, the
helpless men beneath.
He went steadily down for some dis
tance, then suddenly changed his
action, hesitated, halted, and tossed his
arms as signal to be drawn out. An
instant he hung suspended in the air,
and it seemed to those who were watch
ng him from above that deadly
pallor had overspread his face.
Strong arms tugged at the
rope, and the daring man, perhaps al
ready dead, had commenced to ascend,
when an unforeseen calamity occurred.
The rope, which in the excitement Of
the moment had been insecurely fast
ened, slipped from about his waist and
the body fell with dull thud to lie
with those that had gone before.
The men above looked aghast at this
terrible mishap. What was to be
done?
The question was soon answered.
Another young man, Joseph Schlickting,
volunteered to make the descent and
was foolishly permitted to do so. The
sickening details can be spared. In a
few short minutes a fourth
victim was added to the number,
and the tale of horror was closed.
A police officer went to the station,
obtained hooks, and, amid the most
profound sorrow on the part OF all
there assembled, the lifeless bodies
were one by one drawn out upon the
ground.
Tho Coorlof Tilv