Connecticut western news., 1876-07-28
A Terrible Tragedy.

The farm. of John B. Cameron near Pittsville. Pa. was the scene of . fearful tragedy Monday morning. MT. Cameron early in the day built fire in his limekiln. He lowered his son by means of the bucket and windlass into the kiln to see that every thing was in order there, and then the two went to their work half a mile away. The operation of lowering the boy into the pit had been witnessed by two other children of MT. Cameron, boy nine years old and girl aged five. Soon after their father had gone away the little boy told his sister to get In the bucket and he would give her ride. He helped her in and lowered her to the bottom of the kiln. When he at tempted to pull the bucket up he could not move 1t, and after several attempts he ran home and told his mother. Mrs Cameron aud her mother-ln-law, a lady about seventy years old, were the only persons in the house. They both accompanied the boy to the kiln Mrs, Cameron, on looking down into it, saw the bcdy of her child ly- ing in the bottom of the pit, she having fallen from the bucket, and discovered that the noxious fumes from the burning lime stone had commenced to fill the kiln. Not believing that her child was yet dead, Mrs. Cameron placed her little son in the bucket, and telling him to put the body of his sister in it and to get back into it himself as soon as possible she lowered him to the bottom. He jumped from the bucket and lifted the body of the girl into it. and then clinging to the side of 1t was drawn short distance upward, when the gas oVerpowered him and he fell back to the bottom. Mrs. Cam sron hurriedly drew up the bucket contain ing the body of her child, and placing the body in the yard told her mother-in-law that she would have to go down into the kiln herself to rescue her son, and that the old lady must handle the windlass. The latter grasped the crank, and Mrs. Cameron climbed into the bucket. Her mother-in- law lowered her one or two turns of the crank, when the weight became too much for her and the crank slipped from her hands, striking her in the head as it whirled round and knocking her senseless to the ground. Mrs. Cameron was hurled violent ly to the bottom of the kiln, and was doubt less rendered unconscious before the poi sonous gases affected her. The heat in ths kiln was now becoming intense, and bu for the arrival of aid the bodies of Mrs Cameron and the boy would in short tim, have been burned up. The Pittsville stag came along by the kiln not long after Mrs Cameron was precipitated into it, and Johl Kane, seeing the bodies of the little gir and old Mrs. Cameron, the latter bleedini about the head. lying on the ground, ,jumpe' down to make an examination. He sool discovered the bodies in the kiln, and call ing to gentleman who was passenger il
 the stage the two set about rescue. Kan climbed into the pit down the windlass-rop and placing Mrs. Cameron and the boy i
 the bucket it was raised by his companion So dense was the poisonous gas and hea that when the bucket was lowered for Kan he with difficulty crawled into the bucket
 and when he was hauled to the top he wa
 unconscious. The fresh air soon revive
 him, but it was some tune before he We
 able to get upon his feet. Old Mrs. Cam eron was restored to consciousness, but tt
 other three were past all aid. H
 During the past seven years ten persor have lost their lives in this lime-kiln und' circumstances similar to the above.