The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-07-28
A TERRIBLE LIME.KILN.

800, O5S, l2O. - Washington Isfegrdna.
A TERRIBLE LIME.KILN.
An Extraordinary gedy near Potts
willie, Pa.
A sad and singular accident occurred
few days ago on the farm of Mr.. John
r. Cameron, near Pottsville, Pa, by
which the wife of Mr.. Cameron and two
of his children met their death in hor-
rible manner. Mr.. O. has a lime-l1iln on
his farm, about quarter of mile from
the house. In the morning he built q
fire in the kiln, and before leaving it
lowered son, ID years old, into the pit,
by means of the bucket and windlass, to
gee that the drafts and fuel were in
proper condition. AL being right, the
boy was hauled up, and the two went to
work in the hay field. The operation of
lowering and hoisving the lad had been
witnessed by two other children of Mr..
Cameron-a boy about years old and a
girl aged 5. Fifteen minutes afterward
the little boy came running into the
house, pale and almost breathless, and
startled his mother and grandmother
with the exclamation, "Ella's in the
lime-kiln, and can't get her out!" The
| two women ran to the kiln, followed by
the boy, who had explained to them that
] he thought it would be nice to ride his
| little sister up and down in the bucket.
He lot her down into the kiln, when she
began to scream, and he tried several
times to draw her up, but couldn't start
the bucket. When the women reached
the kiln, Mrs. Cameron looked down and
saw her child lying at the bottom, having
become overpowered by the gas arising
the limestone, that had now commenced
to burn. The heat was also becoming
intense in the pit. Mrs. Cameron, be-
lieving that her little boy could put the
unconscious child in the bucket and get
back into it himself before suffering any
serious consequences from the gas,
placed the boy in the bucket. and, i'm
pressing him with the necessity of haste
when he reached the bottom, lowered
him down. The little fellow jumped
from the bucket and succeeded in get
ting his sisters body into it. He then
grasped the rope himself, and his mother
and grandmother began to turn the
windlass as rapidly as possible. The
bucket was raised but two or three feet
when the brave boy fell back to the bot
tom, overcome by the gas. The bucket
was drawn to the top, and the body of
the girl quickly removed and placed on
the ground. Mrs. Cameron then told
her mother-in-law, a lady nearly 70 years
of age, that she must lower her into the
kiln, as she must go down to rescue her
son. The old lady seized the crank,
and Mrs. Cameron got into the bucket.
The weight was more than old Mrs.
Cameron could control, and the crank
slipped from her hands, and, whirling
round, struck her on the head, stretch
ing her, bleeding and senseless, on the
ground. The mother of the children
was precipitated with great force to the
bottom, and no doubt rendered uncon-
scious before the poisonous gases had
their deadly effect upon her.
About this time the Hittsville stage,
John Kane, driver, came along by Cam
erons farm. Kane discovered the body
of old Mrs. Cameron lying bleeding by
the kiln, and that of the child lying near
her. He stopped the stage and jumped
out to see what was the matter, followed
by gentleman passenger. The bodies
of Mrs. Cameron and the other child
WClO tloCONClCu hO DOUOOii Vi viz
kiln. Kane told the passenger to turn
the windlass as soon as he gave him the
word, and then rapidly descended into
the pit, hand over hand, down the rope.
He placed the body of Mrs. Cameron in
the bucket, and she was pulled quickly
up and placed on the ground. The
bucket was then lowered and Kane sue
ceeded i'll getting into it with the boys
todv. Kane was unconscious when he
reached the top, and it was long time
before he was able TO sit up. BY bath
ing old Mrs. Cameron with water, Kane's
companions soon restored her to con-
seriousness, but her daughter-in law and
two grandchildren We're dead. AS soor
as Kane was able to walk the three
corpses and old Mrs. Cameron were
put in the stage and taken to the house,
and Mr.. Cameron was summoned from the
field, where he was working all uucon
scious of the terrible tragedy.
Mrs. Cameron was about 35 years old
This kiln is singularly fatal one. Nc
longer ago than last fall two men work
ing for Mr.. Cameron were suffocated il
it under circumstances similar to the
above, and three persons besides have
met their death in it at different times
during the past seven years.