Wilmington journal., 1876-07-28
NO. 80
ROASTED TO DEATH.
A Child Lowers His Baby Sister
Into n Burning Kiln.

u.
louisville. Pa, July Is.
The farm of John E. Cameron neal
this place was the scene of a fearful
tragedy yesterday morning. Mr.. Cam
eron early in the day built a fire in
his lime kiln. He lowered his son by
means of the bucket and windless into
the kiln to see that everything was in
order there, and then the two went to
their work lalf a mile away. The
operation of lowering the boy into the
pit had been witnessed by two child
rem of Mr.. Cameron's, boy nine years
old and girl aged five. Soon after
their father had gons 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 attempted to pull the
bucket up he could not move it, and
after several attempts lie ran home and
told his mother. Mrs. Cameron and
her mother-in-law, 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 body of
her child lying in the bottom of the
pit, she having fallen from the bucket.
and discovered that TIL" noxious fumes
from the burning lin. stole had com
menced to fill the kiln. Not believing
that her child was yet dead, Mrs.
Cameron placed her little son III the
bucket, and telling him to put the
body 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 aud lifted the
body of the girl into it and then
clingIng to the side of it was drawn p
snort distance upward when the gas
overpowered him and he fell back to
the bottom. Mrs. Cameron hurriedly |
drew up the bucket containing 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 rother-in-law low |
cred her one or two turns Of the crank, |
when the weight became too much !
for her strength, and the crank slipped |
from her hands, striking her IN the |
head as it whirled round and knocking |
y. |
Cameron was hurled violently to the |
bottom of the kin, and was doubtless
rendered unconscious before the pOis- |
OnOus gases affected her. The heat in
the kiln was now becoming intense, |
and but for the arrival of aid the |
bodies of Mrs. Cameron and the boy !
would in a short time have been burn |
ed up. The NFOttsville stage came |
along by the kiln not long after Mrs. |
Cameron was precipitated iuto it, and |
John Kane, seeing the bodies of the |
little girl and old Mrs. Cameron, the
latter bleeding about the head, lying
on the ground, jumped down to make |
an examination. He soon discovered |
the bodies in the kiln, and calling to
a gentleman who was a passenger III
the stage, the two set about rescue.
Kane climbed into the pit, down the
wldlass rope, and placed Mrs. Cam
eron and the boy in the bucket, it vas
raised by his companion. so dense
WAS the-poisonous gas and heat that
when the bucket was lowered for Kane |
he with difficulty crawled into the |
bucket, and when he was hauled to |
the top he was unconscious. The fresh |
air soon revived him. but it was some |
time before he was able to get upon |
his feet. Old Mrs. Cameron was re-
stored to consciousness, but the other
three were past all aid.
During the past seven years ten |
persons have lost their lives in this |
lime-kiln under circumstances similar |
to the above.