Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-07-27
Roasted To Death.


PoTTsvILLE, Pa, July 10, 1916.
The farm of John E. Cameron near
this place was the scene OF fearful
tragedy yesterday morning. Mr..
Cameron early in the day built fire
i'm his lime kiln. He lowered his son
by means of the bucket and windlass
into the kiln co see that everything
was in order there, and then the two
went to their work half a mile away.
The operation of lowering the boy in
the pit had been witnessed by two 9th
er children of Mr.. Cameron's, a boy 8
years old and girl aged 8. 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 it, and after several
attempts he ran home and told his
mother. Mrs. Cameron and her
mother-in law, lady about 20 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 at the bottom of
the pit, she having fallen from the
bucket, and discovered that the nox-
ious 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 and to
get back into it himself as soon as
possible, she lowered him TO the bot
tom. He jumped from the bucket
and lifted the body of the girl into it,
and then clinging to the side OF it was
drawn short distance upward, when
the gas overpowered him and he fell
back to the bottom. Mrs. Cameron
hurriedly drew up the bucket con-
tanning the body of her child, and
placing the body in the yard, told her
mother in-law that she would have
to 60 down into the kiln herself TO
rescue her son, and that the old lady
must handle the windlass. The lat
ter grasped the crank, and Mrs. Cam
eron 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
strength, and the crank slipped from
her hands, striking her in the head as
it whirled around and knocking her
seGseless to the ground. Mrs. Cam
eron was hurled violently to the bot
tom of the kiln, and was doubtless
rendered unconscious before the poi
sonous gases affected her. The
heat of the kiln was now becoming
intense, and but for the arrival of aid
the bodies of Mrs. Cameron and the
DOy WOulu III a SuOit Oluic udNt OCCh
burned up. The Pottsville stage
came along by the kiln not long af-
ter Mrs. Cameron was precipitated
into it, and John Kane, seeing the
bodies OF the girl and old Mrs. Cam
eron, 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 ID gentleman in
the stage, the two set about a rescue.
Kane climbed into the pit, down the
windlass-rope, and placing Mrs. Cam
eron and the boy in the bucket, it
was raised by his companion. SO
dense was the poisonous gas and the
heat that when the bucket was low
cred for Kane he with difficulty
crawled into the bucket, and when he
was hauled TO the top he was uncon-
scious. The fresh air soon revived
him, but il was some time before he
was able to get on his feet OMrs.
Cameron was restored TO conscious
ness, but the other three were past
all aid.
During the last seven years ten
persons have lost their lives in this
lime kiln under circumstances SINH
lar to the above.-Special Cor. of the
Nelc York Uorld.