The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1878-12-13

Horrible Fate " Two ~. Lonis workm~n.
An accident which il almost without
parallel in the horror of its details oc-
cured. few days ngo. NJ tho Dclchcr
sugar refinery nj st. Louis. in which two
men lost their lives. and their bodies
were blackcncd and charred almost to u
crisp, 4 local paper gives tho following
account of the horrible affair: In one
of the departments of the refinery there
arc fifty sheet-iron tanks used ~ bone
black filters for purifying hcsirnp from
which clarified sugar II made. These
tanks ara of similar sixc antl construc.
tinn. being eighteen feet In height and
four and onc-half feet In diameter. The
lower ends rest OH the ground floor Of
the building, md the other ends extend
through the floor of the story above.
At the bottom of the tnnk there il Il
snall opening with M Iron door, which
In times of nse liz kept closed, and il
capable ii being made air-tight. AT tllr
top nf the tank IN il similar hole, both
being just large enough to admit the
shoulders of d man. These openings,
or "man-holes.e M they arc called. are
only Of nsc when IL becomes necessary
to clean ont the tanks. During most ii
the time tho tanks arc kept filled with
sirup with thc filtered sediment oi bone.
dust. hut il III the custom of tho estnh'
lishmcn, to stop the machinery ut least
once year for repairs. During this
period III rest IL IN also customary Il
have the tanks cleaned, dried and paintc,
with conltnr OH the inside for the pnr
pose Of preventing rust. In order |.
| do thi. the workmen must crawl tlronEl
one of the small openings usually thu
one on top) and get inside Of the tank
Eaeh tank IN provided with a small plank
platform ON the inside. which may Ii,
elevated or lowered by means of u pulley
In painting the walls III the tank til,
workman sits upon this rnacly-con
strnctcd elevator and raises or lower,
himself ut will. Contrary ~ the or
dinary method Of painting, how
ever, the tarring process II begun ut tn,
bottom. and the brush pnsscs over I'll,
walls rs tho elevator asccnls, until tn,
work Ii completed, when those engage,
| III the work crawl out of the upper man
hole, thus saving their clothing ~ mucl
rs possible from contact with the tnl
The inside Of this peculiar man.trap i
filled with the darkness Of II cavern, amt
the tarring III tie inside In done hy tn
light of miners safety lantern, whicl
II generally suspended above the head
of tho Morkmen. Two men join
Leich. agcd ~. and Henry Weise, age,
40 entered tnnk btI with Il lantern, tw'
tar-brnsllcs. and bucket IL tar. Til
elevator WINS lowered to the bottom, mn,
the men Ind hccn inside about tiftccl
minutes when one of them WINS heard 4
cxclaim. .Oh. oh. oh!" and soon afte
sharp tongue III flame leupcd throngl
tho lower mnnholc. 4 man OH the lowe
floor. who stood ncnr tho tank, attempt
cl to pull one 81 the men out, but I'll
flames drove him AWAY, Tho Snpcrin
tendlcnt ~ tho department. Hcrma
Mnnsbergc, was on the floor above. an.
seeing tle fro and smoke escapin
through tho upper opening, close
down the lii. This stopped the ,lrangl
Int tho ilre continued to hnrn until Il,
lower opening waA closed. some mir
ntes later. The fire burned altogctht
fifteen minutes. aud when tho tank VII
opened tho bodies were burned blnc
and har,l. In order to get them out
hole about four feet hy throc had 10 i
cnt In the side III the tank with chisc
10th men were In sitting posture.
one with lis heal bowed mud .hicllc
hy his arms. while the other had his fae
turned upward. tho hack of his hcn
resting against tho side of the tanl
Every stitch Of clothing worn by Ill
men. md all tho tnr In tho bucket. vi
consumed. The lamp was broken. Ho
the fire started IL a mystery. Tho ligl
IN the lantern waH protected l,y gloh
and the lamp was filled with lnr.l OIL