The morning call., 1890-08-11
HIS LIFE EATEN AWAY.
Horrible Fate of a Chicago Hod-Carrier
Who Fell Into a Pit of Slaek-Lime.

Horrible Fate of a Chicago HOd-Carrier
Who Fell Into Pit of Slaek-Lime.
Patrick Kane. hod-carrier, fell into
pit of slack-lime he was preparing at the
yard of Robert Borland, plasterer, 961
West Erie street, and died from the effects
at his home, 81 Hastings street, yesterday
morning, says the Chicago Herald of Au-
gust 9th. Kane was stalwart Irishman,
"a years old, and possessed record of I'M
broken good health, but on the day the
accident occurred he complained of sick
headache. AT the close of the days work
his employer asked him to prepare some
lime for the next days work. Kane at first
declined on the plea that he was i'll, but
was finally persuaded to resume work.
None of the laborers were about the yard
when Kane began working the lime. and
his employer went back to the Office to cal
culate estimates on some jobs in hand.
About o'clock Kane, who felt weary and
tired, leaned heavily OH the mixer with
which he was stirring uD the lime The
plank on which he stood had been thrown
carelessly across the corner of the box. His
weight turned 1t over, and before he could
regain his balance or utter cry for help
he fell full length into the boiling. bubbling
lime. He sank down, no part of his body
escaping contact with tho burning LIQUID,
except his left arm and the upper part of
his face. Kane was a strong man, and
though half blinded by the specks of lime
shat splashed up from the box, and suffer
ing horribly from the mouthful of fiery
Quid he had swallowed in his fatal plunge,
lie crawled out, staggered few PAGES and
then fell PROSTATE OH the sand-heap, where
he was found few minutes later by his em-
pioyer.
From his shoulders downward the lime
had eaten into his clothes and was slowly
making its way through the flesh of the I'M
consci Gus man. The soles of his boots had
dropped off and lis trousers from the knee
down hung i'll shredS from his slowly con-
Stunning limbs. The skin on the upper part
Of his right arm, Which was Dared TO the
shoulder, had been burned away and the
muscles and tendons had succumbed to the
destroyer. The nails on the fingers had
dropped off almost Immediately alter COM
ing in contact with the lime and the hand
was tightly clinched as if to conquer the
maddening pain. The liquid crept slowly
but reentleSsly through his shirt, eating its
DIES tructiye way aud frightfully scorching
his chest and back. The man was mass
of burning flesh and lime, and when Bor-
land, his employer, found him on the sand
heap the fatal lime had effectually done its
deadly work. BOrland rushed for the hose
pipe and attempted TO check the progress of
destruction by delugng Kane with cold |
water.
Then, despairing of the mans life, he
carried him to his buggy with the lime
eaten clothes still clinglng to his burned
body and drove the injured man home.
For week Kane lowered between life and
death. None OF the sufferers seen by Dante
during his journey through the Inferno
could ever have endured the awful agony
experienced by the dying hod-carrer. as
the lime fairly scorched its way through
his lungs. The scars on his body and limbs
were hldeous enough, but all chances OF re-
coyery were destroyed by the awful fire
raging within. Kane bore his sufferings
with the fortitude of stole. No word of
complaint ever crossed his lips, and he
showed no sign of the great agony he felt
except to lay his uninjured hand on his
bosom and murmur, My heart is burning
awayr' The fiery fluid released him yester-
day after a weeks suffering, and Kane
passed away unconscious OF The approach
Il,