The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-07
HIS LIFE EATEN AWAY.
Terrible Death of Patrick Kane-He
Falls Into a Pit of Slack Lime.
From The Chicago HeraId.

pdIlS INTO a flJ OF SLACK Lime.
From the Chicago Herald.
Patrick Kane, bod carrier, fell into a
pit Of slack lime he was preparing at the
yard of Robert Borland, plasterer. 1863 West
Erie street, and died from the effects at his
home, 81 Hastings street, yesterday morn
ing. Kane come to Chicago from Mayo
county, ireland, in 1881, to try his fortune
in the new world, and his success was such
that he sent for his sweetheart from the old
country and married her four years ago.
Latterly, however, ill-luck had pursued
him. Trade was bad and he had been out
Of work for some time, until he received
employment month ago at the yard in
which he was to meet his death. He was a
stalwart Irishman, "a years old, and
possessed a record of unbroken good health,
but on the day the accident occurred he
complained of a 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 Ill, but was finally persuaded to
resume wark. None of the laborers were
about the yard when Kane began working
the lime, and his employer went back to the
office to calculate estimates ON some Jobs
in hand. About z o'clock Kane, who felt
weary and tired. leaned heavily on the
mixer with which he was stirring ZIP the
lime. The plank on which he stood had
been thrown carelessly across corner of
the box. His weight turned it over,
and before he could regain his bal
ance or utter a cry for help he fell full
length into the boiling, bubbling lime. He
sank down, no part of his body escaping
contact with the burning liquid except bis
left arm and the upper part of his face.
Kane was a strong man, and though half
blinded by the specks of lime that splashed
up from the box, and suffering horribly
from the mouthful Of fiery liquid he had
swallowed In his fatal plunge, he crawled
slowly out, staggered few PAGES and then
fell PROSTATE on the sand heap, where he
was found few minutes later by his em-
ployer.
From his shoulders downward the lime
had eaten into his clothing and was slowly
making It's way through the flesh of the un-
conscious man. The soles of his boots had
dropped off, and his trousers, from the knee
down, hung in shreds from his slowly con-
Stunning limbs. The skin on the upper part
of his right arm, which was barred 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 after
coming in contact with the lime
and the hand was tightly clinched
as If to conquer the maddening
lentlessly through his Shirt eating its de-
structive way and frightfully scorching his
chest and back. The man was a mass of
burning flesh and lime and when Borland,
hts 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 deluging Kane with cold
water. Then, despairing Of the mans life,
he carried him to his buggy with the lime
eaten clothes still clinging to his burned
body and drove the injured man home For
a 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 nod carrier
as the lime fairly scorched its way through
his lungs. The scars on his body and limbs
were hideous enough, but all chance of re-
covery was destroyed by the awful fire rag
ing within. Kane bore his sufferings with
the fortitude of a stole. No word of COM
plant 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 awayl"
The fiery fluid released him after weeks
suffering, and Kane passed away uncon-
scious of the approach of death.