Morning journal and courier., 1892-08-24
HEADLoNG INTO A FURNACE.
The Fearful Method of suicide Adopt.
cd by n California Stevedorc.

From the San Francisco Examinerl
Charles Tsmelin, a stevedore, roasted
himself to death last evening. The suicide
was fearful one. The man deliberately
plunged into the furnace of the freboat
Governor Irwin, resisted an attempt to
drag him from the fire, and was dead when
at last taken out.
Previous to ending his life in so frightful
a manner he twice attempted to throw him
self under the wheels of fire engine number
12, which was being drawn slowly up and
down East street, near Market, but each
time he was prevented. His charred body
is now at the morgue.
There can be no doubt that the man was
insane. He had been suffering for come
time with an affection of the stomach,
which caused him intense pain.
He wandered along down East street to
where the -firebost lies, half block below
the ferry slips.
He entered the boarded inclosure by the
small side gate.
P. O'Connor, engineer, was engaged in
slowing away coal in the hold of the tug
when Tsmelin approached
81 am very cold, )" he said; Twill you let
me go down into the fire-room for a mo-
ment or two so can get warmF'
go ahead down, but mind You must be-
have yourself and not monkey around the
machinery" responded O'Connor.
The engineer said afterward that he
seemed perfectly sober at the time
Tamelin, SO coon as he had obtained the
the permission he desired jumped on board
the boat and started to go into the fire.
room. Half way down he lost his footing
and fell with a crash to the gritty, dirty
bottom OF the hold. The drop did not seem
to hurt him, though, for he arose immedi-
ately and took the lamp from it's position.
Holding it down close TO the floor he ex
amined in detail the furnace doors. He
opened each of them and psered into the
fires. Then he looked hurriedly about, as
though to find out whether any one was
| looking.
O'Connor, who was watching him
through the fire-room hatch, shouted:
| Now, put that lamp down where it be-
longs. If You don't behave yourself you'll
have TO got on. there"
Tamelin, without saying a word, placed
the lamp in the rack and then carefully
doffed his coat He darted toward the
furnace door furthest from him and threw
it open. Without hssitsting a second he
plunged in through the doorway, which is
only fourteen by eighteen inches in Itent,
barely large enough TO admit a shovel of
. coal But tbs fires had bren banked up in
front and pile uf Goals near the door made
the entrance much smaller.
The momentum of the first pluu ge served
to break down the barrier of red hot Goals.
Then he wriggl-d himself through until
Still his feet rensined ont of the furnace.
His nfnrhaa and hair a<l n mn
ment.
AL this took place while O'Connor and
burlington, who had seen him dive through
the furnace door, were kurrying down the
ladder. AS they hesita,sd an instant be.
fore making up their mind what to do,
Tsmelin raised himself on his hands and
knees, drew his face completely into the
furnace, and then placed himself crosswise
30 as to make it must difEsllt to take him
out. Then he tu ned over on his back and
burned to death.
The blue flame burisd about him, bu;
Tsmelin did not vince or utter q groan.
lie lay still and gave no sign of suffering
or regret over what he had done.
1t was only a few seconds from the time
the craz=d man made his fearful plunge
until 0'Connor snd burlington arrived but
it seemed hours. They at once set to work
to get him out and in doing SO used the
long IRON poker ana the ASH noe snd were
scorched by the heat and suffocated by the
dense gases from the coal
Tamelin wss conscious enough to know
that they were trying to save his life.
''Let me diel Let me diel Let me DIET
he screamed through his parched lips
Then he died.
Notwithstanding all they could do the
two were fully FIVE minutes in getting from
the fire what had short time before been
living man. They laid the blackened re-
mains on the floor, where they were al
lowed to stay until the deputy coroner ar
rived