The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-11-23
THREE CLOSE CALLS.
MARROW ESCAPES HAD BY WoRKMEN
IN A PULP MILL.

Around ON q Belt-Thrilling Experienc.
With Log jam.
81 never hear of persons narrowly es
Gaping death or surviving extraordinary
injuries. said the New York represen
tative of big pulp mill company, ..thai
/ do not think of some remarkable in.
stances of the kind that have occurred al
one of our mills in the northern part OF
this state. On one occasion a workman
named Wolf was engaged in cleaning a
machine used at a. certain stage in the
process of pulp manufacture. The prin-
cipal feature of this machine was two
very heavy iron rollers-one above the
other. When in operation, the upper
roller was pressed closely down on the
lower one, and they revolyed in opposite
directions. To clean these rollers the up
per one was raised seven or eight inches,
the machine of course being at rest.
Gin the course of his work Wolf, who
was a young German, thrust his head
and shoulders between the rollers to see
better to clean the lower roller. While
he was in that position some careless
person turned on the water power. The
rollers started at once. and before the
alarm could be given and the water
turned off Wolf was drawn clear through
between the rollers and dropped on the
other side, as much like pulp, SO far as
went, as anything could be.
I happened to be in that part of the mill
at the time and saw the frightful mishap.
"I ran to where the limp form of the
workman lay and dispatched a messen-
ger at once for. doctor, merely as a
matter of form, however, for that any
thing could be done for the shapeless
mass of humanity never entered my
mind. 1t was impossible to lift the body.
We shufled it on to blanket and car
ried it to the unfortunate mans home.
I noticed that, although there was not
the slightest evidence of consciousness,
Wolf was still breathing and that his
heart was beating. When the doctor
came, he declared that from the Shout
ders down there was positively not
single whole bone left in VOLTS body.
BE said there was not one chance in ten
thousand Of the man living.
"'It would take 10 doctors week to
yet his bones.' he said. rs
'tHe incased the body in plaster from
he neck down, and when he came next
lay was amazed to find that Wolf was
till alive and had regained conscious
ness. Wolf lay incased in plaster for
several weeks. His bones knit and grew
together again, but in such a way that
when he was able to get around he was
covered with knobs and ridges and queer
corners and angles from head to feet.
But he was alive. Hewas our night
for 10 years after that and is
live today.
"Another time workman in a diff
erent part Of the mill named Sanneman
vas caught in big belt by a felt apron
le wore, and before the works could be
topped he was whirled seven times
lround the pulleys, striking the ceiling
With tremendous force each time. He
yas taken up for dead. ! examined him
before the doctor came, and there wasn't
ven the sign Of an abrasion or mark ON
dis body. Ten minutes later, when the
loctor came, he was as black as coal all
,ver. There wasn't spot ON him that
vas not discolored. The doctor exam.
ned the man carefully, and to his
found that there was not
zone broken anywhere about him. His
INJURIES were so slight: that he was at
work. again within two days. Yet he
lad passed seven times through space
,etween the pulley and the beam not
,ver seven inches wide.
'tOnce the dam of one of our mills be-
anne so clogged with logs that they in
erfered with the water power. 1t was
necessary to release the jam or shut down
he mill. The work would necessarily
ndanger the lives and limbs of all who
ngaged In it, and volunteers were asked
or, handsome extra pay being offered.
'lenty Of men were ready to take the
isks, among them Pat O'Brien, an Irish
nan, 81 years old. He insisted on being
ne of the gang and Joined it against the
,rotest Of the superintendent.
"The work of releasing the log jam
vent all right until the key log that held
he main jam was to be removed. There
ay the danger. The key was removed,
nd the men made wild dash to escape
he rush. They all got out of the way but
our, among them the old Irishman, Pat
JBrien. These four were caught among
he logs and went over the falls. a sheer
lescent Of So feet. Men and logs went
lver together, and everybody supposed
hat the men would be ground to atoms.
But most astonishing thing happened.
n falling number Of logs fell ON end
n o group, their upper ends topping to-
yether, forming an almost perfect tent, or
,eaked hut. with the down stream side
pen. The men had escaped injury, not
,nly from the logs in the fall, but from
he tremendous plunge itself, and it was
u they landed in the water below that the
emit Of logs formed with them beneath
is shelter. This saved them from being
lrowned by the water that plunged
Town from the great height.
There was constant danger Of the
ihelter of logs being forced from its
odgment by the pressure Of water. In
,iew Of the latter danger, when it came
o rescuing them, the three young men
II the party urged old Pat O'Brien to be
,auled up first He obstinately refused
o be hauled mp until his companions
lad been rescued, when he took his
nance and was landed safely above.
5e had scarcely been lifted above the
heller Of the logs when 1t gave way, and
he logs went crashing and laundering
N down the stream. have heard of
wonderful escapes of death, but never
SO wonderful as that. New
York Sum.
The football cry of the Augusta (Ga.)
;ollege is amusing: "Hobble, gobble,
axle, dazzle, siss, boom, ali, Augusta,
Augusta. Rail- rahl rahl' s
Knew What to Say.
didn't hear it myself, but I know a
man who says he was present when a
Mrs. Newlyrich said that when she visited
Pompeii she went right MP and looked