The Bessemer indicator., 1893-12-16
VERY NARROW ESCAPES.
THE MIRACLES TOLD ~ A
PULP MILL MAN.
one Man Was ksiisd nat and YET Ne
Recovered; rhough No Lost His saAp'
-Four Men Were Caught In . Log jan
and saved by the Logs.

81 never hear OF persons Narrowly
escaping death or surviving extra
ordinary injuries" said the New
York representative OF big pulp
min company, to a Sun reporter
THAT do not think OF some remark
able instances OF tho kind that have
occurred at one OF our mills In the
northern part OF this state On one
occasion a workman named Woif was
engaged in cleaning machine used
at a certain stage In the process OF
pulp manufacture The principal
feature OF this machine was two very
heavy iron rollers, one above the
other. When in operation tho up!ser
tuller was pressed closely down on
the lower ono, and they revolved IN
opposite directions To clean these
rollers the upper one was rsissd
seven or eight inches. tho machine,
OF cour;c being at rest.
i,In the course OF his work Wolf,
who was young German, thrust ms
head and shoulders between tho
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
of Wolf had been drawn clear
through between the rollers and
dropped on the other side. as much
like pulp, 40 itr ss appearances went
as anything could be-.
"I happened to BIO In that part OF
the mill at the time and saw tho
frightful mishap Iran to whore the
limp form OF the workman lay, and
dispatched a messenger at once for
doctor. merely as a mattor OF form.
however, for tina. anything could be
done for the shapeless mass OF
humanity never entered my mind. 1t
was impossible to lift the body. We
shuffled il on TO blanket and carried
it to the unfortunate mans home. l
noticed that, although there was not
the slightest evidence OF conscious
ness, Wolf was still breathing. and
that his heart was beating. When
the doctor came he declared that,
from the shoulders down. there was
positively not single whole bono
left In VOLTS body. He said there
was not ono chance in ten Thousand
OF the man living.
"It would take ten doctors q
week to set his bones he said.
"He encased the body In plaster
from the neck down, and when he
came next day was amazed 70 hnd
that Wolf was still alive and had re-
gained consciousness. Wolf lay en-
cased in plaster for several weeka
His bones knit and grew together
again. but In such way that he was
covered with knobs and ridges and
queer corners and angles from head
to feet But he was alive. He was
our night watchman for ten years
after that, and he is alive to-day.
"Once the dam OF one OF our mills
became SO clogged with legs thai
they interferel with the water power.
1t WAS necessary to release the dan
or shut down the mill. The work
would necessarily endanger the lives
and limbs OF all who engaged in 1t
and volunteers were asked for, hand
some extra pay being offered Plent,
Of men were ready to take the risk
among them Pat O'Brien, an Irish
man, 61 years old. He insisted OIL
being one OF the gang and Joined 1
against the protest OF the superin
| terdeut
1.-The work Of releasing the lol
jam went all right until the key lo
that held the main jam was to be re
moved. There lay the danger. Tn
key was removed and the mon mad
q wild dash to escape the rush. The
all got out OF the way but -four
among them the old Irishman, Pa
O'Brien. These four were caugh
among the logs and went over th
falls. a sheer descent of eighty-fiv
feet Men and logs went over te
gether and verybody supposed tina
the men would be ground to atom
but most astonishing thing haI
pened. In falling number of log
fell on end in group. their uppe
ends toppling together, forming a
almost perfect tent or peaked hui
with the downstream side open. tn
mon had escaped injury. not onl
from the logs in the fall. but froi
the tremendous plunge itself. and
was as they landed in the water b,
low that the tent OF logs formet
with them beneath its shelter. Tn
saved them from being drowned b