Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-19

all my resolution to look my danger
in the face.
The thermometer had by this time
risen to IL, degrees; but l knew, from
the experiments of :Fordyce and
BankeS, that the living fibre could for
a short time bear heat more than
twice as great without permanent i'll
jury. 4 ray of hope lighted the gloom
of my heart, as l ran over in recollec-
ton the various instances, with which
my professional studies had rendered
me acquainted, Of living bodies bearing
great degrees of heat. l recollected
the case of the girl at Rochefoucault
who had gone into an oven where the
thermometer stood at 2SS degrees. l
called TO mind SOnnerat'S account Of
fishes living in the hot springs of the
Manill3S, in water 1T temperature
of upwards 80 degrees; and taxed my
memory TO recollect the names of the
plants which the same writer mentions
as houriShin@ in the island of Lucon.
with their roots in Il the2xnal rivulet
so hot that the mercury plunged in its
waters rose TO Ia degrees. ] cOnsid-
cred that, perhaps, the cause of the
heat now surrounding me WAS no more
than the reverberatiOn of SO great 4
body of flame as that overhead on the
metal, and that Us the fame diminish
ed in volume, which it plainly did
every minute, the heat of the copper
mi Cr11f 1n n1 70 al TO Itr1% nn
continually rising temperate re of the
air, indicated as it too plainly was by
the thermometer which l held in my
hand, soon deprived me of the vague
comfort of such 4 surmise. I next en-
deaYOred to form some estimate of the
heat the metal must acquire before
the contained sir would rise to tenn
perature of $50 degrees, which l sup
posed it possible that [ might be able TO
bear; but what with anxiety and con-
fusion, | could make no approximation
to an answer. These various processes
of thought had, however, restored a
certain degree Of presence of mind, as
may be judged from the fact that,
dreadful as the prospect was which
l had before me, / was calm enough
to make several memoranda on my
tablets, with the purpose of attaching
them to weight to be tied to the end
Of IN; handkerchief, and flung out in
the hope of letting it be known where
[ was. These tablets / have now be-
fore me; / have preserved them ever
since. as a memorial of moments such
us | trust have fallen to the lot of no
other human being | transfer the
memoranda verbatim. 1t will be seen
that many of the words are but half
written, and that in some places entire
words have been omitted; but if any
one would try the experiment of writ
ing in such a situation, l daresay his
composition would be scarcely more
correct l began thus:
l am Doctor -- of --. Ii any one
finds this, come to the copper in the
new building, where | am burning to
death for want of Il ladder. Half-past
II o'clock. Haste! Haste! 1.-TWO such
memoranda rs this 1 had already flung
out by weights attached to my sus-
into the flanles)
My will is in the upper left-hand
drawer O. the bookcase. Let George
- have tae arrangement of my pape
- have the arrangement of my
papers [ wish all the papers relating
to IS business to be burned with
several other memoranda relating to
my private affairs, which / omit.
| am wrapped in a cloud Of steam
from my wet clothes. The thermome-
ter stands at $50 degrees. 1t is now
26 minutes to l o'clock. The air is
suffocatingly hot; [ am drenched III
PRECIPITATION. [ will nOte all [ can.
IS m. to 1 &C Therm. 1871 degrees.
ID ~, 139 degrees. 10 M, 1913 degrees!
This is horrible. l can see the mercury
mounting in the tube. The moisture
from my clothes has all eXhaled. They
are now as dry as finder, and hot and
hard to the touch.
minutes past 1 o'cock. Thermome-
ter 10 degrees. Have taken off both
my coats and laid them over the hole
the rush of air from it agitated the
hot atmos phere), and made it in
tolerable.
s N. past / o'c. Therm. III degrees
My watch burning hot Have taken ii
out of my fob The pencil case begins
to feel hot in my fingers. Strange to
say my body is still cool. IS theory
about the rad Gation) of heat must be
err (oneous.)
- Ill., past 1 oc Therm. 195 degrees.
1G M past 1. Therm.2O0 degrees.
Have laid off everything but my boots;
could not bear the touch of anything.
Breath cooler on eXhal (ation) than on
inhal (ation).
Thermometer 30 degrees. Watch
stopped owing to the eXpan (siOn) Of
metal. Flame overhead decreasing.
Light failing Can see part of the cop
per changing to dull red. Water
would boil now where / hold the pencil
in my fingers. But for the rubbish, my
clothes on (Which | stand would take)
fire. I have taken off my boots; the
metal heels have left their mark singed
in the cloth.
22O degrees. / am to be roasted alive.
Ny last wishes are with and the
dear ones. Oh, my God have mercy
on me and support her. l shall suffer
greater pain than any other man but