The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-23
WHIRLED By A SHAFT
A Young Foundryman Has a
Terrible Experience.
HE HAS A WONDERFUL ESCAPE
After Making Fifty Revolutions With
the Shaft at Moran's Foundry He
Lives to Tell About IL.

Charles Meydenhauer. an apprentice at
Moran's foundry, lies at Providence hos
pital suffering from a broken arm and
leg after a most miraculous escape from
a terrible death. He was caught in the
shafting at the foundry yesterday morn
ing between and s o'clock. and before
rescued had been whirled over and over
fully fifty times twenty feet above the
ground by a shaft making loo revolutions
TO the minute. and all OF his clothes were
literally torn from his body Despite this
horrible experience he did not lose con-
sciousness for moment. In the effort
10 save him William Tenney. the ma
chihest. was struck on the breast by
5x6 piece of timber and knocked through
the air fully fifteen feet. Mr. Tenney has
not yet given evidences of being seriously
injured. although he spit blood slightly
during a part OF the day.
Meydenbauer is only 70 years old, fun
of life. and possesses a remarkable con-
stitution. 1t is his duty TO oil the shaft
ing. and he sometimes starts the engine.
He says tSat yesterday morning the belt
which runs from the counter shaft TO the
brass finishing lathe was off and he went
up TO fix IT, He had reached the shaft
ing. which at that point revolves loo times
a rainute. when the ladder slipped and
his left arm was thrown against what is
termed a collar shaft.
Quick as a fash the sleeve of his jump
er was caught and before he had time 10
extricate himself he was whirling around
in midair at a terrific rate. With remark
able presence of mind he grabbed the
shaft and yelled for help with all his
might. one leg struck the side of the
building with such force that il was
broken above the knee. Realizing that
his only safety lay in hugging the shaft.
he drew himself together and waited for
what seemed certain death.
His cries had brought all the men In the
foundry TO the scene OF the accident and
Aeydenbauer could see them running
around on the ground below and hear
their cries OF pity as they beheld the aw-
full predicament into which he had fallen.
Machinest Tenney Immediately closed the
throttle of the big engine. but of course
this would not cause q dead stop at once.
Then he grabbed a piece of 6x6 timber
and damned IL into the crank. A moment
later the same timber came against his
breast with terrible force. hurting him.
through the air fully fifteen feet and rem
dering him unconscious for a few mo-
ments. In the meantime Billy COffman
had succeeded In getting off the big belt
and the machiDery came to a standstill.
1t was then seen that the victim was
still clinging TO the rod and that his
clothes had been torn from his body and
wound around the shaft collar. A ladder
was Immediately raised and with quick
dispatch the victim was released and
taken to the ground.
Remarka ble as ID may seem, he was no
sooner among his friends than he COM
menced talking. Telephone messages were
sent all over the city for physicians and
before an undue lapse of time Drs j. T.
Crichton and ". A. Shannon were at
hand and ordered young Meydenbauer's
removal to Providence hospital
he tai T1r L III
physician Joined the party. The exam
ination showed that the left leg had been
fractured above the knej and that the
left arm had been broken twice above
the elbow.
Meydenbauers father and sisters were
az the hospital with him the greater part
of the day.
When seen by a ost-Intelligencer re-
porter in the afternoon the patient was
getting along nicely and said that his in
iuries were confined entirely to his left
side
II did not expect TO get out Of Il alive"
he said. when my arm got caught
tried 10 free myself. and almost succeed
ed but then before I knew what had
happened / was whirling around and yell
ing for help. I could see the men running
about the foundry below me and remem-
Der Just how Robert Moran looked when
he came running I'm from the office. Then
/ saw Tenney put the plank in the crank
and the next moment so flying through
the air. II was all over. j suppose. In
about thirty seconds. but 1t seemed
long time About the last Of Il I came
near losing consciousness. but did not"
Robert Moran. I'm speaking az the acct
dent yesterday. said THAI II was one of
those things that could not possibly he
foreseeu or guarded against by any pre-
cautions than those already In use.
Il never saw such nerve" he con-
tinuea. las young Meydenbauer showed.
At the lowest calculation he must have
made fifty revolutions because the shaft
travels at the rate Of 10 per minute
Just as soon as ne was rescued and
taken down ne commenced 20 talk"
This IS the frst accident worthy OF note
that has ever occurred In the foundry
Meydenbauer IS a brother of the young
man who played on the s. A G football
team and who Is now IN Alaska
DR.. krlegk said last night that Mav-
denhauer's injuries, while serious, would
not be fatal.