Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-12-02
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Boy Killed in HoI|ingsworth &
Whitney Mills at Wins|ow.
Drawn Into Dryer Machine Between
Rolls Only Three Inches Apart.
The Body Mutiiatcd Beyond Recognition
Had No Business in Mill.

Winslow, Me-, Dec. 1.-(SpeciaD.-A
horrible accident occurred at the Hol-
lingsworth & Whitney pulp and paper
mills here, this afternoon, about 5
o'clock. Young Owen Green, a son of
Charles Green of this town, by some
means passed the watchman at the
bridge gate and went into the paper
department of the plant. Young
Greene passed into the drying room
where the great dryer machines are
worked. He was seen to pass in be-
tween the second press rolls and the
dryer by Mr.. Holland, who was in
charge of the machine at the time
Mr. Holland says that he looked in
that direction just in time to see some
one being drawn into the machine and
ne quickly shut off the power that
drove the machine
The speed of the machine was so
great. however. that it could not be
stopped until the boy had been drawn
through a set of five of the big dryer
rolls, or about 10 feet into the machine.
No one at the time knew who had gone
that the unfortunate person was one of
the employees until the men about the
mill had a chance to open the machine
so that they could see who it was
The lad, who was about Is years old
and of good size. had been drawn
through the shallow opening OF the
machine. under the cloth, up over one
roll and down another until he had
gone the distance of nearly if not quite
10 feet. The large rolls of the dryer ir
places are only three inches apart
therefore the condition of the body
when the machine was stopped can
better be imagined than described. 1t
was horrible beyond description.
Word was quickly sent to the father of
the boy, who is a carpenter about the
plant, and Coroner Edwards was also
sent for. The Journal was early on the
scene and from Supt. Stobey learned the
facts connected with the case. Mr.. Sto-
hey was nearly Frustrated by the acci-
dent and he could in no way account for
the presence of the boy in the mill. Cor
oner Edwards viewed the scene and or
dered the body taken from the machine
and prepared for burial. Undertaken
Redington was called to take charge OF
the body.
The management of the Hollingsworth
lowing outsiders in the mill. A watch
man is kept at the gate on the bridge
which sets at the entrance to the mill
yard. The boy was not seen about the
mill by anyone and must have passed the
watchman in the dusk. 1t tranSpireS that
the father of the boy told his son only
the night before that he must not at any
time go into the mill. So it seems to the
superintendent that the boy must have
wanted to get into the mill for some pur-
pose. and knowing that he would not be
let in if he was seen. had stolen in past
the watchman and then avoided the other
men in the different parts of the mill as
he passed into it.
1t is easy to see how the men. relying
on the Waterman to keep out strangers,
would not so quickly notice the boy after
dark The machine as shown the Journal
is safe as all such machines are made
and possibly can be made to be. 1t is
difficult to see how the boy could have
got into the rolls without trying to do
something about the machine that he
should not have tried to do. There is a
passage by means of which the workmen
pass between the press rolls and those of
the dryer machine. and to the experienced
man there is no danger.
No blame can attach itself to the man.
agement of the mill or any of the en-
ployes 1t was a horrible accident. one
that no one can see how it could have
been avoided. and it was severe shock
to the men employed. Supt. StObey told
the Journal that he had tried to keep out
everyone that had no business in the mill
and it was a puzzle to him to know how
the boy had got in there unless he had
taken pains to steal in when the watch
mans back was turned, being assisted by
the darkness in the yard.