The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-03-09
"FlREPR0OF MAN"
n PENNSSL WHO CAN
ENDURE INTENSE HEAT
Mating Repairs In Furnace SO
Hot That His SHOES Were Near
~ Burned From Ills Feet
ENtr. ordinary Endurance.

known far and near rs the "human
salamander," or fireproof man, titles
he has won bv his wonderful ability
10 staGd great heat. The PhIlndelphIa
Press says OF him:
jacob III. Boyer is nov man of
some fifty-fvs years OF age, aud a
grandfather. He comes from Penn
sylvania German stock. He was born
and reared in West Pikeland Town.
ship, about three miles from Phoenix.
vile. He was educated IN the little
eight coruered school house near his
home. 1t is said that he often amused
and startled his playfellows by his re-
markable ability TO stand the heat
The boys would build brush fires to
see who could stand nearest tho blaze,
and Boyer always won the prize, for
he had his hair singed off and his
clothes nearly burned from his back
more than once. He once sat on a
brush heap while it burned from uu-
der him, and came off with no injury
save the loss OF his clothes and shoes.
For that feat he was logged by his
teacher, and when he reached home
with the charred remains of clothing
hanging TO him in shreds his father
gave him another logging for his
foolhardy act; the Boyers had no
money to throw awav IN clothing.
When jacob was a youth of some
seventeen years he went TO learn the
trade of brickIayer. In time he be.
came journey man, and many "A front
he helped TO lay. In time he found
employment with au iron company,
which work was more TO his keeping,
for he could satisfy his abnormal de.
sire by working about the hot fur
naces. He had not long been in the
employ OF the iron company before he
gave his employers aud fellow en-
ployes some startling exhibitions OF
his ability 10 stand the heat. Some
times the furnaces would get out of
repair, and it would become Lecessarv
10 repair them while they were stili
hot that time might not be lost.
One day "A furnace partly fell in and
it became necessary for some quick
repairs to be made. The boss brick
layer did not see how it couId be done,
RS the furnace was smoking hot, aud
lie thought that no man would Dare
venture into it. Boyer was stan hing
by, and at once volunteered to make
the needed repairs.
"Wby, Jacob, said the old man,
''you will he roasted alive if You ven
ture into that furnace as hot as it is
now"
Never mind" said Boyer, Il will
fix it,
And he did. He went into that
furnace AMI replace the bricks that
had fallen IN, and came ont but little
the worse for his daring Job. His
hair and beard we're singed and
cur!ed by the heat, his clothes were
scorched, and the soles OF his shoes
twisted and charred.
That daring feat won for Bower the
title of the "hreproof man" In time
the head OF the bricklayers OF the iron
works died. when Boyer WAS immedi.
atsly appointed to fill tue vacancy.
He was now his own "noss." ami had
no one to chide him for MS dariuy
feats. Since he has zee n in charge OF
the hrcklayers of the works he has
never asked any one OF his EMPLOYEES
TO risk his life, always himself assum-
ing any risk to he taken MANY a time
he has entered furnaces when his men
never expected to see him return
alive, FOR the work OF IL bricklay er
about Iron and steel works ~ ANYTHING
hut easy. Everything may he Coip,
on all right, when all Of sudden n
brick or two may fall IN whIle the fur
mace is in heat. and unless thew are
replaced the whole heat may be lost
or become cOnglomerate OF bricks
and molten steel known to irou and
steel workers as "salamAnder. {"
Wien brick falls in there is danger
OF others following. In order TO save
the furnace and the metal there the
brick must he replaced. This is an in.
teusely hot job, for the furnace is
heated to a white heat, and the molt-
en- steel seethes and boils like so much
water.
Ia such emergencies Boyer is in de-
lnaud. He learns the spot from which
the brick has fallen, and Il is his
work TO replace IL with another. He
cannot enter the furnace, for the fur
mace OF Mo!och WIS never heated hot.
ter. But he replaces the bricl., He
wraps his face carefully with wool.
len scarf, gloves his hands, an with
MS great tOngs stands at the door OF
the furnace and works away until the
brick or bricks have been replaced.
Often the tongs bend in his hands, and
bis mask is burned from his face. He
works over seethiDg, boiling steel that
tnsrls and spits worse than the criter
OF n volcano full OF burning lava.
Some idea Of the intense heat may he
had when IL is said that one OF these
great Phpoixville furnace contains
forty or forty-five tons Of molten steel,
heated 10 a temperature OF 2OOJ de.
Rreos Fahrenheit. There are several
OF these mammoth furnaces, and any
one may need some repair at any time.
Some time ago IL became necessary
for Mr.. Boyer 20 repair furnace in
which some bricks ba fallen in and
Others threatened 60 fall. The fur.
naco was still very hot, probably 300
degrees Fahrenheit. Into this fnr.
mace. heated above boiling, BOYER
went in order 10 make the rep ,irs
necessary. lie clothed himself in
WOODEN ga ments, gloved his hands and
crawle1 IN through the door, and stood
on i'le .rol CRATES. Hrs shoes we're
socu on ese zben he called for some