The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-21

John Merhy Caught between RevoIv-
ing Belts and Instantly Killed.

John Meray. a machinist. employed by
the Edison Electric Illuminating
Company at its works on Indian street
while engaged in repairing one Of the dy-
namos yesterday afternoon. was caught
between two revolving bets, crushed al
most to a jelly, thrown thirty feet into the
air
Meray was employed shortly before 4
o'clock in the afternoon, in removing the
belt from one of the dynamos. on which
he desired to place a new wheel or make
other repairs in its mechanism Between
the belt he was striving 10 remove and
that Of a second dynamo towards which
his back was turned. is a space of perhaps
three and half or four feet The belt
of the second dynauo was multiple
one, one section revolving within the
other. Both sections of the broad piece
Of canvas and rubber. thirty feet long and
eighteen inches wide, were revolving al
the rate Of 500 revolutions minute.
Meray tugged at the belt with increased
strength and energy, but it seems il was
difficult 40 move and resisted his best ef-
forts. Standing near TO rem der assist
ance, should it prove finally to BE- needed,
was Charles Buckley dynamo tender at
the works:
Finally Meray put his fun strength into
one long pull at the belt, ard as he did
so it suddenly slipped from its position,
and the man stumbled backwards. Be
fore he could regain his equilibrium he
had fa,ien, in a sitting posi- ton, against
the belt towards which his back was
turned, and in a trice the horrible tragedy
mad happened and was at an end!As Meray
stumbled backwards Buckley endeaVored
to stop and hold him, but the effort was
futile, the rapidly revolving BELTS holding
the doomed man in their grasp and hur-
rying him on to destruction.
Meray was caught between the inner and
ouler belt and crushed almost TO a jelly.
Where the belts ended and returned upon
the original course the body of the unfor-
tUnate man was thrown violently into the
air, resting for one brief moment upon a
mass of wires that SPANIEL the building,
breaking them ard falling, AN inert and
lifeless piece of clay, 10 The floor. Buck
ley hastered to The assistance of his com
rade, but Meray never spoke or moved
or brea he'd. That his death was instau-
taneous was the only mei ciful feature of
his tragic end.
The employees of the works gathered
around the body, and as soon as was prac-
ticable "a messenger was dispatch for Cor
oner Goette who took charge of the
body, il was crushed and mangled al
most beyond recognition and the coroner
found II necessary to have it removed to
his undertaking esta blish ment in order to
fit and prepare it for Indictment.
The accident seems to have been one
OF those unfortunate affairs for which no
one is to blame. resulting purely and
simply from the operation of an unlucky
chance, of which the dead man was the
victim. Possibly the dangerous nature of
the oceupat ion in which he was engaged
had ceased 60 appeal to him, and he was
not as careful as he might have been of
his life. Al any rate, the story of the
accident, as told by Buckley and the
other workmen familiar with it's essential
facts, affords no indication that any one
other than the dead man can be held &C.
countable for or as contributing to his
death
Meray was 81 years of age. and leaves a
wife and four children. He resided with
his family at 52S Indian street, near the
works that were the scene of the acct
dent
The funeral arrangements were placed
in charge of Fox & Weeks last night and
the body of Mr.. Meray win be taken to
Ogeechee tonight for burial. The deceas-
ed had a sister in Charleston.