Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-03-29
WATERVILLE.
M|CHAUD MAY DIE,
Former Augusta Man Is
Frightfu||y Sca|ded
Through Bursting Of |nspirator
Pipe at Watervi||e.
Stepped Into an Elevator Well and Was I'm.
mersed in Boiling Water.

One of the most frightfuI accidents
which has ever happened in Water
vile occurred in the fire room of the
HolllngsWorth & Whitney pulp mill at
lo.4o CLOCK Wednesday forenoon. AL
bert Michaud. lately of Augusta, was
the victim of I, terrible scalding as a
result of the bursting of an inspirator
pipe leading to one of the boilers near
the main doorway and in his attempt to
leave the building became immersed in
hot water and steam with the exception
of his head. 1t is considered by his ply.
sician that his chances of recovery are
very small and at late hour last night
1t was feared that he would die before
morning.
Michaud was employed at one of the
fire boxes near the west end of the fire
room where the sawdust is used for
fuel. At this time the men were startled
by loud report and a few, in the ex-
citement of the minute, thought that
one OF the boilers had burst; indeed so
filled was the air with steam and Jets
of hot water that it was difficult to as
certain Just what had happened.
1t was soon discovered that one of
the largL feed pipes to a boiler had
burst near the head or elbow, emit
ting a large stream of steam and hot
water under very great pressure.
Michaud having been in the employ
of the company but few weeks, knew
very little of his surroundings and,
making up his mind that one of the
huge boilers had burst. thought of
nothing but reaching the main door.
Had he thought for an instant he
might have made his exit by small
door near where he was working, but,
inst cad he rushed headlong into the
boiling water and binding steam, TAX
Ing the shortest cut for the door.
Tho elevator just before the doorway
which a moment before had been rest
ing III the base of the shaft, was a this
time i'll one of the upper stories of the
mill. The hot water soon flooded the
floor to a depth of, several inches, a
large amount naturally flowing into
the Water-tight basement of the shaft.
Thinking of stepping from the elevator
to safety without. he stepped into the
shaft and WAS then lost to view about
Six feet below the boiling liquid.
He struggled to his feet after his
body had been immersed up to his chin
and was pulled out by Charles Pooler
and Joseph Marquis, taken without
and stripped of his clothing in the cool
air. Large patches of his skin dropped
from his body with the removal of his
clothes. the skin of his chest and Stom-
aCh falling from him as easily as if
IL had been napkin or towel.
DIR. Towne soon arrived and made the
poor fellow as comfortable as possible
and took him to his home. When the
reporter called at the house he had
ont lost consciousness and would have
talked quite freely had he been per-
mitted by the nurse. He has not lost
consciousness since that time and UNI
derstands that he cannot live.
Mr.. Michaud is II years of age and
came t. Watervillc from Augusta
about two months ago. He is unnar-
ried.
After the steam pressure had been
relieved the firemcn were ordered to
dunno their fires. The mill then ceased
operations until the break was re-
paired. The work was done, steam was
raised and the mill was running at z
o'clock in the afternoon.