The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-02-25
A CURIOUS ORDEAL
Plight of a Man Who Almost Felt
Death Touch Him.
IN A VAT OF BOILING WATER.

IN A VAT OF BOILING WATER.
His Vivid Story Of His Sensations as
He TumbIed Helpless on His Back
on Bale Of Raw Silk In the Seeth-
ing Liquid and His Tardy Rescue.
A man who is now at the head of one
of the largest establishments for dye
ing silks in this country tells story of
a strange and thrilling adventure that
he passed through when he was still
only the superintendent of the "boiling
room."
"Silk," he says in telling the story,
"has been the means of my living, and
once it saved my life. Have you ever
been in room where they boil the raw
silk? It's hot, steaming place, with
great bubbling watts that are sunk to
level with the floor. The raw silk, in
bales, all fluffy and sticky, comes in on
rolling trucks and is dumped into the
watts. The mass has to be stirred about
a good deal before it gets soaked
though and goes under.
"Just before the noon hour one day
truck in with two bales on it.
. "'Dump them into No. 6 vat told
the men. T'll stir them if you fellows
want to go to dinner
. "When they had gone l began to look
around for the stirring fork. couldn't
find it anywhere. 'Confound Bill!
said to myself. He loses everything
IT had hardly got the words out of
my mouth when my foot went off the
edge of the vat. felt myself falling
and was seized with the full convic-
ton of death.
II had time to think over just how
terribly hot the boiling water would
feel and to wonder how much of me
would be left when the men came back
from dinner Then I felt myself land
flat On my back on the mass Of floating
silk. -
ITO this day l can see the very look
of the old smoky roof as lay on the
island of giik with the boiling water on
all Sides. 1t was horribly hot there.
The perspiration started out all over
me, and felt that I must move.
''First, however, l shouted as loudly
as could. When no one answered l
cautiously tried to turn on my side.
The bale Of fiber began slowly to roll
over Nearly paralyzed with terror, /
threw out one arm. 1t was just enough
change in balance l felt the rolling
motion stop. Then l knew it woudn' t
do to move. lay on my back. poised
on the middle OF the bale, and walled
for help. After a minute or two l be-
gan to realize that the silk was slowly
sinking into the vat. =.
"You could hardly notice the motion
At first I could look out of the corner
Of my eye and see the edge Of vat No
8. A little later, when looked again,
it was out of my line of vision.
couldn't move without having the bale
roll over. and if I remained still
would go down inch by inch into the
scalding water below.
II can remember that became a
little hysterical. It's funny what tricks
the mind plays.
""This is dyeing with vengeance
l said aloud, and l even laughed as
said it, -.
ut was growing hotter. Steam had
begun to percolate through the silk.
and I was wet through with the st1-
fling clouds that rose from the sur
face of the water had no idea of
time. By and by, however, some one
answered my shouts. The door opened
and two men came running across the
room.
.>"'Get a polev shouted one.
= IT knew that would be fatal; the
slightest push and I would roll over
into the steaming stew.
Boys cried l, don't touch me or
it will be all over! One of you turn
off the feed pipe. Let the other man
go down the ladder. The pipe that
empties this vat is on the left. Turn
it on-full. Do it quickr
Il could hear the chug, chug of the
steam being cut off from the vat. A
moment later could see the wet rim
that broadened round the edges, and l.
knew the water was falling. 1t took
half an hour to empty No. 6. For
awhile the two men ran round like ex-
cited June bugs. Then they got rope
and sat on the edge of the vat watch
ing me with great staring eyes.
CAS- the water ran out the silk sank
now on one side, now on the other
Once it started to roll. Both the men
grunted and sat up very straight. Sud
denly one of them cried out:s
There's the bottom!
Il felt the mass of silk settle against
something. heard the last water
gulp as it ran out Then tainted
9w1V S-VO1,th', .NonponioD