The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1915-02-12
IN A VAT OF BOILING WATER.

His Vivid Story of His Sensations as
He Tumbled 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 a room where they boil the raw
silk? It's hot, steaming place, with
great bubbling vats that are sunk to a
level with the floor. The raw silk, in
bales all fluffy and sticky, comes in on
rolling trucks and is dumped into the
vats. The mass has to be stirred about
a good deal before 1t gets soaked
though and goes under
"Just before the noon hour one day
a truck came In with two bales on it.
dump them into No. 6 vat | told
the men. I'll stir them If you fellows
want to go to dinner
when they had gone began to look
around for the stirring fork. | couldn't
find 1t anywhere. 'Confound Billp /
said to myself. He loses everything
II had hardly got the words out of
my mouth when my foot went off the
edge of the vat. / felt myself falling,
tion 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 / felt myself land
fiat on my back on the mass of floating
silk.
TO this day | can see the very look
of the old smoky roof as / lay on the
island of silk with the boiling water on
all sides. 1t was horribly hot there.
The perspiration started out all over
me, and felt that | must move
First, however, / shouted as loudly
as / could When no one answered /
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. | felt the rolling
motion stop. Then / knew it wouldn't
do to move | lay on my back poised
on the middle of the bale, and walled
for help. After minute or two be-
gan to realize that the silk was slowly
sinking into the vat.
"You could hardly notice the motion.
At first l could look out of the corner
of my eye and see the edge of vat No
g. A little later, when / looked again,
1t was out of my line of vision.
couldn't move without having the bale
roll over. and if l remained still ]
would go down inch by inch into the
scalding water below
'I can remember that l became a
little hysterical. It's funny what tricks
the mind plays.
"gThis is dyeing with vengeance
| said aloud. and even laughed as
said it.
''It was growing hotter. Steam had
begun to percolate through the silk,
and | was wet through with the sti-
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 polep shouted one.
"I knew that would be fatal; the
slightest push and would roll over
into the steaming stew.
"'Boys, cried l, don't touch me or
1t 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 1t quickp
81 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
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.
"As 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:
"Theres the bottomp
II felt the mass of silk settle against
something. | heard the last water
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