The Press., 1915-04-14
A CURIOUS ORDEAL
Pliqht of a Man Who Almost Felt
 Death Touch Him.
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 a 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 vats that are sunk to level with the floor. The raw silk. i'll 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 it 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 I couldn't find it anywhere. 'Confound Bill! said to myself. He loses everything.
 "I had hardly got the words out of my mouth when my foot went off the edge of the vat. I felt myself falling. and was seized with the full convic- ton of death.
 ''I 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 can see the very look of the old smoky roof as l lay on the island of silk with the boiling water on all sides. It was horribly hot there The precipitation started out all over me, and felt that l must move.
 First. however. l shouted as loudly as l 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 wouldn't 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 8. little later, when l looked again. 1t was oul q my line of vision move without having the bale roll over. and if l remained still would go down inch by inch into the scalding water below.
 Il can remember that l became little hysterical It's funny what tricks the mind plays.
 This is dyeing with a vengeance, said aloud, and l even laughed as l said it
 Tt 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 I 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 poler shouted one.
 "I knew that would be fatal; the slightest push and I would roll over into the steaming stew.
 Boys cried I. 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 quickr
 q could hear the chug. chug of the steam being cut of from the vat. A moment later I could see the wet rim that broadened round the edges. and l knew the water was falling. It 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 1t started to roll. Both the men grunted and sat up very straight Sud denly one of them cried out:
 "'There's the bottomp
 "I felt the mass of silk settle against l heard the last water gulp as 1t ran out. Then l tainted away."-Youth's Companion