Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1910 — BURNED TO DEATH BY MOLTEN METAL [ARTICLE]

BURNED TO DEATH BY MOLTEN METAL

Auto Party Collides With Moving Cauldrons otSlag. ' u ,L ’ OCCURS AT ILLINOIS STEEL MILL Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lesterhouse and Mrs. Blanche Hunt Were the Victims—Miss Becker Seri- , ously Burned. » Chicago, Sept 9.—Two women and a man were burned to death in South Chicago last night when the automobile In which they were riding and which was speeding at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour, collided with a train of three moving cauldrons of molten metal and slag on One Hundred and Fourth street, near an entrance to the Illinois Steel company’s plant. A third woman was seriously, but not fatally burned. The auto was owned and driven by Peter Lesterhouse, a contractor, of 309 One Hundred and Twelfth street. Sitting in front beside him was his wife. In the rear seats were Miss Anna Becker, Mrs. Lesterhouse’s sister, and Mrs. Blanche Hunt, a friend. The train of cauldrons is moved by a dummy engine, and the route leads out on the street by a narrow gauge track, then around to the rear of the plant, where it is dumped in the lake. It consists' of steel refuse. The Lesterhouse party had been out for two hours and were" returning home. The machine was crossing One Hundreth and Fourth street at nigh speed when the train of cauldrons steamed out of the steel works. According to the steel company’s employes, they supposed the machine was going to stop. The usual illumination shot up from the mouths of the great pots Lesterhouse apparently paid ro attention to the danger ahead When he did It was too late. Miss Baker jumped and escaped with serious burns. The machine hit one of the big pots with the force of a catapult. The molten mass shot upward like a geyser and bounded in showers on the trio, who lay burned and bleeding beside the wrecked car. The Impact had tossed Mr and Mrs Lesterhouse and Mrs. Hunt out of the car and Into the path of the molten shower. They were instantly burned to death. The steel men stopped their train and ran to the rescue. Miss Baker was sent to the hospital.