Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1894 — Fortune’s Terrible Death. [ARTICLE]

Fortune’s Terrible Death.

San Francisco Chronicle George Fortune, an Austrian, about 45 years of age, met with a horrible death at the tannery on Army street, near the San Bruno road." yesterday afternoot). In the tannery there is an immense wheel’vat into which hides are thrown. Water is poqred on, them,and,by the rapid motion of the wheel they are cleaned. Yesterday the wheel vat, which is some fifteen feet in diameter and about seven, feet deep, got .out of order. The hides in it were removed, the water run off, and then Fortune crawled under the wheel and open a manhole, intending to crawl up into the vat. He had drawn himself through the manhole until his body above the waist . was in the vat, when the engineers uddenly started the wheel. Fortune had time but for one scream of agony and he then was whirled round and round, each revolution of the wheel crushing his ribs and breast. Fortunately his one cry was heat'd and. some of his fellow workmen signalled the engineer to stop the machinery. Fortune was removed from the vat more dead than alive and taken to the City and County Hospital. There his injuries were at,once pronounced fatal, the ribs being broken and splintered and breastbone crushed into fragments. The man lingered in agony for several hours, and after death the body was taken to the Morgue in order that an official investigation may be held. The engineer is not blamed fOF the accident, as Fortune failed to notify him of his intention to enter the vat.