Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 January 1878 — Horrible Death. [ARTICLE]

Horrible Death.

A horrible death recently occurred at the blast furnm-e in South Stockton, Eng. The hopper of a furnace was charged by a man named James Higgins and other workmen with ironsjone, etc., and in order to allow the material to fall into the furnace an attempt was made to lower the bell —a large conicalshaped apparatus fitting into the bottom of the hopper— about two feet in..ta a hroadet-fipace. The bell had becomejamihfedinto the upper partof the ring, and could not be stirred. After several ineffectual attempts to free it, Higgins procured a large hammer, leaped on to the bell, and struck it a blow. The. apparatus immediately sank into the broader space, and Higgins went with it. A groan was heard, but nothing eould be seen of the poor fellow as he passed swiftly with the material into the furnace. The blast was at onoe thrown off and a powerful current of air forced in, but the horrible smell which arose proved that the poor man’s body was being rapidly consumed and not the slightest portion of it was recovered. A Coroner was summoned, but oould hold no inquest, as there Wipro no remains to view. A' Roman Catholic priest read the burial service of the Church, on top of the furnace, shortly after the accident. The Sh.vkk (JuF-STioK—Solid or plated. --.- ■ ■