WIREWORKER'S TERRIBLE DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 22, 26 January 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

WIREWORKER'S TERRIBLE DEATH.

Vincent Daoiut was slowly dragged to death to-day by a loop of wire winding on a spool in the mill of the National Wire Company (says tue New Haven (Conn.) correspondent of the New York "World.") He was a stalwart fellow, 23 years old, and tjiugle. Tbe man was alone in a room, watching a machine called a reducing box. Out of this box hot steel was being drawn into wire. The power that drew the wire out was supplied by a slowly revolving spool or spindle of steel. Doolut's function was to see that tbe new-made wire ran on to the spindle true and clear without any kinks or flaws. As the wire came out of the box a kiuk suddenly formed. Beside Daoiut tliere was a lever for stopping the machine. llif: man should have thrown the lever and stopped the drawing of the wire. Then he could have straightened out the kink with ease. But long familiarity made him careless. He did what he had done many times before. Letting the machinery run unchecked, he stepped forward and seized the kinked wire in his right hand, trying to straighten it out as It ran. The wire looped itself arouu.l Daoiut's hand '.as if it were a living thing. 'iUo man was so surprised that he did not move for several seconds. A tug at Ills wrist showed him that the slowly moving wire was dragging him towards the monotonously revolving steel spindle. He tried to pull back. The wire DREW HIM RELENTLESSLY FORWARD —he was compelled to take half a step towards the spindle. Daoiut's face blanched. Eagerly he whirled around and faced the machinery. He stretched forth his left hand towards the lever. He could not reach it. He lunged a!, it desperately, and his finger tips barely swept against the shining steel bar as lie was dragged away from it. He lunged again, but this time the fingers did not even touch the lever. Daoiut screamed for help, but no one heard him, for the clank and whirr of the mill drowned his agonised cries. He braced his feet firmly against the floor and tried to tear himself away from the tilin steel serpent that was drawing him to dostnictidn. His wildest efforts were useless. Inch by inch he was impelled towards the spinUlt which still revolved slowly, monotonously. Very slowly Daoiut's right arm was wound around the spindle. It was laid on with accurate nicety, like tbe wire with wbieh it was mingled. Then his body was drawn on, too. The bones of the arm and shoulder were broken into an infinity of fragments. The man's skull was fractured. He ceased struggling. His body followed his right arm in its awful journey around the spindle. Another workman happened to come in at this moment. He run to the lever and stepped the machine. Quickly he cut the wire that bound Daoiut to the machine of death. The man was taken to the hospital, but he was dead before the journey was ended.