IMPRISONED IN A BOILER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 299, 15 December 1917, Page 19

IMPRISONED IN A BOILER.

The most remarkable accident and escape ot their kind iv the history of Xew Tork took place last month in the sub-cellar of the Union League Club, where, in the presence of scores of prominent clubmen, Mr •Tohn Garvey. a mechanic, was imprisoned in a large boiler, and was only rescued naked, lv dramatic circumstances, after two hours' strenuous exertions on the part of police, flTemen, engineers, and others.

rhe boiler Is thirty feet long, and although six feet in diameter, there is little free space In the interior, owing to the presence of the pIpeST Garvey entered the boiler through an oblong "manhole" in the centre to clean It. and at nine o'clock bad finished. When he tried to get out the way he bad gone in, however, he stuck fast.

The more he struggled to force himeeii through the hole the tighter he became wedged, and only a short time elapsed before his hips were badly lacerated and swollen. Soon he was in pain, and fcegan to call for help.

He was heard by Mr Charles Krnmhouse, the second engineer, who Instructed Garvey to remove his clothing.

Then the engineer brought a large can of crude oil, and poured It over the naked 'man. Several other employees caught hold of Garvey, and all pulled at once. In vain. There was no getting the man through the | hole. His body was too swollen. i

The rescue squad took with it its gas blower, warranted to cut through any piece of steel.

Garvey was told to crawl to one end of the boiler, a feat he was able to perform after half a dozen men had squeezed him back. Then the sqnad got to work -with ■the gas.

It was not long, however, before Garvey began to shont that it was becoming too hot for him. He was told that h e would not be burned alive and to hold out.

At ten o'clock three Inches ot •£_. steel at the edge of the manhole had _een eaten away, but the steel surrounding the hole was red hot, and there seemed no chance of getting Garvey out for several hours. Then someone thought of cooling the boiler with water.

This was attempted, hut the fcmpriaoned man howled that the steam was getting to him, and he was being boiled alive.

Ashes and sand were accordingly ibrought, and after this -mixture had been damped and banked round the boiler Garvey was at last taken from his prison. He -was covered with oil, cut in a dozen places, and suffering from shock.

The liberated man, after a rest, was dressed and taken home. The tare department's doctor, -who examined him, expressed the opinion that in a few days he would be little the worse for his adventure.