IN A POOL OF VITRIOL. John Rapp's Awan Experience in a Chemical Factory.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 208, 25 June 1887, Page 8

IN A POOL OF VITRIOL. John Rapp's Awan Experience in a Chemical Factory.

At the chemical wor?&--of E. Grassell and Co., Cincinnati, John' Rapp, a man aboufc 37 years of age, is employed as a, helper to the engineer. There avo two large vats on the first floor of thr establishment. One division was about one hundred feet long and the other about twenty feet in length. The width was 33 feet, and the depth '22. 1 The vats are made of sheet lead. [ The liquid vitriol is poured into these large receptacles preparatory to being used. Frequently the lead springs a leak, which can only bo stopped by plastering the spot with white lead. Recently the workmen have had considerable trouble of this kind, and lately there were two serious breaks. The liist occurred early in the afternoon, and caused great excitement among the employees. Kapp with more presence of mind than the rest, hurried to the leaking chamber and stopped the hole with white load. About 3.38 o'clock another and more serious break was discovered. The workmen shouted to Rapp, who came running immediately to the rescue. The acid Avas running OAer the floor. At the time there were only two or three inches of vitriol in fchc larger a at, but the smaller one contained about two feet. The (wo vats were separated by a low load fence. Rapp huuiedly put on wooden shoes and climbed down into the big vat. He found that it would be impossible to stop the leak in the imual way, so ho shouted for an a\o, which \va,s let down to him. He made hi** way to the small fence, his intention being to cut it. He had made only one or two clashes when hi-, foot .slipped. The a\c "lipped from his hand, and was Lhnwn into the big pool of acid. Rapp had fallen over on tho load tence, and, as the vitriol -pla-hed, a huge quantity s-Uuik him full in iho face and breast. As he wa-> working around the hot furnace he woic a woollen bhirfc, and thin was unbottomed and opened. His face, body, and uncOAorcd arms, were deluged with the bun. ing fluid. The acid blinded him, and, falling on his knees, he began to crawl along the bottom of the big \ at to tw o step** at the upper end. Thcvituol had, in the meantime, eaten oil" lil— wooden .-hoes, and as he craw led his hand- were buiied in the fiery (In id and his clothing burned oft' wherever it came in eonLicb with the thud. He groped hi- way to the place of exit, where ho was assisted by his fellow-workmen. Rapp's agony was fu^htful when ho was taken out of the vat. He lolled about the floor, and, crazed with pain, begged for someone to hit him on the head and kill him. The workmen, with unpardonable indifference, allowed the blinded man to go out alone and grope his way to his home, w Inch is not far distant. A young doctor from the Mai'ine Hospital was called, and covered the scalded man with oil and saturated cloths. When soon by an " Enquiier" reporter Rapp was in a frightful condition. His eyes were swollen and closed, and it is very doubtful whether he w ill ever sec oat of them again. Hi*, face, neck, hands and arms were horribly blistered, and his chest one mass of burned lle.-h. The pain had somewhat subsided, out ho was still enduring indescribable toituie. Between his groans fiom pain he desciibed with difficulty his terrible experience in the a at, and har.-hly blamed Ids fclloAV Avorkmen for the way they had treated him after he had been icscued.