Can you imagine what it is like to be boiled to death? It is not something we hear about all too often in this century, but being boiled to death in the previous two centuries appears to have been a rather common occurrence.
1. Boiling Cement
At an Indiana cement plant, 1910, a huge vat of cement was boiling when a man walked along the overhead and fell into it. His co-workers had to literally fish his out of the boiling cement, and as they did, his flesh reportedly fell off his body. [1]
2. Insane Patient Boiled Alive
Medfield State Hospital inmate William W. Spearing was placed in a bathtub back in 1897. The attendant turned on the hot water and neglected to turn on any of the cold. The patient, being exceptionally weak, did not seem to notice that he was sitting in boiling water until the attendant noticed the horrible mistake.
Spearing was removed from the water and was completely covered in burns and blisters. He passed away 24 hours later. The attendant was reportedly dismissed due to neglect. [2]
3. Fell Into Clam Chowder
In 1907, Massachusetts, it was reported that an eighteen month old child was left alone in the kitchen when he fell into a kettle filled with boiling clam chowder. The child was found by his parents and he was completely boiled alive.
No description was given on how the child managed to get into the kettle, unless we are to assume he was sitting in a high chair and was left alone to climb out and into the kettle. [3]
4. Cattle Dipping Vat
Cattle Dipping Vats were used to eradicate ticks from cattle and were built into the ground to make dipping cattle a little easier. However, these in-ground vats were dangerous.
In 1912, it was reported that a New Mexico committeeman accidentally fell into one of these vats, filled with boiling oil and acid. He was boiled alive before anyone could rescue him. [4]
5. Exhaust Barrel at an Oil Well
In West Virginia, 1899, someone thought it would be okay to let a five-year-old play near the exhaust barrels at an oil well. Sadly, the child fell into one of these boiling exhaust wells and was boiled alive.
According to the article:
“The flesh about its head and shoulders was cooked.” [5]
6. Indianapolis Basket Works
Eugene Hammon of Indianapolis, 1893, fell into a large vat of boiling water at the basket making factory. The water came up to his neck and the other workers were able to fish him out while he was still alive.
However, when they tried to take his clothing off, his skin, from the neck down, also peeled off. Hammon, a young 20-years-old, did not survive the incident and died a very painful death as neither chloroform or morphine had any effect on his pain. [6]
