William Franklin Miller, Sr., 35, general superintendent, died attempting to save Henry Kraemer, 24, foreman, from suffocation in a slag pit, Lorain, Ohio, November 30, 1954. The pit contained about 12,000 tons of slag crushed to the consistency of fine gavel, and the slag was discharging through a two-foot square opening in the floor to a conveyor belt that took it to a freighter. In a generally level area directly above the opening the slag was eight feet deep. Surrounding the level area were mounds of slag rising steeply about 15 feet. Kraemer, Miller, and Edward Sparks entered the pit and made their way down one slope to investigate a stoppage in the flow of slag. Suddenly the slag gave way beneath Kraemer, and he dropped toward the opening. Shouting to Sparks of Kraemer’s fall, Miller stepped three feet toward Kraemer, slid an additional two feet, and began to slide downward. Kraemer went head first through the opening, landed prone on the conveyor belt, and was carried three feet before he became wedged. Workmen stopped the conveyor belt. Sparks descended rapidly six feet on the slope to try to get hold of Miller but could not do so and slid toward Miller. Slag piled above Kraemer’s legs and caused the opening to clog. Accumulating at the opening, the slag halted the descent of Miller with his feet between the sides of the opening eight inches above Kraemer. The slag slid around them, burying Miller’s head to a depth of three feet and Sparks to his waist. Sparks dug away slag in an effort to uncover Miller’s head; but as fast as he removed slag, more would replace it. Another slide occurred above Sparks and buried him to his shoulders. A man who cautiously descended to the base of the slope crawled to Sparks and drew him from the slag. Workmen using acetylene torches removed the section of belt beneath the opening and freed Kraemer. Firemen cleared away the slag below Miller’s feet, and he was drawn from the pit after having been buried for a half an hour. Miller could not be revived. Kraemer suffered a fractured pelvis and multiple body bruises and was hospitalized
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