Bay City, Mich., December 12th — Stumbling about in the darkness at the Handy Bros. Mining Co.’s No. 1 shaft, shortly after 3 o’clock this morning. William Balen, miner, plunged into a tank of hot water and was literally boiled alive. A single scream uttered before he became unconscious in the bubbling water, alarmed men working about the wash house, above ground, and they succeeded in getting Balen out, but he died just as doctors arrived. The man was parboiled from head to foot, skin and flesh coming off in chunks and strips as he was being undressed while waiting for physicians.
Balen, was employed at the Pere Marquette Coal Co.’s No. 2 shaft, on the night shift and had laid off to go with fellow workers for a visit to the night crew at the Handy shaft. He had been drinking during the night. The tank is fed with live steam and supplies water for the wash house. Balen was 43 years old and leaves a widow and several children in Akron Co.