The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 9, 1903

Crawled into Furnace in Search of Warmth

None but a Webster City Man Could Think of Such a Unique Performance as This.

Webster City, March 9 – A fellow by the name of Murphy, an employe (sic) at the new Mercy Hospital building recently crawled into the hospital furnace to get warm while drunk and narrowly escaped serious injuries.

Murphy had been working thru the day with the regular hospital gang. At the close of the day’s work he filled up with liquor and instead of returning to his boarding place, went back to the hospital building. The furnace had been fired  up during the day but had been allowed to go down at night. The room and become chilly and Murphy was cold. Looking about in a drunken stupor for a warm place he came to the furnace. He opened the door of the fire box and crawled in. The fire had died down and Murphy lay on the smouldering (sic) ashes some time before he was badly enough burned to realize that his position was dangerous. He succeeded in making his exit and was found next morning by his companions when they went to work. He was lying in a corner covered from head to foot with ashes and his clothing partly burned off him. The whole of one side of his body is quite badly burned but the fellow sustained no serious injuries.

(Editor’s note: I think the drophead about only a Webster City man could think of something like this is indicative of a rivalry between Fort Dodge and Webster City. No current disrespect is intended.)

Tags: 1903, alcohol, hospital, Murphy