James Duncan, 38, laborer, attempted to save Alexander Pruchinski, 22, ladleman’s helper, from burning, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1913. Pruchinski fell into a slag pit in a steel mill, alighting on a mass of molten slag. Although other workmen were afraid to attempt a rescue, Duncan jumped into the pit, placed a thin sheet of corrugated iron siding on the thin crust of the molten mass, and stepped onto it. He crouched on the end of the sheet, under a ladle containing molten slag, and, shielding his face from the intense heat with one arm, reached out and tried to draw Pruchinski to him, but Pruchinski’s smouldering clothing and burned flesh tore away under his grasp. Duncan finally secured a hold on Pruchinski, dragged him onto the sheet, and carried him to one end of the pit, where he extinguished the flames that covered Pruchinski’s clothing. Pruchinski died. The act consumed about two minutes. Duncan was disabled 11 days by burns on his hands. 11038-1170
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