Theophilus Jowers: Difference between revisions
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'''Richard Jowers''' (called '''Theophilus Calvin Jowers''' in [[Kathryn Tucker Windham]]'s book) was a former foundryman at the [[Alice Furnace]]. | '''Richard Jowers''' (called '''Theophilus Calvin Jowers''' in [[Kathryn Tucker Windham]]'s book) was a former foundryman at the [[Alice Furnace]]. | ||
According to Windham's account, Jowers came to [[Oxmoor Furnace]] in [[1873]]. He became an assistant foundryman at the Alice Furnace in [[1887]] | According to Windham's account, Jowers came to [[Oxmoor Furnace]] in [[1873]] and promised his wife, Sarah, that "As long as there's a furnace standing in this county, I'll be there." He became an assistant foundryman at the Alice Furnace in the Spring of [[1887]]. | ||
After Alice Furnace was torn down in [[1905]], his ghost was reported to be seen at a second furnace until it, too, was shut down in [[1927]]. Jowers' spirit is said to have then relocated to [[Sloss Furnaces]] across town. | On [[September 10]], [[1887]], while working around the edge of the furnace to loosen a bell, he lost his balance and fell with it into the molten iron. The ''[[Birmingham Age]]'' report the following day described how "a piece of sheet iron was attached to a length of gas pipe, and with that instrument his head, bowels, two hip bones and a few ashes were fished out." | ||
Soon after the tragedy, other workers began reporting that he was seen making the rounds and checking on his former crew. After the first Alice Furnace was torn down in [[1905]], his ghost was reported to be seen at a second furnace until it, too, was shut down in [[1927]]. Jowers' spirit is said to have then relocated to [[Sloss Furnaces]] across town. According to Windham's story, Jowers son, [[John Jowers|John]] claimed to have seen a ghostly figure striding through the hot furnace at Sloss from the [[1st Avenue North Viaduct]] in [[1927]]. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
* Windham, Kathryn Tucker (1987) ''The Ghost in the Sloss Furnaces''. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society. ISBN | * "A Horrible Death, A Workman Falls into Alice Furnace" (September 11, 1887) ''The Birmingham Daily Age'', qtd. in Karen R. Utz and Sloss Furnaces Foundation (2009) ''Sloss Furnaces''. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing ISBN 9780738566238 | ||
* Windham, Kathryn Tucker (1987) ''The Ghost in the Sloss Furnaces''. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society. ISBN 0317651005 | |||
* {{Lewis-1994}} | * {{Lewis-1994}} | ||
* "Sloss ghost hunters have chance to see two for the price of one." (October 30, 2006). ''Birmingham News'' | * "Sloss ghost hunters have chance to see two for the price of one." (October 30, 2006). ''Birmingham News'' | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* [http://facstaff.uwa.edu/ab/sloss.htm Ghost at Sloss Furnaces] | * [http://facstaff.uwa.edu/ab/sloss.htm Ghost at Sloss Furnaces] at Alan Brown's "Alabama Ghostlore" site | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jowers, Richard}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Jowers, Richard}} | ||
Revision as of 10:44, 6 January 2011
Richard Jowers (called Theophilus Calvin Jowers in Kathryn Tucker Windham's book) was a former foundryman at the Alice Furnace.
According to Windham's account, Jowers came to Oxmoor Furnace in 1873 and promised his wife, Sarah, that "As long as there's a furnace standing in this county, I'll be there." He became an assistant foundryman at the Alice Furnace in the Spring of 1887.
On September 10, 1887, while working around the edge of the furnace to loosen a bell, he lost his balance and fell with it into the molten iron. The Birmingham Age report the following day described how "a piece of sheet iron was attached to a length of gas pipe, and with that instrument his head, bowels, two hip bones and a few ashes were fished out."
Soon after the tragedy, other workers began reporting that he was seen making the rounds and checking on his former crew. After the first Alice Furnace was torn down in 1905, his ghost was reported to be seen at a second furnace until it, too, was shut down in 1927. Jowers' spirit is said to have then relocated to Sloss Furnaces across town. According to Windham's story, Jowers son, John claimed to have seen a ghostly figure striding through the hot furnace at Sloss from the 1st Avenue North Viaduct in 1927.
References
- "A Horrible Death, A Workman Falls into Alice Furnace" (September 11, 1887) The Birmingham Daily Age, qtd. in Karen R. Utz and Sloss Furnaces Foundation (2009) Sloss Furnaces. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing ISBN 9780738566238
- Windham, Kathryn Tucker (1987) The Ghost in the Sloss Furnaces. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society. ISBN 0317651005
- Lewis, W. David (1994) Sloss Furnaces and the Rise of the Birmingham District: An Industrial Epic. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0817307087
- "Sloss ghost hunters have chance to see two for the price of one." (October 30, 2006). Birmingham News
- Diel, Stan (October 21, 2007) "Spirit hunters haunt Sloss." Birmingham News
External links
- Ghost at Sloss Furnaces at Alan Brown's "Alabama Ghostlore" site