The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-04 00:00:00

DECEMBER 4, 1855.]

WONDERFUL ESCAPE.

ul• cE of the most marvellous instances of preservation of life
extreme
took peril that we have ever had occasion to record
the afternoon
in this town on Monday last. About two o'clock
as 'so afternoon some men were engaged in putting a new
at the bottom of a well, above 30 feet deep, in the yard
air. Frost's currying-office, next the churchyard, a man
"‘4,
4atn„,,
Charles Webb being below, and John Jackson at the
;at Webb had placed a part of the segments forming the
tqkid Jackson was cautioning him to bring the edges close
te. t4r in order to secure the pinning, when he observed
or three bricks falling. Webb seized the rope, and called'
theull u la," when instantly the brickwork from the very top of
well, with a large quantity of the soil behind it, fell in a
dea's, barying him beneath full 20 feet of materials. All
alat his life could be preserved was abandoned, for the
4:4te appeared as closely covered as a filled-up grave, and
Ta. 9
4ahs.
4 some time before anything was done, the men at first
041)1e', it too hazardous to venture down, so loose and
e
Was the soil, and so hollowed out were the sides,
,4ea the wall of a neighbouring outhouse assistanceug
kt,e2jilY. After some little delay, however, was
► aiost
ie and the wall having been taken down, the men
l'itlh'::l dgently in removing the fallen materials, but
4 ttle, if any, hope of more result than the recovery of
IlLoo.r fellow's body. His wife was close by, in what state
411;4'ziti22g suspense for herself and her two babes (for the man
11111 at years of age) may be easily imagined. At length,
el,l five and six o'clock, he was heard moaning, and the
tidings were conveyed to his poor wife, who had been
15,hZneulty removed. The sides of the wall, however, were
N-, and crumbling that it was necessary to delay the work
rhho,`Lelrcular shield could be made, and lowered for the men
%it' in, when they renewed their labour with increased
Att. or a fellow-creature's life ; but it was nearly nine
N: When they arrived at his fingers. After a while his
;41 cleared, and he was found in possession of his senses,
• fas„ able to state that his arm was broken and his body
sN,l44`,'Y pressed. The work proceeded very slowly ; for the
babaslipping of the earth, now much below the shield,
necessary to be very careful, and to reduce the size of
• as small as it was possible to work in. A little before
he was pronounced to be clear down to his knees,
4hk„‘Ppeared to be in good courage, having been supplied
),NA. brandy and water. Now, however, came the greatest
),111e11,1. He was standing close to one side of the well,
~hNh
'as a little skewed back from the perpendicular, to
kkgetr!ose, humanly speaking, he owed his life, and was so
ike in with the crowbar which he had been using and
Pieces of timber that it was only by a brick at a time or
'll of earth, that the work of extrication could be pro-
ith. The poor fellow, however, gallantly held on,
4hVetile candle with his sound arm, while the men worked
‘..),„',11t0 in the little space that could be opened. At length
~,bkttql,,ainan, of Mr. Farrow's establishment, descended, and
e't in placing another segment of the vat so as to keep
iilliaitogeaL4llll, while efforts were made to draw out the crowbar
'or by means of the crank, Webb himself giving the
Vearia calling to stop when the pressure upon him
I.tlie'i°ll(l his endurance. At length, about two o'clock
noorning the crowbar was removed, but not until
;;;)ttt iron hook of the rope had been broken ; and it
11ll'uliced to the number of persons, including many
I,llotkilliedical and other gentlemen of the town, who were
Ile,Y waiting the result, that one foot was clear.
anxious hour passed, during which Webb himself
in removing the earth ; and at last the timber—a
cad curb, lying across his foot—was got out, and about
Past three o'clock the joyful intimation was heard
Lu
Las free ! In a few minutes he was raised, and
efore the fire in Mr. Frost's kitchen in a blanket,
appeared inclined to faint or sleep, but soon re-
.Cesnlficiently to be carried to the omnibus which had
ire Pt in Waiting, and he was removed to the hospital
bi warm bath and every preparation load been made
4,e 2 attended by Mr. Kilner, the receiving surgeon, and
ihi,oTedocal gentlemen. It was found that his arm was
: and, except a rather severe contusion on the
Si,kne does not appear to have sustained any material
,li(;44,"Lough his exhaustion, after remaining in such a
k`tbe
,°/* 13 hours, may be easily conceived. In what
Iteht,.;te was able to maintain respiration beneath such an
jles'-'l43' compact mass of bricks and earth, amounting to
0, 8 than lO tons, is almost beyond comprehension.—

CHESHIRE AND WALES.