The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-01-09
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE!
Man Disent0mbed alive after u
Hours Burial i'm a Living Tomb!

A Man DisentOmbed alive after q
Hours Burial i'm a Living Tomb!
! From the Waupaeca Criterion
The most remarkable case of preserva
ton from extreme peril that we ever haC
occasion to record, occurred in the town
OF Amherst, Portage County, on Sunday
last 1.-THE 22d inst. J The facts as we plea N
them are these: Mr.. VIM. BOBBY, "a Ger
man farmer, living two miles east of Am
herst village, has been for some time past
engaged III digging we'll on his premises
At the depth of SO feet he encountered
the bedrock, and after expenuing large
quantity of powder, with little effect, on
the solid granite, he abandoned the shaft
and commenced sinking new one in a
more promising locality AS is the com
mon practice in digging wells through the
| loose drift of this region, he had protec-
ted the original well by wooden curbing.
being pieces of plank placed transversely
and so contrived as to resist considerable
pressure.
On Thursday morning Mr.. BOBBY was
engaged in removing the curbing and fill
ing up the old WE'LL and commencing at
the bottom had filled up ii feet. His
brother was at the top of the shaft assist
ing IN drawing up the planks The work
man at the bottom had withdrawn about
four feet of the curbing, and commenced
drawing the earth from the sides, when
the one at the top saw him in the dim
light below, spring to the ladder-heard
him calculate: "Oh Christi when he
Was intercepted from view by the whirl-
ing planks, and the unfortunate man was
buried % feet :,nder grou I'd. The walls
of the well had caved in except % feet
at the top, and the wretched excavater
lay overwhelmed, and apparently crushed
and lifeless at the bottom. The workman
at work at the top of the shaft was hor-
ror-stricken and paralyzed The idea Of
rescue does not seem to have entered his
mind, and during all day Thursday not
spade was driven in the ground, not an
effort made to exhume the buried man.
During the dav however tidings Of the
affair had gone abroad anI some energet-
ic citizens of Amherst, determined that
an effort should be mad. to recover the
body.
On Friday morning under the direction
OF an experienced well digger, with
sufficient force OF men, they set to work.
Having to feel their way carefully, and
provide at every step against recurrence
OF the same disaster, now doub!y imnli-
nent from the loosencd state of the earth
adjacent to the walls of the well, they
necessarily made Slow progress, although
relays OF men kept the work moving
without intermission day and night.
On Saturday evening at Sunset they
were yet eight feet from the Object of
their reach. AZ this time young man
In the bottom of the shaft thrust his foot
into a crevicc between the pieces OF brok-
en-, twisted and distorted plank the origi-
nal curblng, and Instantly ciambered up
the ladder almost speeches with agita-
tion and fright. He had heard rumb-
ling noise i'll the hole! Men of frmer
nerves male haste down the yawnine
chasm: and word was Instantly passed up
to the eXpectant crowd above-the
man WAS alive he could speak From
that moment until his final +, lease from
his fearful prison the excitement among
the large concourse of people, who had
assembled from the whole country side to
witness or assist, Was inten sc. Soon
word came from below, that thcy could
communicate with the buried man, that
he Was nearly cyhaustcd-hc despaired
OF ultimate release, and with his little re-
nalnug strenghth wanted to COMMUNE
cate his iaSt wishes to his friends His
brother was sent down and by placing his
ear to the crevice was enabled to make
out from the faint voice below, the speak
er 5 last directions as to his family and es-
tate. Meanwhile means were found to
Iorce down oome refresh nent through the
tartuouS passage between the fallen plank
an rags were forced dowii to enable hiin
to stop up some erevices through which;
nc SAID the sant WAS pouring IN on him.
and the work OF excavation went OH.
GA Sunday morning the diggers hal
reached the bIriel man. On removing
the debris around him, they found the
poor fellow alive He was partly sitting
with one foot nearly under him, the knee
bent outward and the whole leg pinioned
by stout plank resting on it with both
ends lmbedded in the sides Of the we'll
1t was found no easy task to remove this
plank. In fast il occa pied three hours
assiduous labor to chi,cl away this wood
en- fetter. At last IS hours after the ac-
cident occurred, the buried man was
brought to the surface His JOY and graf
itude knew no bounds. He offered his
Jeilverers his money, his horses, his
farm, anything, everything he possessed,
norw ere the spectators scarcely less pro-
foundry affected.
The poor fellow had eaten off half hts
thick leather belt in the extremity OF his
hunger. He had heard everything that
| TRANSFERRED above him, and had passed
| the first "A hours of his horrible impris-
onment in alternative wonder, anxiety
and despair that no effort was made to
release him. He was only slightly bruis-
ed, and at this date is walking around
scarcely the worse for the accident.
| INTERESTING TO Letter WRITERS.
According to the Postmaster General S
| Report, not less than a million of letters
we're mailed last year, without signature,
and instructed, or so badly directed that
the address was totally unitelligabie.
More than million and half others were
restored to their writer's by the care OF
the dead letter office. These letters con-
tanned nearly $3.50, 900 in money. bills of
exchange, deeds, checks, etc., to the val
ne of over$5. 900, 900. and over 10000
contained photographs, jewelry, etc.
-''How can We bloom SO fresh and
fair?' goes the old Scotch song. How?
Why those who show the bloom of health
on their cheeks take Plantation Bitters,