Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-08-20
Sad Affair at Concord, N. ii.
A MAN BURIED ALIVE.

Dea. George A. Dow, of the firm of
Dow, Kenney d Co., well known master
masons, was engaged with two or more
men in digging well on the premises of
Col. George II. Hutchins on Merrimack |
street. Up to noon everything had gone
on we'll. The workmen had reached
depth of about thirty eight feet As far
as the shaft descended the plank curb
ing was put in by Mr.. Dow in person.
His wife asked him in the morning if he
did not consider it dangerous under
taking. He answered." Yes, some
what, but / have no fears, for / shall
build all the curbing myself" At the
time of the accident, which occurred
about quarter-past three, Mr. Dow was
at the bottom of the well at work upon
the curbing. His assistants were at the
top letting down lumber and TOOLS As
the clock struck three he sung out pleas.
antly to the men above, "Three o'clock
and all's well. We are getting along
nicely" These were the last words he
was heard to speak. Soon afterward
there was a rumbling in the bottom of
the well, and the men looked down and
saw that the bottom was one confused
mass of broken curbing and earth As
the rumbling sound commenced they
heard Mr. BOWS voice, but could not
distinguish his words. The alarm was
at once given and hundreds rushed to
the spot. Mr.. Lyman r. Fellows, with
his gaag of men, who were engaged on
the sewerage work on Main street, were
promptly on the spot, and Mr.. Fellows
directed affairs until the arrival of Capt
A. b. Holt, who assumed the charge at
the request of all present. At first it
was attempted to lower a man with a
bucket and windlass to commence ex-
huming at the bottom. A Mr.. Patch
was the first to get into the bucket. but
+ he had not been more than half way let
down when another caving began, and it
was found that his life was not safe in
the we'll. Part of the crowd then COM
| menced digging away the surface of the
ground near the top of the well, and
Others began the construction of new
curbing to be let down inside of that
which remained whole. The work was
prosecuted with all the rapidity and ear
nestness that hundreds of strong men
from all classes of society were capable
of exhibiting. At five o'clock the first
piece of new curbing, fifteen feet in
length, was successfully let down. 9th
err pieces were got in with considerable
difficulty. Our Concord correspondent
says: CAS- We write this Cat seven o.
clock) the curbing has reached within u
few feet of the debris at the bottom, and
one man has just been let down. The
excitement is intense. Thousands Of
people are collected in the vicinity OF
the well and the streets leading from the
place are blocked up by the crowds.
CONCORD, N. H., Aug. II. AT half
past nine the we'll had been excavated
to the depth of about thirty-one feet
Another section of curbing was then lei
down. The first man to volunteer to GO
to the bottom was John Foss, an ex-war.
den of the State Prison, and a person
4 whose physical courage has often been
exhibited on occasions of danger and
death. Mr.. Lovewell Sherman went
. down to assist Mr.. Foss. At half past
h ten the work was progressing well, and
9 all were on the alert to get intelligence
: of the buried man, (for the entire depth
> of the shaft when the accident occurred
was thought not to have exceeded AZ
3 feet.) There seems little or no prospect
q that Mr.. Dow will be alive when extri
e Gated, although it is possible the lumber
of the broken curbing may have faller
in such manner as to have allowed the
I air to circulate through the debris, ant
$ thus to prevent the unfortunate mar
n from sufocating, in case he was not
8 killed by the falling mass of earth.
r The throng of people continues about
;, the spot, and the most intense interest is
manifested in the work.
0 Mr.. Dow was a native of Weare
0 where he resided till 1853, when he re-
' moved to Concord He has had large
/ experience as a successful master mason,
| and was one of our truest and most re.
r spected citizens. He had a wife but no
/ children, and was about 81 years of age
7 CONCORD, N. H., Aug. 13.-At about
, three o'clock this morning, after nearly
twelve hours of unremitting and danger.
Gus labor, the body of Mr.. Dow was dis
covered at the depth of some thirty four
feet. He was in an upright position and
lifeless. The question then arose as to
how the remains could be extricated
The men had reached the bottom of the