The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-01-21

A Massachusetts Man in a Quick
sand at the Bottom of q Well
An Extraordinary Afair-The
Effort to Release Kim.

&ehoAt w &&eiease kxIms
A singular accident and one that
ca ued the greatest excitement In the
quiet town of Winchester, occurred on
Monday. A man named Wing has been
employed few days past in repairing
or rebuilding a well upon the premises
of Mr.. Cameron. Monday he was at
work about thirty feet below the sur
face, at the bottom of the well, laying
brick, with which the well was TO be
built. He is man weighing over 200
pounds, flarge frame. He was stand
ing in the water and sand at the bottom
and, insensibly to himself, gradually
sank until he disco yered that his feet
and legs, nearly to the knees were EN-.
bedded in a quicksand. He made repeat
ed attempts to move, but found that he
was stuck fast. Those at work al the
mouth of the well were informed of t he
fact, and the rope was fastened about
him and an attempt made to pull him
out by the aid of the windlass at the
top. They were unable to move him at
all, and the pain to him was so acute
that they were compelled to desist.
Ropes were then arranged so that he
should not sink any deeper, and attempts
were made to dig him out. The well
being small and Mr.. Wing very large,
no one could get inside the brick work
to assist him, and he has been combell-
ed to do all the digging himself with
pals or cups, passing them as he filled
them to some one above. The sand
constantly filled in as he dug it out, and
in this condition he remained all the
night. Refreshments and stimulants
were sent down to him, and he was
alive and in as good spirits next morn
ing as man could be expected to be
under such circumstances A colored
man worked in the well eight hours
Monday night, assisting the unfortun.
ate man to extricate himself. At about
3 O'Clock the fire bells of the town were
rung, and in that way relief was OBJ
tained for the men who had been at
work and on watch at the we'll during
the night.
With daylight the men renewed their
, efforts with vigor, occasionally pausing
to speak an encouraging word TO the
poor victim. The first train to Boston
bore gentleman in quest of some pro-
fessional miners, who might possibly
suggest some quick method of release
On their arrival at the scene of opera
/ tion these gentlemen Immediately or
, dered some piles to be driven about
I him, in order that the adhesive and
, contracting properties of the sediment
+ might meet with some resistance. This
v was partly accomplished, when it wa:
found that one leg of Mr.. Wing wa.
!. ge ting loose, and after some boring
q with long augurs, anda constant pull
q ing upward of the entire body by mean
of the windlass above, the limb wa
n cleared, amid much cheering from tn
Il crowd who surrounded the well at tn,
i'm minent risk not only of meeting {
fate similar to that of the man whom
they were endeavoring to rescue, bu
o also of breaking their necks. This wa.
| at II o'clock. The wood driven into
the clay so relieved the pressure upor
Mr.. Wings body that one hour and {
q half later he was pulled up and placed
, on terra firma, though in very ex
hausted condition. He was instantly
conveyed to Mr.. Cameron's house, ant
DR.. Windsor and Mr.. Cameron endeav.
ored to restore the benumbed limbs. For
+ tunately, the well water, though in.
7 tens ely cold, had not the slightest par.
, ticle of frost in it, else very serious con
sequences would have followed even 8
short confinement. He is now doing
well, and the physicians apprehend nj
\ serious injury from his incarceration o
f twenty-one and halfhours. The citi
, zens eXerted themselves to the utmos
r to rescue Mr.. Wing, and every fresl
idea brought forward during the weary
work found plenty of willing hands
ready to take hold. The brick work
o around the bottom of the we'll and also
= the curhng were torn to pieces in the
= frantic endeavors of the workmen t(
- save the life of the unfortunate man.
---------> - -