South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1871-09-08
HORRIBLE Accident.
Three Men Buried in a Well.
ONLY ONE ExTRICA TED.

% wednesday evening last, about six
o'clock, two colored men named Handy
Harrison and Jordan Steele, engaged in
digging a well on the property of Mrs
Linn, on Gospel Hill, in this place, were
at work in tie bottom, about 60 feet from
the surface, when n portion Of the side
caved in, imbedding Harrison 10 the waist
and Steele TO the shoulders in heavy clay
mud, rendering it impossible for them TO
move. The alarm was give and hundreds
OF our people, white and colored, crowded
the place, anxious for the fate of the uu-
fortunate men. Dorsey White, 'cclared,
tho undertaken Of the well. went down,
and, while working 10 extricAte them, the
wall again caved in, entirely covering him
beneath mass Of earth. II became then
rather serious:and hazardous thing to de-
scenG 10 their assistance, 5ut Curtis GRAY.
son, co'Orcd, volunteered TO risk il, and
wont down, and, after digging around
Harrison slightly, fastened n rope about
his body, by which means he was taken
out. Grayson went down Immediately to
Nuccor Steele, and, after removing some Of
the mud from about his shoulders, endeav-
orcd 10 fISten n rope about him, but was
unable 10 do So, from the unwillingness of
Steele to risk being pulled out Mr.. VIM
Smith then went down and reported his
situation was such that no would have to
be dug out Mr. Karicofe, regular we'll
di ger, then descended, and, after cxamin-
alton, also expressed the opinion that it
would be necessary TO dig him out Spades
and -hovel' were then procured, and Mr..
klrlcote descended again. but had been
down but a short time when he discovered
that the side was again about 10 cave in.
and asked to be drawn up quickly. He
had scarcely reached the top of tho well
when the dull, rumbling sound Of heavy
mass of falling earth was heard Steele,
who had been talking al the while, then
ceased to speak, aud as only moan or two
was afterwards heard he must have died
in very short time
This was one Of the saddest things We
have ever been called upon TO chronicle
Two men imbedded in mud sixty fces from
the surface Of the earth, and one calling
for help, with hundreds standing around
and willing but unable Ia succor him, until
he was literally buried alive. Nav we
never witness another such scene -Stann-
ton Fi"dicotor, Spt /.
SINGULAR On Thursday morning. o3d
ult, two white men, calling themselves
Sims and Thomas, were found in the barn
of Mr.. John K. Keiser, nenr Waynesboro'.
IN perfectly nude condition They said
they we're from Eastern Virginia, and had
been hunting for work in the Valley, but
owing to the dry season could not procure
any and had started home That in travel
M down the G. & O Il Il track, about
. o'clock the previous night, between Mr..
Hugh McClure's and Mr.. Keiser's they
were nccos,ed by five men, armed wi h
GINS, pistols and bludceons, ('wo Of whom
they knew to be color-d,) who demaudcd
and took their money ($7 IN AID Not sat-
isfed with this they stripped them Of cv-
err particle of their clothing and turned
them bose and on this account. hev sought
shelter in Mr.. Keiscr's barn Mr.. X
guge them suirs Of clothing and something
to cat, and they lcfr, going eastward
This is rather a strong highway story frr
belief and suggests the idea that they may
have been escaped peniteniiary birds, and
dcnuied themselves, in order to get other
cl)thing, TO enable them to travel in day
light.-U.