Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-02-22
Extraordinary Adventure Of Little
Boy.

THE Imagination of the most extrava-
giant writer of fiction could not create
more perilous situation, or more miracu-
lous deliverance, than the one in which a
little eight-year boy of this village was
placed few evenings since, and from
which he extricated himself unaided and
unseen. His name is John Thomas
known for miles around as daring, but
not bad boy, and called Johnny,
in company with other boys, was playing
'hide and seek" just cut of the village.
In vacant lot near where they were play
ing we'll had been sunk some years ago,
and, not being in use, had become covered
with drift of snow. While running
through this lot Johnny" stepped in this
treacherous covering, and was instantly
precipitated to the bottom. The boy re-
lates the occurrence himself, and with such
apparent sincerity and straightforward
ness that there can be no doubt as TO the
truth of his statements. He says that
when he fell in he thought he was sink
ing into an old cellar, of which he knew,
but contact with the water suggested to
his mind that it must be pond or
creek. He was completely submerged in
the water, which he describes as not feel
ing particularly cold, but soon rose to the
hands and they struck against a jutting
stone, which he grasped hold of. After
supporting himself above the water until
he could collect his senses, he felt around
and discovered by the walls that he
was in a well. 1t was dark as dark
could be, and he had nothing to go by
but his sense of feeling. He knew that
none of his companions had seen his sud
den disappearance, and that consequent
ly no aid could be expected from them.
He then made up his mind that there was
but one way out of the well, and that was
to climb up the wall This perilous
ascent he commenced without a moments
delay. The circumference of the well
was too great to allow of his spreading
his legs to get foothold on either side OF
the wall, so he was obliged to use only a
small portion of the circle to brace
against. After several trials he succeeded
in getting above the water, and cautious
ly and slowly crawled upward Just"
he says, "as if l was climbing up lad
der, only hadn't the 'rungs' to take hold
Of" When about three feet up, and al
ready very tired, he made misstep, and
was again plunged back into the water.
This, he says, almost disheartened him.
but, after short breathing spell, he again
ally dug his finger nails into the damp
wall, and clung to the merest trifles. AT
last he came to place in the wall where
he could not get any hold to lift him any
higher. He knew that he must be some
where near the top, but above him as faI
as he could reach, and to the right and
left of him, the wall was apparently
solid piece. Despair, here almost
overcame him, and he says he felt a:
if he must drop back to the bottom
of the well and give up. "But
thought of mother and the rest of 'em al
home, and knew that they was waiting
supper for me, and my mother would lift
up the curtain and look out n say, q
wonder what Johnny stays away so long
for!" Then he made up his mind ste
get out of there some way" Feeling be
low him, to his right, he found that the
wall offered him foothold, but it would bt
necessary, in order to take advantage o.
that point, to descend few steps over thu
distance he had gained, and then move
about two feet to the right around tn,
we'll! This most perilous part of his ter
ible task he accomplished in about tn,
time it took him to get up as far as he had
He then began the ascent again, anC
reached the snow safely above. The hol,
through which he had fallen was directl,
over him, and, after resting a spell, witt
his hand grasping the top of the well h,
pulled himself out and started for home
He had gone but few steps when he fel
fainting to the ground. The unnatura
excitement that had nerved him to hi
| superhuman efforts gave way, and left hin
powerless. He revived soon, however
and crawled home, which was not far dis
ctf
and his hands scratched and swollel
dreadfully. 1t took him nearly an hou
to climb from the bottom of the WELL
Holland Patent (N. ~ Cor. N. Y. Time,
IT is related that when Wigfall va