Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-01
Death in a Well.

Lester Sykes was burlel 10 we'll at
Vest Springfield, Mass, Wednesday alter
noon Of last week, at half past two. lie
heard the starting Of the treacherous quick
sand Of the sides, and started to ascend from
depth of 81 feet by ladder, but the in
coming timbers caught him immovably, but
happily so as to allow freedom of the head
and sufficient breath Ho was not painfully
pressed by the earth aud timbers, while a
small pipe, which had been driven down to
him, admitted abundant air and allowed Of
converse with the people above ground.
1t was found impossible to do anything in
tho well without speedily endangeriug the
life Of its prisoner, and so under the direc-
ton Of Sykes, who reported the pressure was
from the southeast side, some so men who
had assembled began digging semi-circular
pit, some 80 feet in diameter and about
three feet from the we'll, intending 10 carry
it deep enough to unearth the man. I'm
patient of the delay, Albert Ward went
down the we'll lit being open some 20 feet
or more and Sykes being some II feet from
the bottom, where he could speak to Sykes
aud see if something could not be done in
the well itself. Sykes told him to geta saw
and cut off certain plank and he could
then free himself. Ward got the saw and
cut the plank nearly off when the caving
sand compelled him to cease. The scene was
intensely exciting, and the whole experience
a unique one for SO staid community. As
the news spread, people kept hocking by
horse aud foot, until couple of hundred
had gathered about the spot, whence issued
occasionally the faint voice Of the unior-
tunate man asking particulars Of the work
sbove, which so concerned him.
At three o'clock Thursday morning Sykes
could not be made to answer, and supposing
him dead, they discontinued work until day
light, but when the neighbours returned be-
tween & and o'clock to recover his dead
body, they discovered, to their great surprise,
that the man was still alive and able to con-
verse with them through the hole which had
fortunately been left in the sand above his
head, around the ladder on which he stood,
by the falling of one of the timbers. The
excavation about the well which had been
begun, the day before, was deepened, and af.
ter it had been carried down some feet fur
Their, a large curbing was constructed to pro.
tect men who should remove the earth in the
well from over the mans head. This was a
very slow ope ration only two men could
work to advantage in the hole, as they made
their way down, they were obliged to put
the sand into bucket, which had to be
hoisted up every time it was filled and
emptied so that each bucketfu occupied con-
siderable time. The rescuers were en-
couraged, however, all through the forenoon
by the knowledge that Sykes was alive, and
occasionally exchanged words with him.
About noon, however he began to grow
somewhat deirous in his replies, then almost
uninteligible, and finally between 2 and Q
o'clock entirely ceased to speak. Hope Of
recovering him alive was theu given up,
but the SLOW work of digging HIM out was
continued until half past 3 o'clock Friday
morning, when the body was reached. Ef-
forts to get food or drink to him through the
pipe had failed, as he was SO penued in that
he could not get it to his mouth.