The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-08-26
Experience of the Portsmouth Man
Pinned Into a Well

The story of Sullivan, the man
who was buried in well
at Portsmouth Plains, Friday,
is exceedingly interesting. Constant
Intercourse was held with him during
the work of rescue, his voice being just
| audible. He eYlnced a wonderful cOur-
age, saying tnat he had faint glimmer
of light, and repeatedly asking the men
to hurry with their work. Everything
| went on well, and at 10 O'Clock about
| twenty feet below the surface had been
| reached.
At that hour there was great excite
ment, as The men were apparently with
in few feet of the arch which had thus
far protected the unfortunate man, who
could be family heard asking for more
| air, and saying that the dirt from above
was closing around him. Air pipes were
brought to the grounds and Immediately
introduced into the opening. At half
past 10 O'Clock the workmen reached his
head, and Dir. Whittier offered him some
stimulant. Sullivan declined and said,
II am all right" He was at this time
enthusiastically cheered and eneour-
aged.
Work was continued with the greatest
care, blankets being used to protect his
head from falling earth, until balf-past
II, when an order was given by William
E. Marshall, who supeTintended the
work, for call hands" to stand back and
be quiet; and Sullivan came up in the
tub which had been used for hoisting out
the rocks and sand. Cheer upon cheer
rent the air as he was lifted out. He
shouted himself, and then ran to his
house and upstairs to greet his mother
and the young woman to whom he is en-.
gagged, and who came from Newmarket,
h.. hot IA
dead. The well was just fifty-three feet
deep, and Sullivan was buried forty feet
under the earth-just the smallest aper-
ture atfording him air. Two hund red
and sixty tubs OF stone and dirt were
drawn from the well in the twelve hours.
Mayor Broughton superintended the
WORK in person.
Sullivan tells this story of his exper-
fences: A boy, he says, dropped dipper
in the we'll, and John Welch, a brother
in-law to sullivan, knowing that he had
been to sea, asked him to 60 down on
The rope OF the bucket, used for drawing
water, and secure the dipper for the boy.
Sullivan went down on the rope, as sub
sequently ascertained by measurement,
twenty EIGHT feet, and then found that
the stonework Of the well had partially
caved in below him. He placed his foot
mnocently on one Of the rocks which
had not got out of place, and instantly
the stone walls of the well caVed all
around and above him with tremendous
crash.
AS soon as he could recover himself
he found that his right hand was jammed
fast, and his right leg as we'll. With his
lett hand he felt over his head and found
that about three inches above his head
two large fiat rocks had formed an arch
h 10 rod rNnIy
pressing against his chest, which with
The dirt and sand around his mouth
prevented him from speaking for about
an hour, during which time he could
distinctly hear the voices above saying
that he was dead and making prepara-
tiOns to send for coroner.
He heard priest Mccarthy, Of Port
land, who happened to be i'll the neigh
borhood visiting, and came to the spot,
say: John, are you alive?" and for the
fl irst time he then spoke and said Eyes"
The priest then asked him to make an
act of contrition and told him he would
pray for him. Sullivan says he did the
best thing he could in the way of devo-
tion under the circumstances, and when
the priest told him that he thought he
would be taken out alive, he then had
every confidence that he would be. He
says the air was very bad until they got |
the air pump at work.
He says he feared that when the trains
would come along the Eastern Railroad,
distant only ab0at two thousand feet;
that the we'll might cave further, but at |
no time did he hear train, although
they were constantly passing. He is
not bruised, says Sunday Herald dis |
patch of Saturday, save only one wrist |
and slight abrasion of the skin on his
shoulder, but complains some of feeling
sore to-day. In reply to question why
he did not take the brandy which DR..
Whittier offered him when they reached
his head, he said: SIT 1 was to die |
wanted to die q sober man. did not
need any rum courage" Mr.. Sullivan
is very grateful to all those who saved |
his life, and can hardly express himself.
He came into Portsmouth Saturday az
ternoon with his mother and afianced,
and took the train for Newmarket. A
great many people visited the scene Of
his perilous situation Saturday and yes
terday.