The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-05
FIFTY FEET UNDER GROUND.
THE SHOCKING DEATH or AN ExPERI-
ENCED WELL DIGGER.
The Failing In Of u Wall Of Heavy stones n
Long Island Farm More than Three Days
Of Fruitiess Digging for the Victims BODY.

Of Fruitiess Digging for the Victims BODY.
On Thursday morning Mr.. John Klsel, a
farmer. living about three miles southeast OF
Flushing. on the road TO jamaica employed
John Schlclder. n professional well digger 10
clean tho we'll on his farm About 9 o'clock
Sleder. with tho assistance OF two farm hands,
finished tho work. sent up his tools from the
bottom OF the well. and started to climb out
using the we'll rope and the stones in the wall Of
the wcll to make tho ascent When within ten
or twuve feet OF the top he said to tho man
above on the brink who was steadying the rope.
Tint job is done. Two earned my So" Tho
next instant the stone began to fall from tho
wall near thctop. Hold on. shouted Schleider
and those were his last words. Tho wall fell
with crash. and when the helper looked into
the vol he saw that IL was filled up to within a
few feet OF the TOP with stones and earth. Tho
square and then walled up with large stones
many Of them loo pounds in weight leaving a
circular , a % Wc three & feet IN diameter THIS mass
ably at the bottom. possibly lodged somewhere
between the TOP and bottom was the well digger
lahorers and ncighbors began to dig down But
the, work went on slowly, When got there
said Coroner Burne Of Flushing. on Friday
stones and dirt told them to get better appa,
ratds. They wanted ~. know who would pay
them for working. and | told them that If they
wouldn't do it. as an act OF humanity would
endorse their bills If reasonable and would adj
Nlsr thc Supervisors 10 pay them.
Then tho men got a largo windass and went
10 work with will At midnight they stopped
having dug down ten feet At scvcn on Friday
morning they renewed their work. The wife
Of the buried man, who lived in Wiliamsburgh
and his two brothers went to the well. The
wife bcggedthe men To work isster. but her gaze
was hopeless as She saw the huge stones which
covered her husband.
About 3 o'clock a heavy rain set in. The
distance was through loan that needed no
wallng, tho rest was through sand and gravel
that must be secured from, caying This
and and filling tho spaces between the boards
and the earth lightly with hay. 1t was SLOW
iA tSs 1t oa. so S soiensd the upper oe Stratum @ S
loan that the men in the we'll refused to work
fearing that the earth, might cave upon them.
and 80 about dark work was stopped.
All day Saturday the work went slowly on. A
little after midnight not the slightos Il hope re.
manned That the buried man could be taken out
| pocket. formed hy tho large stones formerly
into which no earth could press was opened
hy the workmen. and long wire supporting a
flaming candle was lowered for exploration
The enclosure was. however. only five feet in
depth. Below 1t the well had again fallen in.
ami the earth and stones were packed.
Work WAS resumed yesterday at Z o'clock. and
the laborcrS were confident that the body would
be rca he'd before dark: Hundreds OF curious
men. women, ana children, clustered around
tho mouth of the shaft and went away while
now coni"rs stepped into their places. Farmers
in sunday clothes took sides and discussed at
hlttt o. the we'll or been caught and held by
the "a Ing earth ~ n" fell. John kimhcl. the
labor"r who was rn,rin: into the we'll when
SahriIer was cngulird. told his short story
over and over To- n circle OF excited listeners.
Women cautiously pecped into the eXcayaton
one alter another, ana returned 10 chatter
in group. 1t was curious rather
than n sorrowing gathering.
AT 6 O'Clock last night the workmen stopped
work. without finding yestige Of John Schlel-
der, The depth attained was twenty-four feet.
As the depth Increases progress s slower. The
line OF well stones 10 he followed whore the
cnrth cav'd in runs downward. first 10 the right.
then lett, then splrally. and always irrcgularly.
Moreover. the utmost care is required lest the
body should be pierced by a pickaxe or a cavity
opened. into which the two worNmen may sink
and be themselves smothcrcd. The professional
wrll-dicgers employed say that the work is
vastly more dim 'ult than eXcavating new
well They do not expect to reach the body be-
fore Wednesday. as they strongly believe that il
lies in the two feet Of wnter fvrty.eight feet be
low the surface OF the ground. Tho brother Of
the buried man. when asked why work is dis
continued. why gangs OF men do not relieve
each other. said, Well. John must be dead (;
there's no use in being in such n hurry now"
Thrce years ago well cayed upon negro
near Jamaica. He WIS in the we'll thirty six
hours and when found was uninJured. and has
first request WAS for whiskey.