The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-21
PRlYTNO IN a WE'LL.
Tho Terrible Situation OF Man who was
Buried Alive.

Prom The Ckrehni Herald
Sunday morning it was published In the
Herdld upon authority of u personal despatch
TO a relative in this city. that Henry Roncn. a
German resident of gainesville. hid been buried
nS the well veil Of Stephen Matthew'S az oc Tel
forty-two feet tho wall cnved in. buryng him
him being about thirty feet. Tho news quickly
spread through town. and In few minutes the
labor of excnvating the earth and stone was
commenced by ali the force that could work.
Hundreds OF men were on the ground, 40 that
cach gang at work would hr relieved every half
hour. No one expected to lind Mi Rouch alive,
but still The work progressed INCREASINGLY til
midnight. when his voice was heard announcing
thnt Re WIS uplnJurcai IL ws t, yea m hour ana
but cup Of coffee was lowered to him. aud he
drank i with apparent relish. He wae hauled
M to the surfncc about = Sunday morning
amid the rejoicing cheers OF ut least two nun
dred people. Although he nte his breakfast
sunday morning ns usual, ne idt somewhat Ia
buried alive forty feet under ground. and re-
naming there in an uncomfortable and nm
rhangeable position Tor eighteen ana one-half
Mr.. Touch told . reporter, something OF his
he rfnchrd the bottom lie stepped out Of the
bucket and looked around. He still retained
the, rope by which the bucket had been let down
when he looked mp and saw the side OF the we'll
shrek one 10 when he light was shut out rom
him by the falling debris which settled down
close around him. Although struck upon the
head with heavy stone he still retained con-
seriousness. and managed in some way to get
air enough 10 breathe From the shoulders
d ,wn he WIS in some why protected from tho
falling enrth. and his limbs were left free. But
Ia dared not move u finger for fear that the
earth would settle IN around him and sufforu
him. Upon his bnck wis n large stone and
also on his head both ol which probably kept
The dirt from closing tightly around his head.
He heard his friends working Tor him, even
when they took away the first stones. Three
hours bnioro they reached him he could hear
ih'm talking " his death and arrangements
for his funeral.
Once when they lot work to go and get some
plnnks 10 brace up the excavation he thought
they had given h m up. and he NJ once he kGn to
pray with all his might that they might not
leave him. He was in continual fear that they
might give him up for ieud and not dig any
longer, or that the earth might cave in tightly
around and smother him. or that they would
strike him with their shoves. When they cnmo
near enough 30 that he could mike them hear,
lie directed their WORK. and when they got him.
Insisted upon walking home. but wns nj last
persuaded To get into tho buggy. When he
rrRrh"d his house. however. his strained nerves
gave way, and he tainted Tho chief question
was how he obtained air and there are several
theories given IN answer 10 it. One being that
the rope hy which he was let down max nc
passage through the sand let down mir while
another IL that the sand was very light and
mixed with heavy stone sufficient air filtered
through TO sustain life.