The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-06-14
A Boys Thrilling Adventure In an
Abandoned Well.

following thrilling incident, which oc
CURED near what d known Is the German
Flats on Monday last. Among the scat.
tered families living there, is one named
Snyder. Near their farm are some fields
that were once under cultivation, but
which have been neglected by theil
owner, who lives in New York, and they
have grown up In underbrush. The build.
ings Of this deserted farm are also falling
into decay, and In what was once the
dooryard Of the dwelling .sis an old well.
The cattle Of the neighb0rfng farmers
| having free access to these Ae1ds, bOarts
were lain across the we'll some yeaxs ago,
and the brush having grown up about it, its
existence was almost forgotten,
Frank Snyder. IN eight-year-old son VI
the farmer mentioned, was sent Monday
toward evening, to look up COW that
had wandered off into tho woods He
! frequently went on such errands, and his
parents did not manifest any uneasiness
at his being absent longer than usual I'M
til it grew dark, and he not yet returned.
Thinking that he might have stopped at q
neighb0r's, about three-fOurths of q mile
distant, his father went after him. He
was not there. Meantime heavy thun-
der-shower had come up, and it had grown
extremely dark. Mr.. Snyder hurried
back home. The boy did not come, and,
it being evident that he was lost in the
woods, the alarm was given throughout
the settlement. Great excitement pre-
vailed, and men with lanterns started out
in various directions to look for the miss
ing boy. The rain poured in torrents.
About ten o'clock one Of the searching
party, in passing through the lot contain
ing the old we'll, heard faint voice call
ing " Papa! Papa!o The farmer went in
the direction Of the sound, and as the
light Of his lantern fell on the clump OF
bushes surrounding the well he discov-
cred the lost boy living on the ground.
The man raised him to his feet. He was
dripping wet and unable to stand. One
of the boards over the well was broken,
and it required no explanation on the part
OF the boy to tell where he had been. The
man who discovered him carried him
home, and the news was soon carried to
the anxious seekers in the woods.
The boy was SO nearly exhausted that
he could with difficulty speak, and it was
some time before he was sufficiently re-
stored to give the following account of his
adventure.
He had been unable to find the COW, and
he started back home about six O'Clock.
When he went out pheasant had flown
out OF the clump of bushes by the well,
and upon reaching the lot, in coming
back, he went over to see if the bird had
Q nest there. He stepped in on the boards
covering the well, and one of them broke
and he fell to the bottom. His descent
was 30 sudden that the boy did not at first
comprehend where he was. The ice-cold
water, in which he stood waist. deep on
regaining his feet, recalled him to his
senses. Except the streak of light that
came down from the opening above, all
was dark as night.
He was at first nearly overcome with
terror at his situation, and called loudly
for help. But after time he realized the
folly of expecting to receive any response
to his calls, and set about as calmly as
possible for some way to escape. The
stones with which the walls of the we'll
were laid were rough and Jagged as far up
as the bOylcould reach, and the chunks and
crcvices between them were large. Frank
says that he knew the only way of escape
thatWas open to him was to climb up the
wall, aided by the Jagged stones and
cracks. Unfortunately the well was too
wide to permit his placing q foot on
either side, by which his ascent would
have been comparatively easy. So ne was
compelled to creep up one side. After
several attempts he drew himself from the
water, one crevice affording q secure
footing while he felt about for an
other. He could see BY the open
ing above that the we'll was not very
deep, and the little fellow says he
prayed to God to give him strength to
reach the top. His progress was very
slow. The stones were damp and slip
perry, and as he slowly dragged himself
up the wall his great fear was that he
would miss some foothold and fall 70 the
bottom again. This fear was realized
when the boy was hallway up. As he
was feeling carefully above him for an
other crevice the stone upon which he
was standing with one foot gave way, and
he was the second time precipitated into
the water. Getting u1 to the point from
which he fell had taken him long time.
so long that he could see by the hole
above that it was getting dark outside.
The fall and the thought Of having all his
difficult task to do over again were dis
heartening, but be lost no time in renew
ing the ascent. He removed his shoes
this time, thinking he conld cling better
to the stones In his stocking feet. He had
been considerably bruised by his fall.
Ere he had gained the height he had
reached before Lis fingers were torn and
bleeding, - were his feet He could feel
the blood ooze ont from beneath his finger
nails when he thrust his fingers in the
crevices and drew himself up. After
making step upward he was obliged to
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