Nebraska advertiser., 1878-03-21

Charley Clark. son of W. S., Ne
nlaha City, had fearful adventure and
most wonderful escape from instant
death on Thursday last. 14th inst.
The particulars of the accident are
about as follows: Charley went to
| the well for some water. The water
is drawn from the we'll by the COM
mon manner of pulley, rope and two
buckets. At this time. however,
there was a bucket only on one end
Of the rope. In attempting to handle
the bucket full of water it slipped off
the curb back into the well. and
Charley, TO save the bucket from be-
ing injured by falling TO the bottom,
made grab with both hands at the
end of the rope which hung dangling
in the well. He caught the rope, but
alas for Charley, he made a mistake
and got hold of the end to which the
bucket was attached and was jerked
into the well, and with firm hold of
the rope few feet above the bucket
down he went, head foremost. A
knot on the other end of the rope pre-
vented the rope from being drawn
through the pulley and stopped the
downward course of the boy sudden
ly. The well is about forty-five feet
deep, walled with jagged rocks, and
so narrow that the two buckets some-
times lock in passing. Notwithstand
the fearful distance of the fall, that he
was hurt by being bumped against
the rocks, and the sudden wrenehing
Of his little hands and arms by his
weight when he stopped going down,
he did not let go of the rope. This
would seem 10 be an impossible feat
for any one of stronger hands and
cooler heads, bat that THE IittIo nino
year old boy did it there Is no ques-
ton, for he did not get into the water,
which is deep, up to his waist. He
says he went down head first, but
when he stopped he turned feet down.
ward "guicker than flash ;" that then
he slid Down the rope into the water
and got one of his feet into the bucket.
which only went something like q
foot under the water. The bucket
supported him, and holding on to the
rope he said he felt safe for a while,
but thought maybe his mother would
not miss him and find where he was
before he perished in the cold water.
But his mother soon found out where
he was. CharIey's little two year old
sister was near the well when he fell
in and fortunately saw him disappear.
for she screamed and ran to the kitch-
en- door, and meeting her mother said
hastened to the well. and seeing Char
ley's hat and the movement of the
rope, was convinced of the terrible
truth of the indistinct words of her
little girl. She, looking down into
the fearful depths Of the we'll, called
once, Charley ~ But receiving no
answer, and believing her darling
boy dead, ran screaming for help.
Soon Mr. Raburn Elliott, a near neigh
Dor, who was fortunately near, came,
aud many others, and Charley, the
little hero, with his leg stuck down
in the bucket, and still hanging on to
that rope, was drawn out. Before un-
dertaking to draw him up they COM
municated with him. He said, pull
away-I'm all right" And he was,
but his face. head and clothing were
covered with blood, but he had no Sc
rious hurts. As they were draw
ing him up he hallooed to his mother.
Don't cry, ma. I'm all right" I'M
mediately after he had been lifted out
of the well. everybody there, except
Charley, scared nearly to death, he
leaked up at the pulley and ceolly re-
marked, IF that knot had come
through I'd been goner. He said
he thought of that knot when down
in the well. and knew his life depend.
ed on it-that if it drew through
the pulley he would sink in the water
and be drowned.
Mr.. Clark at the time wes at work
out OF town. We mention the par
ticulars of the affair in detail because
such remarkable presence of mind in
a nine year old child is perhaps with
out precedent.