The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-10-16
Buried Alive In q Well.

DuLleu A1VS Ill u UclIs
Last Friday, at noon, says the Neils-
vile (Wis.l Republican, well being dug
ct the Fair grounds cayed in at the bot
tom after it had reached depth of 116
feet, burying VIM. Selves, q workman,
under about thirteen feet Of sand, measu-
ring. from his head, while he was in
nearly an upright position. The we'll
had reached depth of one hundred feet,
when o stratum of loose white sand was
reached, which made curbing necessary.
Amupright curling in sections four feet
long 1waa used; While putting in the
fourth section the caying in of the we'll
took place, first crushing in the lower
section, which Wa5Inot finished, and pin.
ming Selves in solid sand nearly to his
armp 8 It was instantly followed by
the three sections above, which were
crushed in the contre. On seeing it
start, Selves mad instantly raised sec.
ton Of the curbing over his head, bend
ing backward, face UP, with the arm SUP.
porting the piece Of curbing stretched
above his head. In this position the
sand settled about him, completely bind
ing him except his head and one arm.
which he could move Mt that time. The
section of curbing which he had raised
above his head created vacuum, which
for % short time communicated with the
vacuum through tho centre of the we'll
made by the coming together Of the bar.
rel-like curbing. As soon as possible a
gas pipe for the purpose of pumping air
to him was inserted through the opening.
Selves, who then had one hand at liberty.
placed it as near his mouth as tho boards
over him would permit. Soon after this
was accomplished, the sand settled solid.
ly above him, leaving only the vacuum
under the board, which soon filed SO
close, as to imprison the arm that had
boom at liberty, and also to render his
head immovsble.
In this situation, plainly depicted by
himself in sepulchral tones, through the
air tube, and perfectly audible at the top
Of the we'll, William Selves, then six
hours without food, and cramped and
chilled by the cold sand, said he would
hold on TO life if there were brave hearta
enough above him to undertake his re-.
lease, knowing full we'll the danger to
those who might attempt it in hurry.
The task was to remove from 13 to IL feet
Of sand from the bottom of we'll 1l6 feet
deep, by putting III new 0TTiiT55iiHng 0TTiiT55iiHng whhii5
taking out the sand and debris of the old
curbing, and to do it ali SO carefully as
not to Ell the little vacuum above his
face. Coupled With this task Was the
appalling danger to the wofkmon of O
fresh oavlng of Inc well, now more inrai-
nent than tie first, for above the ominous
vacuum made by 6he caving OF the sand,
hung the hundred feet of clay wall with
no support but Ito own adhesion, ;ts nat
ural foundation Of sand being gone. The
bore through the clay being but twenty
seven Inches in diameter, could not, fog
lack, k,of both time and space, be curbed
L. L. IKE .l:ee fsa.see &C thesA diseenragamanta
were brave hearts enough found to work
night and day. never Stacking except fol
o short time on Saturday morning, when
for time further attempts seemed sui.
cidal by reason Of tho caving in of O
small portion of tho clay wall. But soou
new precautions were devised, and the
almost hopeless Wori, went on. to its prac.
sical conclusion at o'clock this (Sun.
day) morning, when o friendly hand
raised the plank and brushed the sand
from the now nearly unconscious face
He had retained his mind perfectly ur
to o few minutes before, when the ten.
tderly, cautiens hands aboye him, In spite
of their care, had 30 distutbed the sand
as to cover mis- face, and interrupt Che
tsupp!y Of air from the tube.
He returned TO perfect conscionsnesc
in few moments, and, his head released
the work welis rapidly on, he himself
helping materially after his arn1s were
released. AT $40 O'clock, nearly forty
h0urs after his incarceration, William
Selves stepped firmly from the mouth ol
his living grave and was received IN the
Of the throng & who had SO % long I shared Lii
suspense. His exertions in assisting te
| free himself had given him the use OF hi
limbs again, and when he reached the
ssuFfaee about all he seemed TO need wai
nonrlehment, which he had not had sine
the Friday morning before, nearly twt