The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-10-01
A Mai, Forty Hours Uasser around.;

BREATHING THROUGH a GAs-prpE, AND CoMfU-
NIcaTISG WITH ms REsCuERs By THE SAME
MEANS.
The Nashville tWis.) Republican, in a
recent issue, says:
Last Friday at noon we'll being dug OF
the fairgrounds caved I'm at the bottom at-
ter it had reached depth OF 116 feet, bury
Ing William Selves, q workman, under about
thirteen feet of sand, measuring from his
head " bile he was in n nearly upright posi-
ton.
The well had reached the depth Of one
hundred feet when astratum OF loose, white
sand was reached, which made curbing ne.
cessary. An upright curbing In sections
four feet long was used. While putting in
the fourth section the caying OF the we'll
took place, first crushing in the lower Sec
zion not yet finished, and pinning Selves in
solid sand and nearly to his armp,ts. It
was instantly followed by the three sec
tons above, which were crushed into the
centre, leaving a vacuum there. On see
ing 1t start Selves had instinctively raised
section OF the curbing over his head,
bending backwards, face up, with the arm
supporting the piece Of curbing stretched
over his head. In this position the sand
settled about him. completely binding him
except his head and one arm, which he
could move ut that lime. The section Of
cnrbing which he had raised above his head
crested vacuum, which for a short time
communicated with the vacuum through the
| centre OF the we'll made by the coming TO-
gether OF the barreI-like curling.
AS soon as possible gas-pipe for tho
purpose OF pumping air 10 him was insert
ed through the opening-Selyes, who then
had one arm at liberty. placing it as near
| his mouth as the boards over him would
permit. Soon alter this was accomplished
the sand settled solidly above him, leaving
only the vacuum under the board, which
| soon filled so close as to impriSon the arm
that had been at liberty, and TO also render
bis head INN )vable. In this situation,
plainly depicted by himself in sepulchral
| tones through the air-tube, William Selves,
then SIX hours without food, and cramped
and chilled by the cold sand, said he would
hold on to life il there were brave hearts
enough above him to undertake his release,
knowing full well The danger OF those
WHO might attempt It in hurry. The task
was TO remove from thirteen to eighteen
feet OF sand from the bottom OF well ITO
feet deep, by putting in new 'curbinS While
taking out the sand and dEbriS OF the old
curbing. and TO do it all 50 carefully as not
to ill the little vacuum above his face.
|
danger TO the workmen Of fresh caying OF
the well. now more imminent than the first,
for above the ominous vacuum made by the
caving OF the sand hung the hundred feet OF
clay wall with no support but its own adhe-
| ssD, its natural foundation OF sand being
gone. The bore through the clay, being
| but y inches in diameter, could not, fol
lack Of both time and space, be curbcd In
the face OF these discouragements there
were brave hearts enough found to
work night and day, never Stacking
except for short time on Satur-
day morning, when for time further at
tempts seemed suicide by reason Of the
caving-in OF small portion Of the clay
wall. But soon new precautions were de-
rscd, and the almost hopeless work went
on 10 its practical conclusion ut l O'Clock
this Sunday morning, when a friendly
hand raised the plank and brushed the sand
from the now nearly unconscious face. lie
had retained his mind perfectly up to with
in few moments before, wien the tender
~ cautious hands above him, in spite OF
their care, had so disturbed the sand as 10
cover his face and 10 interrupt the supply
OF air from the tube. He returned to per-
feet consciousness in few moments, and,
his hands released, the work went rapidly
on, be himself helping materially after his
arms were released.
At $50 O'Clock, nearly forty hours after
his incarceration, William Selves stepped
firmly from the mouth Of his living grave,
and was received in the arms OF his young
wife amid the glad shouts OF the Thong
who had 80 long shared his suspense. His
operations in assisting 10 free himself had
given him the use Of bis limbs again, and,
when he reached the surface, about all he
seemed to need was nouri. hment, which
he had not bad since the Friday morning
before, nearly two days.