Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-01-07
BURIED ALIVE IN A WELL.
The Terrible Adventure or "a Coisred
Well Digger Mt Smithtswn. Long
Island--His Voice Heard Constantly
from his Prison.
New York sun.

Joseph n. Howell owns Il farm AM
cider mill about mile and ball
southeast Of the railroad station nj
Smithtown, l.. J. Mr.. Howell's house
and outbuildings are old and situated
in a drcary sort of place. They aresur
rounded by tall. scraggy elm trees that
look as if they were dying from lack Of
nourishment. In fact, the soil all about
that part of Long Island is composed
mainly Of a mixture of sand and gra-
vel, similar to that Of the Hampstead
Plans, which Mr.. 4. Il. Stewards money
made to blossom rs the reese. Atone
corner Of Mr.. Howell's ricketty old
barn was mn old well with n dilapihted
old curb. A part Of the walling had
tumbled in, and the bottom Ofthewell
needed cleaning out.
Last Wednesday afternoon two cDlor-
ed men, George A. Brown and
William Helms, set TO work to repair
the well. Mr.. Howell had harnesfd n
horse to his gig with the intention of
starting off on an eighty-mile trip Gown
the island TO take orders for cider fine
gar. He gaye instructions to the color-
ed men and then went into the house
to prepare himself for his four days
journey. Brown and Helms went TO
work Immediately. They took long
rope, made several loops with one end
around piece of timber and dropped
the other end into the well, which was
about twenty-six feet deep. The tim
Der was placed across the top Of the
curb, and Brown, who was bossing the
job, started down to explore the WILL
after telling Helms to hold on TO tle
timber and prevent ii from riding
around Brown went down hand over
hand, bearing n part of his weight on
the stones composing the walliig of
the we'll He had got down II title
more than half way when the whole
walling Of the we'll suddenly tonbled
in. A dense cloud of dust shot up us
from the crater of small volcano.
When Helms partly reganed his
senses he ran MS fast ms he could il the
direction Of the village. He saw sew
cral persons on the road, but he said
nothing until he came 10 4 gang Of
colored laborcrs. The these he told
what had happened, and they started
back with him to help dig out the man
who had been buried alive. Mean
while Mr.. Howell left his house and
mounted his gig. Just before starting
he noticed that neither Of the colond
men was to be seen, and he remarked
to his wife that he " wondered
where they had gone" Mrs. Howell
said she supposed they had gone fer
some tools, and would probably be back
soon. Mr. Howell started Off on lis
oighty-mile trip from which he did not
return till Saturday night. Jeremhh
Arthur, who lives with Mr.. How'd,
discovered that the we'll had fallen II
soon after MIR. Howell left but WIS
ignorant of the fact that man hid
been buried there until Helms cane
up with the gang of colored mon. Tie
colorcd men set to work deliberately,
surprising that after n few hours labr
they would eXhumc the body of tie
unfortunate Brown, or" Ginger as lie
was always familiarity called by then.
When they had been ut work mn
ute, one Of them suddenly stopped and
excaimed Hank" The workmpn
suspended labor for moment, when
they heard the sound ofa voice directly
under their feet, crying "Help, hclr"
and 80 God save mel After this the
men went To work with redoubled en-
ergy, but Mt length, after having hoist
cd out many tons Of earth and stones,
the foundation on which they stood
began to settle. This put them in Il
quandary They saw that if they con,
tinued to work on the surface the
stones and sand would settle down and
smother the man, who was NIL the time
crying for help The news that man
WAS buried alive in Joe Howelrs wei
spread all lover Shutdown, and b.
nightfall II large crewd had gathered
about the living tomb AS it grew dark,
lanterns and torches which had recently
been used in Hancock and Garfield
torchlight professions were brought
into service. After the discovery that
Brown was alive only one man was
allowed in tho well 1T time and the
work of excavation was necessarily
very slow At about IL o. clock ii
night the question Of sinkinga new vel
clos" beside the old one was discussed,
as being the best way of getting TIN
man out alive. John Natho, German
of Hoppopne, and accustomed T.
working III wells, offered to undertake.
the job, and ut midnight il was begun.
a hole about four feet square was opel-
ed three feet from the side of the oil
well. Mr. lIowcll's hired man, lam6
Turncy, harncssed II pair Of horses and
drove OF in search of lumber with
which 10 make 4 casing for the new
well, as such easing was needed 10
prevent the trenehcrouS sand and gra.
vel from falling in. AS soon MS the
lumber arrived number Of carpenters
set to work To make Il box about tou
teen feet long and four feet square.
The new we'll waS sunk as rapidly rs
possible, and slowly the wooden casing
was let down 10 prevent the sides Ct the
excavation from falling in.
II took till O'clock Thursday after
noon to sink the new we'll twenty-five
feet. Az about 10 \, Nj. of that day
Browns voice was hushcd, and every.
body supposed him To lie dead. Hav.
ing reached y depth Of twenty-five feet,
the workmen tumolled through into
the old well, and were surprised Il
FIND il empty. 4 torch was taken down
and, crawling through the tunnel, they
shouted to the buried man. No res