Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-06-17
BURIED ALIVE.
A Terrible Casualty at the Water
Works.
The New Engine Well Caves and Buries
John Smith Under Twenty Feet
Of Debris---A Comrades
Narrow Escape.

Yesterday afternoon, terrible casualty
took place at the water works by which one
man lost his life and a companion
had miraculous escape. Our readers will
remember that large force of men have
been engaged for some time digging we'll,
for the new pump; the well was twenty
eight feet in diameter and was to be sunk
to the depth of fity-three feet. Yesterday
when the depth Of fifty-two feet and frac-
ton was reached, the men were working in
a vein of quick sand. AT 2 P NJ, the boss
ordered all the men, ten in number, out of
the hole, he having noticed that the quick
sank would in a very few moments cause
the well to cave in Long before 3 o'clock
all the men in the vicinity of the we'll knew
of its dangerous condition and several per-
sons, among others, Mr.. Maxwell, the gen
tleman who is to put up the new pump.
visited the hole and after an inspection pro.
nounced it very dangerous and advised the
contractor to move the engine and cement
mill away from the edge of the hole. About
3 O. clock, Mr.. John Smith, of Liverpool, O.,
the boss carpenter, was standing near the
west edge of the hole inspecting the casing,
while his fellow workman Patrick Skallan,
from the same place, occupied similar pO-
sition on the south side Of the hole. All at
or ce, without moments warning, the earth,
for distance of ten feet around the hole
CAvED IN WITH TERRIFIC CRASH,
breaking the heavy timbers of the casing
like pipe stems and precipitating Smith anu
Skallan into the hole, along with the engine.
cement mill and large quantities of store
and lumber lying within the radius Of the
ten feet The spectators numbering nearly
twenty men, were paralyzed with horror at
the calamity and for few moments were
unable to move At last they, with one ac-
cord. rushed to the edge Of the hole TO look
Tor the unfortunate men. Nothing
could he seen at first, but after the
lapse Of PROBABLY FIVE minute the earth
near the center of the hole was noticed to
be- agitatcd, and in les time than 1t takes
to tell it. Q man hand appeared, closely
followed by his head. Several of the men
fGSheh GOWN lht llCIIhc anu uSSlSlCu H'th
out.
This man was Patrick Skallan He was
utterly Frustrated for a short time by the
shock to his nerves, and the almost super
human exertion of strength used to free
himself from the debris. His unfortunate
companion, John Smith must be buried
about twenty feet under the debris
The news of the terrible accident
FLEW LIKE WILD FIRE,
and in less than an hour after the caving in
Of the we'll large crowds of people thronged
10 the scene of the accident. A REGISTER
reported interviewed Mr.. Skallan, he being
the companion of the victim ofthe casualty.
He said John Smith is about A. years old
and he and | came from Liverpool together
TO work at this we'll Smith leaves wife
and four children, who are now stopping at
Wellsvile. | can not describe to any one
how got ont of the hole, all ! remember
was the sudden fall and seeing Smith fol
lowing me from the west side
of the hole. remember
also that the cement mill went over me, and
then was covered with earth ana in total
darkness. That is all | know, except |
worked like beaver to free myself Of the
dirt. was not injured any, except being
bruised about the body" The man was
walking around, and to look at him no one
would suppose for an instant that less than
hour before he was wrestling with grim
death and had come out the victor.
To spectator it looked as if no apparent
effort was being made during the afternoon
to secure the body of the unfortunate man
but the true facts OF the case were that tn,
hosting engine had to first be gotten out
and the derrick put in position, so that
EFFECTIVE AND RAPID WORK
could be done. The hole now is about
sixty feet in diameter and in the centcI
nearly twenty feet deep, this leaves ove
thirty feet of earth, rocks and lumber in the
hole
The P. W. & Ky, road is also discom-
NODDED by the caving in of this well, owing
well, that it is impossible for trains to pass
over the ground adjacent 10 the well. All
the trains on the road were stopped JUS
north of the water works and the passen.
gers will be transferred from the depot in
wagons to the Top mill until the track can
be put in safe condition.
At o'clock last night the hosting en-
CINE had been taken out of the hole and the
derrick raised; the work of excavation was
commenced at once and will be continued
without intermission until the body of John
Smith is recovered
Speaking with one Of the members of the
Water Board yesterday, the reporter was in
formed that the work of getting the well ex-
cavated and walled up will be commenced
Immediately. He was also of the opinion
that the well will be sunk in similar man
ner to the way the crib on the Island was
put down, that is brick wall two feet
thick will be built. and as the men dig the
dirt out this wall of brick will gradually
sink. As is lowered in the well the work
of building the wall Of brick will be conlin
ned on top, so when the men have the
well sunk to the proper depth it vii!
be properly curbed and there will be no
danger of caving in. Mr. Maxwell, the
gentleman who is TO put up the new pump
at the water works was OF the same opinion
in regard to the way the way the well should
be sunk as the genilemanlv member Of the
Water Board
This accident will not only retard the put,
ting up of the new pump but is also great
expense No blame can be attached to any
one on account of Mr.. Smiths death as all
the men had been warned to keep away
from the well y