The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-02-13
Pulled Out of the Ground.

One can imagine the excitement and
anxiety of the parents of the little one
who experienced the thrilling adventure
and escape related below,-and their
solemn resolve (when it was almost to
late) never again to leave a deep hole
uncovered for a child to fall in. The
trick of lifting little children by their
heads, which is thought funny by some
mistaken people, is only iustitiable as
a last resort in peril,-as here,-and
the man who performed it so patiently
and skilfully, and saved a young life is
worthy of all praise. A farmer near
Tliamesville, Ont, in endeavoring to
procure water, drilled at several points
holes in the ground foot in diameter
and of various depths, filling each up
before another was commenced, as soon
as it was evident that water was not
there.
The last one drilled was sunk fifty
feet. Into this hole came water, and
after u time it was partly filled with
water and mud, the latter reduced to
a soft consistency by the former.
The family had q little two-vear-old
boy playing about the d%ooryards, but
suddenly the baby was missed. Calling
him and hunting for him proved futile,
until the father thought of the hole
twelve inches in diameter.
AS last resort, without really think
ing the child was there, he looked into
the hole. but of course could see moth
ing. While doing SO, however, he
thought he heard the child's voice, and
after several moments of anxious listen
ing, became satisfied hat he was at
the bottom, at least p five feet
below the surface, in a space of such
small circumference that the possibility
Of rescue was y problem.
The neighbors were appealed to for
suggestions. Among others it was pro
posed to dig down to ths little one, but
it would take two or three days, said
one. and the child might die meantime,
while another called attention to the
prospect of smothering or killing the
child by clods falling upon him.
Finally a colored man came up, and
was informed of the catastrophe
and dilemma. He asked for o mirror,
and holding it above the hole, gazed in.
to il and saw the reflection of the child
at the bottom. From the baby's posi-
ton, he had evidently stepped into tn.
hole, and with his clothing had filled i
SO full as to sink gradually, the air be
low offering resistance enough to pre-
vent any injuriously swift descent.
The colored man next asked for
rope, on the end of which he made
loop large enough to go over the child
head. Then he procured wooden strip
which he fastened strongly together
until he had n strip twenty five fee
or more in length. He dropped tn
rope down the hole and lowered tn
wooden strip.
While another person held the mir
ror above, the colored man knelt b,
the opening, and taking his bearings b,
frequent observations in the mirror
worked faithfully to place the loop owe
the head of the little one.
Meanwhile a physician had been sen
for, that he might be at hand in case O
need The colored man tried again an,
again to get the loop over the back Q
, the child's mead and around under hi
nose. The pressure against his nos
caused the little one to throw his hea,
back as far as possible, thus bringin,
the weight principally on the back 9
the head, and in this position he wa
/, pulled up to the surface. The docto
> examined him and found him little tn
worse for his remarkable experience
, and he was then returned to lis over
, joyed parents and Il proper guard place
about the mouth of the hole.