The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-07
A TERRIBLE ADVENTURE.
Mother and Her Babe Imprisoned Down in
Well for Hours.

HoRNELLsvILLE, N. Y, May s.-Frazer
French and his farlily live on the old Mines
farm, in the town of Bradford, this county. In
the farm yard is deep we'll with low curb,
therwater being drawn up by an oldfashioned
sweep. On Saturday all the family were absent
from home except Mrs. French and her two-year-
old son. Farmer French came home at noon.
There was no one In tho house. He went into
the kitchen, and on the table was a slate on
which was written, in a hasty scrawl: Baby
and are in the we'll" French ran to the WELL
Looking down he saw his wife in the water,
clinging to the wall, but apparently dead. Alva
Morris, a neighbor was passing at the time and
= responded to the farmers cries for help Morris
let himself down in the we'll and fastened rope
around Mrs French and she was drawn to the
top. She was alive, but unconscious. She was
restored with difficulty. AS soon as she revived
she asked for her child. The body of the child
was found at the bottom of the well.
Sat 10 o'clock this morning" said Mrs French,
s'I went to the we'll after pail of water, taking
baby along saw that a board on the curb was
loose, and ran back to the house to get ham
mer and nails to fasten it. and thoughtlessly left
the child by the we'll When | came back the
baby was gone / looked in the well and saw
him struggling in the water. Thinking that
some one might be in the house soon, l rushed
back and wrote on the slate that we were in the
well, so that we could have help as soon as pos
sible then hurried to the we'll again and let
myself down to the water by the inches in the
wall. / succeeded in getting the baby out of the
water with one hand while / helped myself
above the water with the other. / then placed
one foot in niche on one side of the well, and
the other foot on the opposite, and then braced
myself SO that l could keep above the water,
which was above my waist. The baby
was alive, and, having the use of both
my hands and arms, soon brought him to.
called constantly for help as loudly as l could
Both myself and child were terribly chilled by
the water shouted for aid until my voice was
entirely gone and then, feeling that we must
both die from exhaustion and cold unless could
reach the top in some way, began to work my
self up, using one hand and my feet. Little by
little crept upward by aid of the inches in the
wall, and in half an hour was almost within
reaching distance of the top of the wall How
my strength ever held out / don't know. |
stopped to rest, and I thought of tossing the
+. baby up over the curb If / had had strength
enough in my arms. / know could have done so,
but they. were too tired and weak. After resting
awhile was feeling around for another place to
put my foot little higher to draw myself up
when / lost my footing and fell back into the
water. The baby was knocked out of my arms,
and when came to the surface of the warer
could not find him. remember grabbing about
among the inches in the wall, and that was all
until | came to after being rescued | must
have elung to the wall an hour unconscious"