St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-20
SMOTHERED BY The SAND.
Thomas Teppel Dug Shaft Which
Proved Fatal.
SAVING PIECES OF LUMBER.
Work of the Rescuing Party Conducted
at the Peril Of Their Lives From
Crumbling Walls Of Earth.

Thomas Teppel, while endeaving to
secure the curbing from the bottom of a
fifty-five foot well, at South st. Paul,
sacrificed his life in the attempt. While
saving few pieces of lumber he VAS
imprisoned by the falling earth, and his
wife and five small children were bereft
of their only support.
The we'll was dug through sandy
stratum and lined with curbing of light
boards. The work had not reached the
point of success, for Teppel failed to
find water. He dug another shaft about
twenty feet away, and was removing
curbing from the old shaft to this new
we'll when the sandy walls, relieved of
protection below, crumbled and fell,
burying Teppel beneath their relentless
pressure.
In the struggle to climb above the
falling material. he succeeded in rising
a few steps up the ladder, until a heavy
mass knocked the ladder aside and
pinned the, victim
AGAINST THE WALL.
His body was crushed and his intes-
tines ruptured, and the trickling sand
filled in about his eyes and nostrils and
into his ears. His cap, borne down.
ward by the weight of falling stick,
half covered his face, and kept it from
the CHASTITY cOntortiOnS that frequently
accompany such horrible death.
His arms were extended as in the
effort to clutch rung of the ladder,
while his head leaned to one side as
though borne down by the stick that
laid upon it. The crushed and bruised
conditions were more noticeable about
the lower portion of his body.
An alright sealing of sand stood
against the chances of life and rescue,
although every effort was made to find
some way to locate and reach the spot
where the unfortunate man was buried.
Mrs. Teppel went down the rope alone
and risked her OWL life without avail.
Then she climbed upwards hand over
hand and shrieked for help. Four
houses Oh the hills near by are occupied
by her German relatives who responded
at once and sent their children for more
assistance. Chief of Police COnley. of
South st. Paul, soon heard of the occur
renee and telephOned to Messenger &
Sons for well-diggers, and an outfit
The chief did everything in his power to
SAVE THE MAN ALIVE.
The well diggers found the treacher-
Gus sand running in on them. They
sent for more curling and continued
their work night and day, although the
loose sand kept up its dangerous down.
pouring. At Z o'clock yesterday MORN
ing James Kelly first touched the cold
and clammy hand of Teppel.
MIR. Teppel, who was sixty-three years
of age, brought his family from REM
berg, Germany, to Minnesota. about six
years ago, and lived in the Rice street
district of ST. Paul. Last year he in
vested his savings in two acres
southwest of the stock yards. and
endeavored to develop a garden. The
death shaft was dug by himself and
wife about six feet from their kitchen
door. Grief-stricken faces of the wife
and children filled that doorway Friday
night, and their eyes watched ten men
at work, moving lights as the
lanterns swung to and fro, and
they heard the creaking of
the MINDLESS as the buckets of earth
rose and fell. Down the shaft weird
scene was presented, The lanterns,
hanging at intervals, made the depth
appear greater than it really was, while
the diggers worked in reliefs, prespir-
ing from their exertion in a hole that
might close in upon them at any mo-
ment, While their shovels rung and rat
tied as they dug down to find the dead.
Coroner Cadzow, of Dakota county,
viewed the remains of Teppel yester-
day, and decided that an inquest was
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