St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-20
of his brain showed that he could not
long have preserved even the outward
semblance of sanity.
JOHN SIMMONS CLOSE CALL
Imprisoned I'm a Well While the
Water Rose to His Mouth.

Imprisoned in q Well While the
Water Rose to His Mouth.
Baltimore American.
John Simmons, a c0lOred well digger
employed by A. Doerling, had terri
bic struggle for life yesterday, but man.
aged to pull through all right. He was
digging well in the yard of John s..
Bullock's house. 1897 Lombard street.
Simmons had been working on the job
for the past two weeks, and yesterday
took ont the fOrtieth foot of earth. He
had been in the well all the morning,
one man at the top hauling the earth up
with windlaSS, while Simmons filled
the buckets. About half-past 10 O'Clock
Mr.. DOering, who was at the top, heard
Simmons give yell. and, looking down,
saw the cOl0red man planted in the bot
tom of the well, with earth packed SOL
idly around his body, reaching as high
as his waist.
The wooden framework about the
top OF the we'll, which is usually built
as protector, was crushed by the force
of the earth against 1t, and fell with the
l0Osened soil. Simmons had been in a
stopping position. filing the bucket.
When the earth fell it nodded itself
about him so quickly that he had not
even opportunity to straighten his
limbs. and had to remain in this pain
full attitude until assistance was rem
well, and managed to draw out from
about Simmons body the large pieces
of scanrling that formed the framework.
He could not extricate Simmons, how
ever, as he was held prisoner by the
heavy tub over which his body had
been pressed. Then by various slow
methods a portion of the fallen clay
was dug from about his body and rope
was placed under his arms. Several
willing hands caught hold to pull the
man from his prison, but his screams of
pain compelled them to stop and to al
low him to sink back into his former
position. The work of digging was
then renewed with much more energy.
Simmons during all this time was plead
ing with the workmen to save his life.
As the afternoon flew on, water
slowly flowed into the excavation, rising
gradually about the poor mans ShOul-
ders until it reached his mouth. Many
turned away h0rr0r-stricken, thinking
Simmons would be drowned in a few
minutes. and SO did Simmons himself.
for his face began to turn the ashy gray
hue which is like the white death-pal-
l0r. Digging under such circumstances
was hard work.
IF some one in the crowd would bail
out the water, we can save the man."
said a gentleman over in the corner.
and in jiffy colored man was on the
rope and half way down to do his part
to rescue his c0lored brother. While
the water was being taken out Sim
ynnnc nod m, fhYoxu, bic hood 1DoaE n, nr.
der to get his breath. so high had it
risen. When the water had been taken
ont the digging continued, and at $50
o'clock John Simmons had been hauled
out of the well live man. He had
been in there five hours. While he was
not injured internally or externally, the
nervous shock was very severe. He
was taken to the Maryland University
hospital, and stimulants were given
him. Simmons wife was present while
the work was going on.