Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-24
A HOLE IN THE GROUND,
And the Unfortunate Effects Upon Ty
Men Working Therein.

| And the Unfortunate Effects Upon Two
Men Working Therein.
The two men, Boyd and Beebe, who were
| overcome by foul air in the well of Mr..
Pafiow, two miles east of the city, it is
now thought will come around all right
| with proper care, but it is sure thing they
will abandon well digging for all time 10
come. A reporter had conversation with
| Mr.. Paftiow yesterday, at whose house the
| men are receiving attention, and who owns
| the hole in the ground where the accident
! occurred, and learned the following facts
| concerning the accident, and story con-
| nected Herewith which, to say the least, is
| interesting.
The men had been at work several days,
and were down some thirty feet. They had
| prepared blast, set it off, and awaited
about five minutes for the smoke to clear
away. Boyd, who up to this time had not
been in the well, but had worked the dirt
bucket, concluded he would go down, leav-
ing Beebe, his partner, to operate the
windlass. After having arrived at the bot
tom he felt the effects OF the gas, the
smoke, ETC., having not fully left the well
from the result of the blast, and called to
Beebe to draw him out, but before
the box could be lowered he was
so far exhausted that he could not
get into it. Beebe discovering this called
to another man near to lower him (Beebe)
" lCSSuC w uCu btGDc Hdu
gone down about ten feet he was overcome
and toppled out of the box, falling twenty
feet upon Boyd, who by this time was I'M
conscious. The fall seriously hurt Beebe,
and the man at the top and Mrs. Pafiow
proceeded to alarm the nearest neighbors.
and some six or eight men, together with
two physicians who fortunately happened
along the road, We're summoned. All this
took time, and the men were fast breathing
their last thirty feet from the surface.
No one among the crowd, however, could
be induced to go down to rescue, if posi-
bic. the unfortunate men. Torches were
lowered in the hope of burning out the foul
air, but to no avail. Finally lamp was
lowered. and when about half way down
the string broke-lamp and oil Went to the
bottom of course, oil ignited and there was
an additional catastrophe. Several buckets
of water were dashed in the well to extin-
guiSh the flames, which was successful
No one yet would agree to go down. AT
this juncture the twelve-year-old son of
Mir. Bronson. a nelghbor, arrived, and
learned the condition of affairs, and, real
izing that two human lives, perhaps, de-
pended upon prompt action. begged to be
Lowered into the well. He was warned OF
The danger, but to no avail-he would save
two lives if possible. So he sprang into
the box and two men lowered the
boy to the bottom. Carrying with him
a strong rope, he tied it securely to one of
the mems waist and gave the signal to pull
him out. The man was lifelesS when he
reached the top, but willing hands ton top
of the ground) did all in their power to re-
suscitate him. During this time the rope
was lowered to brave little Melville Bron- |
son again, and he tied it to the other man, |
and told the men at the top to hoist away, -
he following Immediately in the box. When |
the little fellow was brought into fresh air |
he was very much exhausted, but set about |
assisting in caring for the more unfor- |
tunate. The men were given all the care |
it was possible for the means at hand to |
render, but suffered severe commissions,
and were as blue almost as indigo
Another peculiar feature is related, in |
that some years ago the father of Boyd, |
who went into the well first after the blast,
was killed in manner similar to this acct
dent. Young Boyd had pledged to his
mother and sister, who were dependent
upon him. that he would never go into
well, and had kept his word until this occa-
sion, when he met with the accident abo
related.
On the morning of the accident Beebe's /
wife followed him to the door and implored #
him not to go to work that day-she felt ass
if some accident would surely befall him,
and from subsequent events it seems her T
of danger We're correct.