The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-07
SIXTY SECONDS AN ETERNITY.
Thoughts. and Sensations of a Man
Who Was Buried Alive.

A mound was being excavated near
Frankfort, Ross county, Ohio, in August.
At the center the wall (from the base
line upward) was fifteen feet high. 1t
was undermined by the workmen, and as
| bent down to examine a small bone I'M
covered in the process of undermining, a
mass of earth equal to several cart loads
suddenly dropped from above. There was
no one in the excavation, the men having
gone on top preparatory to cutting down
the undermined wall. AS the earth
cracked loudly looked up and started to
rise. The falling mass knocked me back
about five feet, so that fell with my head
and shoulders resting ON a heap of loose
earth. The falling wall was of course seen
only for an instant. It looked black and
the rush of wind it caused l well remem-
Der. My head and shoulders were some
what higher than my legs, possibly foot
The feet were spread apart. There was
little pain-Only pressure, intense press
ure. It forced the buttons of my light
field costume partly inside the flesh; my
watch chain left bright red mark along
my left side. I could feel the watch strong
ly pressed against two ribs these were
brOken). The skin over my forehead
seemed being cut, but it was the pressure
of my hat forcing flesh between the laced
straws. A knife in my pocket seemed
burningly hot
Thoughts coursed like lightning-past
life, future and home. | did not think
much of the situation, except to wonder
if could breathe when 1 got out. One
singular thought occurred. l remembered
| reading of women who in war times
buried their husbands in ash piles or sand
heaps to prevent their being drafted into
| the army. l had often wondered if it
were possible for one so placed to breathe
through tube, as described in the
stories. / remember trying to move one
hand, even a finger. One could not have
been more firmly held in a mold My
arms and hands were perfectly motion
less. The chest could not be inflated or
moved the slightest distance On the
! contrary, the downward pressure forced
all the air out of my lungs.
remember how hot the earth against
my face became as the last breath was
forced from me. Just. in front of my
mouth and chin was a slight hollow
formed by the arching of two goOd-sized
Jumps of clay. could move my chin and
open and shut my mouth. That was the
only part of my entire body that could be
moved. l remember trying to keep my
mouth shut to keep out the dirt. But
after few seconds my mouth instinct
lively opened, and the arch having broken
down earth filled it. | remember the
horrible sensation of trying to dislodge
the earth and the fear of strangling that
suddenly seized upon me. l then felt that
l was doomed to perish, but had no fear
and did not particularly care.
1t was sixty seconds, so the surveyor
says, when the men reached my head
The laborers think it was over a minute
but [ am inclined to believe the surveyor
| felt the earth move slightly above my
head That gave me hope | had not
thought much of rescue, but l gathered
my remaining strength. A shovel passed
across the top of my head, cutting the
scalp. | remember feeling it as if a hot
iron had struck me- Then they uncov-
cred my head and removed the earth
from my mouth and eyes. The surveyor
says the pressure was so great upon the
imprisoned portions of my body that the
blood was forced to the head, and the
veins stood out so strongly he feared
they would burst. Even with the head
uncovered | could not breathe. They soon
had me laid outside upon some wheat
sheaves. l remember, just as they car
ried me out seeing a little ''wild canary
perch upon a tall thistle near at hand. 1
heard it sing a sweet song
AS the bird flew away | seemed to fol-
low it, dancing about the fields, perching
on this and that shrub, just as it did.
The sky seemed to have different color
from that usually noticed; l was i'm
pressed with its grandeur-the scenery
of the surrounding country was remarka-
bly, beautiful, and as | observed all these
things they affected me and l cried
They rubbed my limbs. l could see the
men at work, but could feel nothing The
partial paralysis of my limbs continued
for some days. To some extent the acct
dent has affected my mind. l cannot now
enter an underground cave or mine or
stand under an overhanging bank with
out an effort. 1t requires all my will
power to go in them. | also often dream
of caving banks and experience pre-
cisely the same feelings as l did in re-
atty l neglected to state that the
earth above my head was about three
feet thick; that over my legs was much
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