Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-08-24
A VERY DlSTRCSSFUL DEATH
Young NOrs Of jefferson Falls In
a Well.
HB IS OVERCOME BY POWDER DAMPS
And Pals Thirty Five Feet, Breaking
His Neck.

A horrible accident occurred near
Jefferson Thursday by which young
man lost bis life. The particulars are
as follows:
J. A. HudelsOn, who rents the Par
rish farm four miles north Of Jefferson,
began digging o well recently, letting
the contract to J. Cave, who got down
about seventy feet.
Cave put In a blast Wednesday even
ing, put some straw down and set fire
TO it, but did not know for certain
whether the charge went off or not.
Cave was taken sick and could not go
to work Thursday. John A. Nors,
who was working for HudelsOn, pro-
posed Thursday morning 10 go down
into the well aud see IL the blast had
gone off. HudelsOn warned him not
to do go, saying a nan just across the
river was killed in "A well foul With
powder gases. But NOrs insisted on
going down into the well, telling Hud-
elson IL he died not TO let him dowR he
would slide down on the rope. Hudei
sou wanted to put down light to Leei
the we'll, but that was not done. Fin
ally Nors was let down. When he
got down he was asked by HudelsOn If
the charge had gone off. He said:
Eyes, it 10 lying on top Of the water"
"How deep is the waterp asked
Hudelson.
about six inches"
"Can you feel any damps?"
"No.n
Then Nors said: "Fetch me up."
Hudelson was above at the windlass
and started to haul Nors up. He got
him half way up, when be seemed to
catch on the curbing and he could not
haul him any further. Hudelson hal
lowed down:
"Are you caught ?" For Gods sake
answer v
But no answer came. Hudelson
looked down In the well and could see
Nors leaning back against the curbing.
He let the rope down six inches 80 az to
release. He tried again to 'windlass
him up but could not. HE let all bold
loose and fell back to the bottom Of the
well about thirty-five feet"
Hudelson then called his wife at the
house about 100 feet away to come to
the well. She came running down in
great excitement. He sent her to call
What Libby, who lives 100 rods away.
Libby and Oscar OLSON came and
helped get Nors out. DR.. Hawk also
came in about an hour.
A. G. Marquis also came. After
throwing in burning cloth, saturated
with oil an umbrella was let down and
drawn up until the well was ventilated.
Mr.. Marquis made four attempts to go
down into the well. Three times the
foul gases drOye him back, but human
life lay at the bottom Of that well and
might be saved. 1t was o'clock when
Nors fell to the bottom Of the well. 1t
was after 10 before Marquis got to the
bottom of the well. There was foot
of water in the vel, and after putting a
rope around the man who was dead
probably soon after he fell, Marquis
was drawn up and the dead man. DIR.
]. G. Smith and DR.. Hawk found Nors
had broken his neck by the fall. His
collar bone and shoulder were broken
In dozen pieces.
CORONER CLOUGH,
of Salem, went up and held and in
quest, and the verdict is in accordance
with the above facts, exoneTatiRg Mr..
Hudelson entirely from blame in the
matter.
Nors was q single man, about "A
years of age. He was q man Of good
habits, but of reckless and go-ahead
disposition. He had an Odd -FellOws'
pin in his purse. He has house aud
four lots aud a chest Of tools. He lived
by himself.
His funeral took place today, con-
Quoted by Undertaken Harry b. Bur
rows. Young NOrs was peculiar In
many respects. but was industrious and
had many friends.
The coroner's jury consisted Of q. M
Humphrey, Harry b. Burrows, A. q.
Libby, Nj. E. Richardson, Jacob Cave.
E. E. Parrish.