Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1894-07-13
A Sad Accident.

A sad accident occurred at the Record
ranch, Saturday, July IA. Billy Beard
was dangerously if not fatally injured by
a stone falling upon him while working,
in the bottom of the welli The deplor.
able accident was the result of Mr..
Boards willingness to do q kind and
neighborly sct To give an idea of the
way the accident occurred the popularity
of the well must be stated. It was dug
and stoned up in 1885. In the spring of
81 about six feet Of the curbing fell il
from the top, covering the bottom of the
we'll and extending to a point above the
water. AS the pipe and bottom cylinder
were not broken, the pump worked as
we'll as ever. The curbing was relaid at
the top and the fallen stones were left in
the we'll. Last year the Sucker" in the
bottom cylinder gave out. As the cylin-
der and the bottom portion of the pine
were held firmly by several feet of the
stone, and the rusted pipe joints above
could not be unscrewed within the mar
row quarters cf the WELL Arthur McGin-
ness went down in the we'll and removed
enough of the stone to mako hole down
into the water about two feet, large
enough to admit new pipe at the bot
tom of new cylinder. In other words
new pipe from bottom to top was put
In by the side of the old one. and an ex-
haustless supply of water was secured.
Everything worked all right until Friday,
when pump rod broke just below the
top suckera The pump and pipe were
raised, and the rods repaired. When the
pipe was put down again the bottom end
caught on the stones at the bottom of the
we'll and could not be made to reach the
water. Matters were in that condition
when, on Saturday, little before noon.
Mr.. Beard, with two teams, accompanied
by young Bruce Smith, drove up on his
way home from the river with loads of
poles. He stopped for water, and, on
learning that the pipe could not be put
back in the water, went down in the well
to see what was the matter. He found
that stone had rolled back in the hole
and there was no water in sight. He
said that few of the stones would have
to be taken out, aud consented to 20
down and do the work. So he unhar.
messed and stabbed his horses. After din.
ner he went down in the we'll again, first
letting down crow-bar that could pos.
sibly be used in prying aside the stones
to make an opening for the pipe, and a
new seamless sack tied to q stout rope, to
be used in elevating the stones two or
three at a time. Seven times stones we're
raised, taken outside the pump house
and dumped. As Harry Procunier and
Bruce Smith, who were at the top, were
preparing to lower the empty sack again
they saw that Mr.. Beard was coming up.
Soon he appeared near the top, when
all were horrifled to see that he bore
frightful wound on his forehead about an
inch above his left eye. Just as he seemed
about to let 20 he was caught by Mrs.
Streeter, who had come out from the
kitchen, Harry Procunier and Bruce
Smith, and helped out. He walked to
chair and sat down. There was hole in
his forehead. the skull being punctured
as though by the sharp edge of q stone.
He was assisted to bed, and, In response
to word sent out, number Of neighbors
soon came, who did all they could for the
sufferer. The general opinion was that
he should at once be taken to Bismarck,
and SO spring wagon was secured, bed
made therein, and he was taken to the
capital city by Messrs. Armstrong, Couch
and Thurber, The wound was tindoubt-
edly made by projecting stone that
had been pulled out Of the wall by the
sack OF stoaes a. It was raised for the last