Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1895-07-09
FATAL ACCIDENT.
End Eeath of Gus Anderson, Auditor
CT Williams County.

7 Of Williams County.
! About 10 O'Clock last Friday morning,
,':lv 5tl, the startling announcement
Il at Gustav Anderson, Our county anqi-
tr, WAS dead, struck the ears Of the
r,'l3cns Of Wiilistcn with an unspeal1-
;'hIc horror and surprise. Everybody
--'s peacefully engaged in his usual daily
;.'ocation, dreaming only of the results
T.: lis own toll, but when the news came
Tat Gus Anderson had met with q sud-
cen death from foul air in his own we'll,
J: fell upon his friends with dumbfound-
| II, and paralyzing effect. In an incred~
NV brief space of time the sad intelli-
v :nce spread from the business center
@!e most remote suburbs of the city,
+, within thirty minutes large crowd
:el were at the scene of the accident,
8NcE occurred at Mr.. Andersons resi-
Nancn one-half mile north Of the city.
| A,roner Alderman was notified, and
With his usual promptness was on hand
y assist others in the recovery of the
unfortunate mans body.
The cause of our city's sudden be-
r>uyement in the loss of Mr.. Anderson
FAY be briefly stated. The pump at
tie windmill on Mr.. Anderson;s IS place.
lich is situated on line with Main
$ rect about one-half mile north of the
lN,stolfice, failed to work, and deceased,
=, th the assistance Of Col. Moore, one of
oar county commissioners, determined
{ , 20 down into the we'll and fix it. The
veil is about sixty feet deep, and at the
,.npth Of forty feet is a platform where
tie pump cylinder is located. The we'll
j. curbed up, and the platform is reached
" means of ladder fastened to the
Iubing. Mr.. Anderson was descending
. is ladder when the accident occurred.
lie had reached about twelve or fourteen
let below the surface when he struck
That is termed foul air, or gas, and i'm
:&sliatcly attempted to climb up again;
lat the deadly composite had done its
york too swiftly, and causing him to
lax his grasp upon the rungs of the
oder, he fell to the platform below.
| It is supposed he WAS insensible--and
}.ossiblv life extinct-before he reached
g bottom, as Col. Moore heard no other
| und than the dull thtid made by the
! eiy striking tie platform.
III tie effort to recover the body John
l,urd attempted to descend the well,
SA.Xls aasjstonts took the rrccaution to
( f,lsten rope around his chest, Iii case
Of emergency, and It Vas we'll they did
so, for when about twelve feet down he
was overcou,o by foul air and involun-
tarily let 60 the ladder, end when hauled
out agaiu was about Us near dead as alive.
He will probably never try the feat
again. BY means of q rope with Slip
! lng-noose being lowered Mr.. Anderson's
! BODY was soon recovered and conveyed
ii.t) Iii, house, where many friendly
hands volunteered to undress and wash
the corpse.
Mr.. Anderson was born in Sweden
AID was about so years old. He was un-
married and had no relatives, it is be-
/ lieyed, in the United States, except Il
nephew living at Little Falls, MINI,
and a neice in Iowa. He was an old
trier on the Missouri, having lived In
the vicinity of Williston about seventeen
years. Since the organization Of Will
liams county he has held various posi-
tons of honor and trust, and last fall was
elected county auditor by an ovsrwlolm-
ing majority. lie was trusted, respected
and loved by all who knew him, and he
leaves bohind legion Of friends who
sincerely mourn his untimely fate.
In the death of Mr., Anderson Willis
ton loses Il most estimable citizen, a'lc
Williams county a worthy and efficient
of!fcar