The evening times., 1900-06-27
BURIED ALIVE FOR HOURS
Deep Well Caves in and EntoRbs
a Massachusetts, Farmer.
Pinned Down with Heavy stones and
Sand-NearIy Frozen when Res
NeIghbOrs Had TO Dig Hole TVven-
ty-seven Feet to Extricate Him.

GREENFIELD. Mass. June 2I--Fred
I.aufair. q West DeerdeId farmer. was
buried alive in his well Sunday Like
many other farmers. he had been suffer
ing from q shortage Of water. Thinking
that the well was filling with sand. be
decided 70 give it an unusually thorough
cleaning. Sunday was the day selected
to Go the work. for on Sunday it is pos
sible 10 get assistance from the neigh
boring farmers At I-45 p. II Mr. Ian
fair was lowered into the well by Fred
and John Johnson. Three minutes later
it eaved in. burying him in twenty-seven
feet Of sand and stone. He was taken out
at S:45 D. n. just seven hours after he
had been entombed.
Mr.. Lanfair says Of his experience:
Il had decided 10 clean my well. and
I asked two Of ny friends to come and
help me do it l went down the well on
a ro9e. l was in my bare feet and
carried BY rubber boots in my hand 70
put on when I reached the bottom. There
was but few inches OF water IN the well.
so I stuck ny shovel in 20 see what was
the cause OF the well dlllng- I found that
thought this must have washed in from
the top. but I soon found that the stuff
was running in between the rocks, and
thought I heard noise behind me.
Something seemed 10 tell me that the
well was caving in I made a jump for
the rope to return to the surface. when
heard a roar and was pinned in so tight
" I could not move
Il was standing upright in the vel in
one OF my feet was pushed forward by a
large stone as | afterwards learned. The
stones cf the well were all pressed against
me and this is probably what saved my
life
II was perfectly conscious all the time
was under the ground l could hear
all that was being said and tell all that
was being done I could hear the boys
shoveling. and I knew they were doing
OF death I knew that II IL took ten
hours to dig me out l could stand II. for
did not have trouble breathe, and | felt
sure that with all the help at hand it
would not take long to dig me out
The well is twenty-seven feet deep,
and 1t was necessary to dig a hole fifteen
feet in diameter to get 10 where l was.
l could hear what they were saying. but
they could not hear me until they got 20
within three feet OF ne
II did not know that q rubber tube or
any other kind OF a tube had been put
down tc me- l think the air l breathed
must have come in through the cracks
between the rocks
The stones Of the well are nothing but
river stones. they might be called cob
bles. These fell around me in such a way
that they formed q sort OF arch, one large
stone falling so as TO protect my head
from the sand and smaller stones
when there was still three feet Of
earth above me l could make the men
shoveling understand me. At this time
the large stone seemed TO be crushing my
head and I told them so. When my head
WIS uncovered asked for some stimulanis
as I was nearly frozen After taking the
stimulants l felt some better, but when I
waS taken cut I was unable TO move.
To be buried alive is not a pleasant
thing to think Of. but I suffered no pain
Of body or mind Still I Go Ict care to
repeat the experience
NJ Lanfair was confined 10 his bed for
q day Mrs. Lznfsir, one o. tae three wit
nesses of the accident, gave the alarm.
She became OverheGted and unneryed and
was obliged to remain in bed two days
William Wellman, one Of the rescuers.
said: Il had just returned from church and
was putting out my horse when I was at
tracted by the cries Of Mrs Larf3ir- Whe n
reached the scene OF the accident l saw
that the well had caved in and was full
to the top. I set to work with the others
10 dig Lanfair out
Eve worked like TToianS till about 9
o'clock. when we placed him in his bed
alive but numb and nearly frozen When
we were down about twenty feet / no
ticed that Fred called out every time
stepped in q certain place. so / thought he
must be under there This proved TO be
the case and when we reached him there
was stone on each shoulder and one large
cne resting on the head. We attempted
to aid him in breathing by inserting a rub
Der tube but this I think was OF no use.
as he never knew il was there