The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-14
low WHO OWNS I1?I McCAsKERIS G. G. REACHED TOO LATE
Charles Barden Finally Suffocated
IS. in a Gazing Well.
HEROIC ATTEMPT AT RESCUE
Shifts of Men Shoveled Desperately
but to No Avail-"Tom,, Zoll-
er's Tireless Efforts.

BY the dim light OF torches and lanterns
score OF men toiled heroically all last
night In the attempt to rescue Charles
Barden from a cave-in at the bottom Of
forty-foot well at 1921 Forty-fourth street.
The labors were continued throughout this
morning, but when the body was at last
taken from its tomb at 1920 p. m. life had
evidently been extinct for several hours.
The central figure in the hard fight
made to save young Barden's life was
Tom zeller, paperhanger of 3541
Bryant avenue S. AT the risk of losing
his own life in the treacherous sand, Zol-
Ter went down in the we'll early last even
ing and toiled until nearly midnight, hll-
ing bucket after bucket with sand, which
was drawn to the surface by willing
hands, building a new curbing of boards
about the imprisoned man to prevent
more sand from flowing over him.
At midnight Zoller could converse with
Barden. When told to keep up his courage.
Barden replied: my trust is in the Lord"
Zoller came up at midnight for brief
breathing spell, and then. with the one
thought Of rescue in his mind, he returned to
the bottom, where he worked necessarily for
nine long hours. He again ascended this
morning to get cup of coffee. Though cons
Vlnced that Barden was dead, Zoller would
not be disuaded from his work until the poor,
limp body was finally lifted from the we'll.
..-
81 could hear the death rattle In his throat
| when spoke to him at midnight said Zol-
Ter, 'but tried to make myself believe that
there might somehow be a spark of life
left" =
A sad feature of Barden's death Is that
he was caught in trap of his own making
while digging we'll back of the little cot
tage to which he had hoped to bring his
bride. Out of his slender earnings he was
just completing the little house which he
expected to make his home.
He went. into the we'll at o'clock p. m.
yesterday to cut a pipe running to the sur
face, and had removed two boards Of the
curbing when the sand pressed out additional
boards and allowed wave of sand to sweep
over him while he was in STOPPING posture.
Before he could free himself he was pinned
down with only his head and sholders free.
George Riggle, a cousin, who, with Harry
Clapp a neigheor, was assisting Barden,
came to his aid. All that Riggle could dc
was to pile the curbing boards over Barden S
head to give him "a chance to breathe, before
the sand completely covered him. Riggle also
| secured a flfteen-foot steel pipe, through
which Barden was able to draw fresh air un-
| til the boards above him finally gave wav
and the pressure about him prevented the ex-
pansion Of his chest in breathing. t..
Rescue Work Delayed. ~
| 1t was not until three hours afterWard thai
an organized attempt was made to free Bar
den. The men of truck of the fre depart
ment, a company of men from the sewer de-
| partment and interested bystanders finally
| undertook to rescue him by digging a trench
twenty-five feet long and six feet to one side
of the we'll. y IN ~
! This work was well in progress when Zollel
! arrived, and he made such headway in thu
we'll that work on the trench was soon aban.
| doned. :. @.
!. Barden's- aged parents, his two brothers
and three sisters, who live at 1883 Vincen
! avenue S, watched anxiously by the vel
side all night and morning, hoping agains
!. hope that their dear one would yet be re
stored to them. They were prostrated witt
! grief when his limp form reached the sur
| face. ~ 90. a8g ..%z 1.., - = ii
| Purse for Zol1er.
! The crowd of residents Of Linden Hills
who watched the work of rescue all night
showed their appreciation of zoller's work bl
/ taking up a collection for him. Nearly 81
I had been collected by noon. 1t is a remark
able fact that, while other men who wen
! into the well to assist zoller could stand th'
| air for but aSfew minutes, he to1led on TO-
| hours at stretch. =. a. ..5-.4- ,
DR.. w. B. Murray, who was at the well al
4 night, worked upon the body in the attemp
| to restore life for some time before 1t wa
| turned over to the undertaken. II