The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-05
Are Supposed to Have Been Overcome By PoisOn-
 ouS Gases
THE FATHER ATTEMPTS
 TO SAVE HIS SON
Young Man Who is Being Drawn From the Hole Falls Back About Twenty Feet on
 His Father.

The circumstances of the death of James Garrity, Sr., and his son, James Garrity, Jr., make the tragedy one of the most unusual in the history of the beyond parallel. The death of father and son occurred in the same place, that of sixty-foot we'll, at almost the same time. and under exactly the same circumstances.
 The manner of the unfortunate. oc- currence seems almost improbable. James Garrity, the elder, is man of about 45 years and owns a forty farm at Refuge, which Is about eleven miles from Birmingham. just two miles this side of the Cahaba river.
 It seems that there is well on the farm which has been unused for some time and which MT Garrity decided to clean out Saturday evening in order i that the water might be used. Conse- quently the well, which is about sixty feet deep, was dynamited Saturday evening so that all of the refuse in 1 it might be loosened up and drawn out
 Other than the dynamiting of the well, nothing was done toward the work Saturday afternoon It was decided to wait until yesterday to finish the job.
 Boy Enters Well.
 Yesterday morning Mr. Garrity and his son, a boy about IT years old went { out to work in the well, and the boy was let down to All the bucket while the father pulled the refuse out. The bucket was filled probably four or five times and the trash drawn out, when the boy complained of being sick and l finally called to his father to draw him out of the hole, as he could work no longer.
 MT. Clarity let the bucket down and the boy got onto 1t. There were sew eral of the neighbors of MT. Garrity a his house watching the progress of the work and when the boy complained 1 they all went over to the mouth of the well. The boy was drawn up, 1t is supposed, about five or six feet and then he fainted and fell back into the lptt The father knew at once what had happened and immediately told the men standing nearby to hold the rope while he slid down.
 Falls Back In Well. He went down into the well, picked up the boy, who had fainted, and bound him, as he supposed, tightly to the bucked and called to the men above to draw him out. This they started to do, but when young Garrity had been pulled up about half way the bindings gave way and he fell back, , and 1t is supposed landed on top of his father.
 The men outside then lowered the rope again and called to MT. Garrity to secure himself to the rope and come out. Re- ceiyiny no answer from him. fear Tor the life of the men was aroused, and upon peering down, MT. Clarity could be seen leaning against the wall of the well. A few seconds later he was seen to Tall over on the body of his son, and 1t Is supposed that he succumbed In a lew minutes.
 Both of the bodies those of the father and son were removed from the pit as soon as possible. Dr. R. A. Berry who lives at Cliffside on Shades mountain, short distance from Refuge, was sum moned and when he arrived he pro- nounced both of the men dead.
 Gas In the Hole. The prime cause of both of the death of both the men was undoubtedly breach ing the damp or gas of some kind that was evidently present in the bottom or the well. The well has not been in use for some time, and 1t is easily seen how the poisonous gas could accumu- late in the pit. It is also very probable that the fumes from the dynamite which was exploded in the well had not passed out and this may have also had some effect in overcoming the man and boy.
 The first sickness of which the boy complained was probably caused by breathing the gas, and his death may have been caused by the fall of about twenty feet
 ,ne bows falling on top of the father may have stunned him and his prolonged stay in the poisonous gas overcome him and caused his death.
 First Information.
 First information of the fatal occur renee was received by the Green Under taking company and they sent caskets to the home of Mir. Garrity for the bodies. Refuge is located near Patton's chapel on the Columbiana road. about eleven miles south of Birmingham. Mir. Garrity, Sr., was a rolling mill man, and well known among the rolling mill enployes of Birmingham He was anonIoved at the Birmingham rolling mill until if was closed down recently. He was a man about 45 years of age. and is survived by a wife and three chil- dren. The son who died in the well was IT years old,
 Funeral services over the remains of the deceased father and son will be held from Pattons chapel this afternoon at 1:30 o'clock, and the interment will be in the Patton's chapel cemetery
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