The Washington times., 1908-11-28
MAN BURIED ALIVE
UNDER A SAND BANK
Farm Hand Is Killed When
a Forty-Foot Avalanche
Crushes Upon Him.

William Hurley. a young farm hand
employed by William T. Hayes, who
has an estate four miles south Of An
acostia, was crushed to death this
morning beneath tons OF falling sand.
while at work on the Barnabas Branch
road at the intersection OF the Livings-
ton pike.
Hurley went TO the bank early this
morning 10 get two loads OF sand to
fn a ditch. He was accompanied by
Arthur Hayes. son of his employer.
When Hurley began digging, young
Hayes returned 70 the farm 20 hitch
uD = cart
Young Hurley was at work digging
on the sand alone. when. evidently
without a moments warning, an av-
alanche of sand, forty feet high, came
down upon him and. bending him
double, crushed him 10 the earth
It was in this position that he was
found by a rescue party, after several
minutes Of frantic digging.
Hurley was a man of magnificent
physique, and the physicians who made
an examination declared ne had made
a terrific struggle for his life.
The accident was unknown until
Arthur Hayes drove I'D TO the embnnll-
ment with a cart to get a load OF sand
He noticed Immediately that a collapse
had occurred. and not seeing Hurley
sounded an alarm.
Calls to Hayes.
He called 10 John S. Hayes and told
him that Hurley had been caught in ths
collapse of the bank Mr.. Hayes I'M
mediately started digging, and sent out
a general alarm Police from the Ana
costa precinct. No. Chemical Engine
Company from AnacOstia, under Lieu
tenant Covington, and the neighbors
from miles around, responded.
No one knew a. just what point Hur-
ley had been caught, and but for this
Fact alone his life might have been
saved. Nearly the entire cavern had to
be shoveled away before his body was
found. Dr. Arthur Ideloy, one OF those
who responded to the call. made a hasty
examination and pronounced life ex-
tinCt and said thrt Hurley's death was
due to suffOcdtiOu.
Some time go Mr.. Hayes gave per-
mission TO the District government 10
use the tremendous sand hill IN laying
new road. W )rlmen had cut back
into the hill approximately fifty feet. I
and left q f0rty-foOt bank with a heavy
Overhang Of sand and clay It was
EeaAlZeu DY MT hayes knaL the DauK
was dangerous in the condition in was
left by the District employees. and he /
had warned his children to keep away
from 1t.
Warned From Cut.
When he instructed Hurley 20 get
two cart loads OF sand he told him TO /
take it off the west end, and not to get /
under the cut Hurley's body was dis
al -.
cut. ard from this fact II IS believed /
that he ran the wrong way when the I
bank gave way. When found, Hurlev's |
body was buried under five or six feet |
OF the heavy earth that it IS estimated !
weighed many tons.
Although he had been an empIoye of |
Mr.. Hayes but two months, Hurley was
well thought Of by his employer
He peviOuslv had been ernSI0vAd ~,
the south farm near The Government !
Asylum for the Aged and Infirm He
was well liked not only bV his em-
ployer, but by all the people in the
community.
Once in Asylum.
But little is known Of ET.,rIey's early
life except that as a child he was In /
an orphan asylum In Baltimore. When
he became of sufficient age he was
farmed out TO a truck gardener I'm |
Charles county. Nd. He left there about
a year ago to take employment on the
the Government farm. He was about
twenty-seven years old.
Mr.. Hayes, HuFley's employer. re- /
uuested that he be allowed to take
charge Of the body and the necessary |
permission was granted by the coroner
SIa5 to Baltimore and Return
Saturdays and Sundays via Pennsvl- /
vania Railroad. Tickets good returning