New-York tribune., 1909-10-05
NO HOPE OF RESCUE
NAN IN WE'LL DOOMED.
Diggers Continue to Worb, but IRE
Mabing SIo7c Progress.

SsyviIle. Long. Island. oct 4 tSpecaO.-Dovu on
John Coffen's farm. two miles north of Central
Tsp. a tired group of men is shaving, ever sEaV-
ing. at what is now acknowledged to he hopeless
task. They are trying to recover tho body of
john Coffeu jr who was buried Yesterday morn
ing by the caving in OF new well on his fathers
farm. The little band OF men no longer work with
that fierce intensity which characterized their
efforts i'm the beginning of the struggle for man 5
life. Their actions now are more lahored; no
longer does the light of hope show in their faces
they realize that the man for whom they are dig
ging, and who lies more than hundred feet
below the surface must have died. Men skilled
in the work OF digging wells have stated that it
win require at least four five days longer before
the spot where tho young farmer lies imprisoned
can be reached.
In spite OF the many tons of earth which bear
down upon the entOmbcd man. there IS stiE a
means OF communication between the spot where
he lies and the surface sunk the full depth Of
the we'll and emerging above the surface
thin iron pipe. We're a living man lying en-
tombed in the well, the workers argue, ne would
use this pipe means of communication with
those above, by tapping upon it. Despite the in
tentness with which those the ground have
listened there has been no tapping, no sound that
would lead 70 the belief that Coffen was alive.
Under these dlscouraging conditions there is stiH
spur which goads the little band of diggers 10
ever renewed efforts: 1t is the picture of the aged
father and mother Of the yOUDg fellow suddenly
swallowed by the earth The grief of the two is
ptltui IN the extreme The father sits his
doorstep motiouess, inert. stunned. Every little
while he jumps To his feet. eyes ablaze with new
hone. and rushes among the grouped a bout the
hole in the ground encOurag ging, begging. demand
ing These periods of momentary activity are sue
ceeded by long lapses of dun hopeless srief. during
which the father sits with his hands before his
face, as though 10 shut a terrible picture In
side the house the mother struggles with her sor
row surrounded by friends who move
about silently in the gloom trying to give her com
fort
During the day Platt Cildersleeve a professional
well digger. placed mis- hand upon the old mans
shoulder and told him that there was no LONGER
any hope of taking his son alive from the deDtbs
OF the well The stout old hungarian farmer who
mas not slept since the cavern, leaped to his feet
and urged on the workers with frantic appeaIs
My boy must be saved.' he cried. If it is TIM
Der }ou need. tear II off the house-he must he
savedr'
Inc WORK Is going forward very SLOWLY because
Oi the way in which the men are compelled 10
"orh. II is only possible for a single man at a
'ile 70 Dig because Of the snaIlness of the hole
and when he is exhausted he is pulled up bv a rome
and another takes his place
Inc digging of the we'll was begun about a wear
ago ana owing 70 the sandy nature of the soil il
was found necessary to shore the excavation as
IHe Work progressed ON Sunday morning some of
ihe panks gave way the son was al the bottom
oL lhe Well and he buried The work of dig
SING another well alongside ofsthe first one has
continued ever since without intermission