The Republican journal., 1909-07-22
Yarmouth on Cape Cod,

| An awful and furprizing Providence
IA that befel one Ebenezer Taylor, who
was on Saturday the 9Th Instant buried
IL Foot under stones and earth in his
Well. Apprehending it may be of Ser
vice, shall give the Public the following
| Narrative.
The faid Taylor getting Man to go
down his Well to clean it, the Man in
going down about midway of the Well,
which was about 40 Foot deep, observed
Breach in the Wall and being appre-
| hensive of Danger, would not proceed.
Whereupon the faid Taylor went down
to view the Breach, and saw it as he
thought hazardous, from Stones hanging
loose over the Breach: He taking hold Of
one of them, and stirring it little, the
whole Body moved, and pressing down
upon his Leg, and there stayed, till with
abundance of Difficulty in wringing and
twisting, even to the disjointing of his
Hip got it loose; and hanging by the
Well-Rope, the whole body of Stones and
ing him, only racing the Skin of his hands
and Face till it filled the Well II Foot
from the Bottom. And then as Provi-
dence ordered it, the Stones just over his
Head, being somewhat Large, and pres
sing faster in a Body, met together,
bound each other, and made sort of an
Arch, which stopt any more from passing
by him. And so from thence it filled II
Foot above him, there being about ten
Foot vacant Space where he was Here
he continued at least 10 Hours, hanging
by his Hands on the Well-Rope and hav-
ing one Foot on the Stones of the Wall,
and being forced also with Bite of the
Rope to ease up his other lame Leg.
And tho in great Misery by having his
flesh torn, his Hip disjointed and holding
up so long; yet his thoughts were free,
and his Senses quick about him for his
own Preservation. For tho to all ap-
pearances in almost as doleful case as
Jonah, yet he had from the first small
hopes: and tho in the Belly of He'll, yet
he cried unto the Lord when none else
could hear his Voice, or think him to be
alive.
1t was some Hours before Help could
be obtained, and Preparations made for
Digging, and near Night on the last Day
of the Week, before they could accom-
plish to do anything considerable; upon
which accounts fome were for leaving
the Work till Monday, not imagining that
life could lie in him, and proposing rather
digging for dead Corpse to bury him
Gt) again, than for a living Man: But
others had such a strong Impulse on their
Spirits, that they must proceed. Some
times some would strain upon the Rope
which was the Main Stay, and as he
feared would get it from him. And once
he perceived the Rope, which was his
Sheet-Anchor, to come home, being
loosened, so that he was afraid to bear
upon it; And though he called with all
the Life and Vigor he had to fasten it,
yet no Man heard him: But it pleased
God to direct some one to fasten it again,
thinking it might possibly be Of some
; Service to those that We're digging. And
when they got within three or four Foot
of him, and found that he was not only
alive, but also capable of advising with
ing the Stones over his Head with Safety.
With Care and Industry they soon OBJ
tanned his deliverance; and his disjointed
Bones being we'll reduced, he is likely to
do WELL
ooh that men would praise the Lord
for His goodness. and for His wonderful
Works to the Children Of Menn'
The above narrative was reprinted in
Swift's History of Old Yarmouth 1859
1884 the editor making the following
comments: ''This event which produced
profound sensation throughout the set
Elements along these borders of the sea
was celebrated some little time after its
occurrence by solemn religious observ-
ance at Mr.. Taylor's house, his wife,
children and friends being present and a
sermon was preached by George Weeks,
a missionary who labored among the In
| dians, in which the various parties were
each in turn addressed after the manner
| of funeral discourses and the lessons of
the event properly set forth as they SEEM
ed applicable to the individual cases."
'1n the Mother Country, said writer
of the time, 'the story was disbelieved
and was added to the score Of New Eng
| land tales"
Ebenezer Taylor, the hero Of this re-
| markable experience, was born in Var
mouth in 1859 and was son of Richard
Taylor, Jr., who was son Of ''Rock"
| Richard, the first of the Yarmouth fam
| lily. He died October 10, ITO, aged 81.
! One of his sons was Daniel, born October
%, 1922 who married Elizabeth Joyce,
and was the father of Ansel Taylor,
born Nov. 10, 174S, who married Azuba
u,no++ ,,l ,,,ac no fofbor IF Ol;,,o