The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-10-20
SAVED FROM
A DEEP WELL
Maurice Allen, Caught IN
Quicksand, Taken from
His Perilous Position
LONG TRENCH DUG
TO IMPRISONED MAN

1SSSCuelS NoAIIlueu AAOAL AAoA'o
Nearly "a Hours, and "Veno" Bour
geois Stayed in the Well at the Risk
of His Life.
WARE. Mass, Oct. 2O.-All interest
in Ware Yesterday centered in the ul-
timateIy successful work of rescuing
Maurice II. Allen from the bottom Of |
a 30-foot we'll in which he was buried |
Sunday afternoon about o'clock. |
When finally taken out his condition |
was not serious At l clock yester |
dav morning, after all efforts in get
ting Mr. Allen from his position had |
failed, gang of firemen and employ
es of the highway department started
40 feet from the we'll and dug a
trench. Just before this work was
started barrel was let down into the
hole and placed over the unfortunate
man. A hole was bored through the
| head of the barrel and a rubber pipe
was extended to the surface of the
| ground. An air pump was then set in
| place and two men exchanged places
working the pump to supply fresh air
to the prisoner.
Early yesterday morning access to
the well was gained through the
trench, but far below this point the
! barrel, nearly covered up, could be
| seen Mr. Allen talked to the workers
overhead through the pipe and kept
asking when he could be freed. Very
encouraging answers were sent back
and as early as Yesterday morning
he was told that he would be reached
in few minutes. AS the rescuers
neared the barrel great care was exer-
cised for fear the sides wOnld cave
| in. The sides were we'll shored and
no cave-in of any Importance took
! place. Yesterday noon Joseph Bour-
| geOis, who has been working in the
| bottom of the pit since the time of the
| accident, reported that he had reached
the mans knee. Shortly after Mr. Al
len told the men that he could see
light and from that time he kept in
touch with the wOrkmen. telling them
where the pressure was greatest. etc.
so that they could more effectually
carry on the work.
In short time one leg was released
and then the attention was directed in
the matter of releasing the other LEG
Every few minutes small slides would
take place, which would offset the
progress Of the rescuers. but they la
|
at it for 81 hours without rest. Al
0 clock yesterday afternoon the man
was found to be held firmly between
rocks and timbers which caved in nm
on him. lie remained in good spirits
however, and helped the men materi
ally by keeping them Informed as to
, the position of the stones and timbers
around him.
q After the fremen had worked under
his direction for while the beam
= which held his foot was located. The
: word was passed around and the crowd
!. numbering more than 800. tried to get
INTO position where they could see
p but the officers in charge held them
, back. Mr.. Bourgeois, in the pit work
). ed more cautiously than ever. for a
/. slide at this time would have meant
20 many more hours of labor He was
i compelled TO dig with his hands. ow-
: ing to the limited space, and on this
>, account the progress was slow. After
/. the beam was removed two stones were
. also wedged against the mans foot
k In few minutes these had been taken
e out, and then only a small amount of
). sand was left. BY this time Mr.. Al
; len had moved his foot and had told
= Mr. Bourgeois, better known perhaps
: by the name Of ''Neno,' that he wa,
free.
The crowd again pressed nearer, but
were driven back by the police When
: everything was ready the barrel wa,
slowly raised from the bottom of the
. we'll to the surface. distance of near
= ly 30 feet. When Mr. Allen realized
. that he was free he raised his hands
l. and said, @ thank God first and you
T.. boys next. He then shook hands
/. with Mr.. Bourgeois and said, ''Veno
4 # you hadn't been with me all
e the time I should have given up long
d ago. Mr.. Allen was then lifted t.
, the edge of the trench and was car
4 RED into his home. The crowd ther
IS followed the man into the house. buf
T. Chief of Police b. w. Buckley order
: ed Officer Denis to keep the people out
! a mighty cheer was given to tn,
man whom the people had never ex
Id Petted to see again alive, and t