White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-07
FARMER ESCAPES DEATH
IN ABANDONED D|GG|MGS

w. c. Bradley. rancher from
Bothwick creek, about twenty miles
northwest of Ely, narrowly escaped
instant death last Wednesday night
when his automobile went down
steep embankment a distance Of
fifteen feet. where one of the wheels
OF the machine caught in hidden
shaft at the side of the road and
turned turtle. dropping Bradley to
the bottom of the shaft, distance
of about thirty feet, while the ma
chine remained suspended across the
top of the shaft with the wheels
pointed toward the sky.
Bradley was uninjured except for
some slight bruises and the general
shaking up which he received.
The accident was attended by so
and attracted such widespread at
tention that when the news became
known there was a general process
ion of automobiles up Robinson can
yon and small army of people gath
cred from all sections to get a glimpse
of the scene
About 9 o'clock in the evening
"Bill' Bradley. as he is known TO all
in the county. was driving up the
canyon in his Studebaker car. When
directly opposite the first railroad
tunnel and near the city limits he
met car coming in the direction of
Ely. The lights on the car coming
toward him made it difficult for
Bradley to see the road and In turn
ing out 10 the right he went off the
road. The embankment on the road
side at this point is particularly
steep and when he endeavored to
head his car back into the road he
found 1t impossible to do so i'm high
gear. While endeavoring to shift
his gears he experienced trouble and
the car ran down backward until one
of the rear wheels struck the old
shaft. which was covered over with
debris
Notwithstanding the fact that so
many people travel the road daily,
and many thousands have passed the
spot almost daily. as yet no one ,as
been heard to say that they knew OF
the existence of this particular old
shaft.
When the car turned over and
dropped Bradley to the bottom of the
shaft his first thought was TO light a
match and endeavor to see just what
had happened. He was out of matches
and again he was singularly fortu-
nate, because he later discovered that
in the accident gasoline from the ma
chine had saturated his clothes, and
had he lighted a match he would
doubtless have been burned to death.
Bradley shouted for help but no
one heard him or knew of his predic-
ament. For a period of three hours
between and IL o'clock at night he
remained in the perilous position at
the bottom OF the shaft with the car
suspended across the top. AS the
loose dirt and small rocks rolled
down from time to time he realized
the great danger that the sides of
the shaft might at any moment cave
to drop the car on top of
him, which would mean certain
death
About midnight Bill Baldas of the
Star Auto Service was driving from
Ely to Ruth when he saw the lights
on the Bradley car still Turning
Baldes storpcd his car and crawle1
down the embankment TO make an
and see if anyone was
pinned under the big Studebaker. He
heard Bradley's call for help and in
quired II anyone was hurt Bradley
replied that he was not injured but
his position was by no means a COM
Portable one and he would much more
enjoy a seat in the comfortable lounge
of one of the Ely hotels than to re-
main in darkness at the bottom OF
the abandoned shaft. Baldas imme-
diately realized that he could not re-
lease the imprisoned man without
the aid of a rope. and ne told the
latter he would continue on into the
city, where he would procure the
lifeline and return. This he did in q
remarkably short space of time. and
about five minutes later, with the
aid OF Baldas. Bradley was drawn up
the side of the shaft and heaved
sigh OF relief
About an hour later and approxi-
mately l o'clock Thursday morning
party called at the Lincoln Highway
garage and informed the night man
that friend while making an inves-
tigation at the scene of the accident
had also dropped to the bottom of
the shaft. Roy Matthias was immedi-
ately notified and driving a car from
the garage went to the scene OF the
accident. where he was amazed to
find that the old shaft existed. AS
ha turned the spotlight of his car on
the Bradley machine he remarked.
There Is big car down there" and
Immediately came the cry from the
bottom, "Yes, and there is a man
down here, too" The rope was again
called into play and the second vic
tim released without q scratch but
with the firm determination to here
after look before he leaps. The sec
ond accident was due to the fact
that in a car being driven from Ruth
two occupants saw the lights burning
on the ill-fated Studebaker Stop
ping his car at the side of the road.
the driver crawled down the embank-
ment. and while endeavoring to as
certain whether or not anyone was
under the car he lost his balance and.
like man suddenly walking into
space. landed at the bottom of the
shaft, where he found no ere in
place hut later remarked that IL there
had been 1t would have been the only
thing around there that was in place
All is we'll that ends we'll but Bill
nradoU hoo ha