The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-19
WALL Of WELL
SLIPS; DIGGER
BURIED Alive
Continued from Frs. paxea


chances in employing an inexperi-
enced man to avoid any accident
that might occur.
Mr.. Patterson had helped Mr..
Young at different times and yes
terday the well was nearing COM
pletion. 1t was said that Mr..
Young was nearly through with the
work at the bottom Of the well and
was preparing to come to the top
when the accident occurred.
Sand at Nine Feet,
The vein Of sand started at a
depth Of about nine feet from the
top Of the ground, the first layer
OF soil being hard and compact.
The sand vein continued to the
depth Of ~ feet and started to cave
in from the bottom Of the we'll
where Mr.. Young was working. In
a few seconds 1t started to cave in
all the way up towards the top of
the ground, filling up to the com
pact glbund.
Mr.. Young was smothered to
death. No hopes for extricating
him from the sandy grave were
found when the police arrived and
learned the depth Of the sand
which had covered the workman.
More than 800 people had gath
cred around the Patterson resi-
dence shortly after the accident
occurred. In the evening at 8
O'Clock when the police and work.
men were still trying to bring the
body to the surface the crowd grew
and the space around~the well was
enclosed in rope to keep the
spectators out of the way. The
police were having q difficult time
to keep the large crowd back after
1t was discovered that the body
had been reached shortly after s
O'Clock.
The whole neighborhood gath
cred at the scene Of the accident
and automobiles were parked for
blocks on the streets and avenues
close to the Patterson home. Auto
mobile traffic on Twelfth street
was almost impossible.
Reseaers In Danger.
Inspector Lawrence Eihl Of the
city health department and Emil
DeSmet, mechanic in the city gar
age, comhatted the sand down in
the well for four hours, frequently
having 70 climb out quickly to es-
cape being buried. When they
finally had uncovered the head and
shoulders Of the dead man the two
collapsed from the strain. They
were given medical attention in the
Patterson home by DR.. Joseph De-
Silva, who remained on the scene
Of the accident throughout the even
ing.
After Eihl and DeSmet left, AL
bert Glaspell. cashier Of the Modern
Wcodmen Of America office, and
Frank Patterson, at whose home
the well was being dug. carried on
the work. Assistance was given BY
Walter Anderson, zz71 Twenty
sixth street, q carpenter. and by
several who were able to help In
diligently. The police force was
on hand In numbers.
Boy II Hurt
George Chandler. agsa Is, son OF
Mr.. and Mrs. George Fl. Chandler,
1414 Eighteenth aveunA. one OF the
large crowd around the wen, was
injured. He was struck on the
right thumb BY Z heavy hammer
welded BY W. c. Hansen. 1910
'Y Young Chandler ~Ls standing on
IN uptufned bucket TO ses over the
heads Of the crowd. Hansen was
erecting 4 temporary fence nearby
70 keep the crowd from trampliug
his garden. He had RAISED his
hammer to hit one Of the fence
posts, driving It into the ground,
when the boys support Ease way
and he stumbled over MAR Hansen
and steadied himself by seeking ths
fence post. It was quite dark |:
Hansen did not 80 The boy's hand.
and the hammer descended. George
went Immediately 70 The Patterson
houa4 and there received medical
attention. His thumb vao badly
crushed. bat he injury y not Of 9
serious nature
Native e1 Gcrnany.
Carl Young was . native u Ger
many. He NAs born HoA. =. 1904.
aud came to Dayeaport seven years
ago. He was married four years