The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-25
ENTIRE COUNTY
F|GHT IS To SAVE
NAN IN WELL
Rescuers Dig Frantically for
rs Hours to Bring Youth
From Under Tons of Sand
HEAD is FIRST UNCOVERED
Freeing of Body Requires Halt
Day Of Effort While Hypo-
dermics Are Administered

SAVAGE, Md, Feb. PA
mans life was, at stake at the
bottom of a caved-in well on the
farm of Tan Pasford, here, and
the men-folk of che countryside
were bent upon winning, despite
the almost insurmountable odds
held by Death.
TOWNSMEN RESPOND.
Maynard Easton. one of 'our
boys" was III ornbed by tons OF
sand sanaa tsialbeI' wrecl<age in the
well-pit.
The community spirit thrives
among The .,,ssid MS of this sec
ton of4the S ate. Everyone knows
everyone else The joys of one
aresthe joys of the others. and the
sorrows Of one are. the sorrows
Of the others.
This was the hour of distress,
.and all responded to relieve the
suffering.
For ,twenty-six hours the rescuers
worked against the odds of shift
ing sand banks which formed the
sides of the collaps ID we'll They
started their digging at l O'Clock
Friday afternoon and 4 did not stop
until 8 o'clock this afternoon. when
the young man whom they sought
was brought out alive
BURIED ALIVE. -.
Easton, who . was engaged in
cleaning the Rasford well, was com
ing to the surface when. the sides
+0fsSthe pit began to slide in upon
him, carrying with them the stone
! lining and the timbers.
HE screamed, but those who were
aiding IN the work were helpless to
stay the shifting sands. They were
forced to stand helplessly by and
see the young man buried alive
Bucketful. by bucketful the sand
and more sand poured in from the
sides.
Prisoners from the Maryland
House of Correction, at Jessups,
were summoned to the scene, when
practically all of the men Of the
neighborhood had been exhausted
from incessant work
Fire apparatus was sent from Bal
timore with hosting equipment.
DISTRICT SENDS AID. .S
An appeal to the wa
ment caused .Qsl shax1aa Keller
Engineer Commissions &c he Klfzss;
trict of Columbia. To tsendE GaptS
John e. sWo0ds his s. sfa1ft 3
Thomas LanigaTl. surersnt aent OF
construction. OF the Sewer Depart
ment; Patrick Gafiiey, foreman of
construction of the department, and
four laborers. with special tunneling
equipment.
Shortly before dapbreak today
the entonbed mans head was un-
covered t
Where is4my father: is he well?"
were his. Nfirsf spoken words. He
then IaTse6 into uneonsci BUSINESS. :.
His body. was wedged between
several large pieces of timber, and
the shifting sands were flowing into
the pit rapidly. almost as fast as
they were being removed by the
workers.
During the morning hours physi-.
clans descended into the pit and
administered hypodermic treat
ments.
The victim became conscious at
intervals and directed the workers.
urging them to ''get me out quick
~: am in terrible agony"
ABANDON TUNNELING.
Little progress was being made in
lifting the sandy earth from the re-
mainder of the mans body. While
one man continued to hoist the
sands from the pit of the well an
other squad of the workers began
to. ftunnel toward the well, with
the hope that they could get under
thes body. and extricate ii in that
manner.
The jarring Of the ground by the
digging poured great quantities of
Eand into the pit, again almost
covering the young mans head.
The tunneliRg was then abandoned.
Dick Boritz, of Ellicott city, a
cousin of the entombed man, ar
rived on the scene early in the
morning, and Immediately went into
the pit, refusing to return to the
surface until the victim had been
extricated.
A belt attached to a rope was
lowered into the we'll and the body
OF young Easton was hauled to
safety.
He was semi-conscious and assist
ed the workers in his removal.
When safely out of the pit, he
asked about his cousin, Boritz, and
would not permit medical treatment
until he was assured that his res
gcuer was safe
He was carried into the Basford
farmhouse where the physicians
began to treat his injuries. He be-
came unconscious and remained in
q state of coma until his death at
T:45 o'clock tonight.