Gunnison news-champion., 1923-09-14
ictim of Sand Dies as
% Madly Dig Slide

Continued from First Page)
me, at 10 o'clock last night, lie was
.'IrCt.
Born in England
hughes moved to his ranch home
eFeral weeks ago. He was born
-'ty-four years ago in England. He
.ad previously worked in mines in
England and in Colorado for thirty
ears. He was victim Of a rock
.Ive-in in Colorado and was given
up for dead at that time, his wife
aid, but WIS eventually rescued and
covered, after suffering from par
alysis for three months.
A month ago Hughes dug the
Jwenty-one-foot well in which yester-
lays disaster occurred. Water was
truck at that depth, supplying the
Hughes family and neighbors, but
early last week the well went dry
Yesterday Hughes announced his in
tention Of deepening il. His wife
protested. she said, that the work
would be unsafe, a the shaft had not
been properly shored.
Hughes started working about 8
o'clock.
Discovered by Wife
The cavern occurred about $50, and
was AT first unnoticed by his wife.
She thinks he had been buried about
minutes when she happened to dis
cover the accident. With her FIVE
year-old son, Harold, she ran scream
ing out onto the road leading to Both
ell Highway. The first person en-
countered was logger. who ran to
the rescue. He lowered himself into
the well carefully and scraped away
the loose dirt, until Hughes head and
shoulders were partially clear
Gathering volunteer workmen or
gained themselves and proceeded on
careful plan of rescue. Fearing
added trouble with the loose and
shifty ground, they started digging a
trench all the way around the well
top, and about 10 feet from il to re-
lieve the pressure of the ground just
about the mans buried body.
Others hastily constructed a wooden
box, open at both ends and placed this
just over Hughes head and shoulders.
to protect his breathing in case of an
other slide.
Fearing that the results of the ex-
perience might be fatal, even after
his removal, the rescue party sent to
Seattle for a fire truck and for ex-
perienced workers in reconsideration.
The truck broke down about three
miles from its destination and the
firemen were conveyed to the scene
by passing automobiles.
Upon their arrival two teams of
twelve men each were organized to
work in relays on the rescue
At four o'clock the rescuers sue
ceeded in uncovering the head and
shoulders. He was greatly weakened
by his experience and complained of
pains on his chest. Before he could
be extricated second slide occurred
This not only reburied Hughes but
also caught Clayton Osterhout, Seattle
fireman with Truck Company No. 9.
In the interval between uncover
ing the head of Hughes and the second
slide the rescue party had inserted a
metal sheet above his head. to pro-
tect him partially from the effects of
another threatened cavern, and had
also brought him section of rubber
hose TO aid him in breathing, the other
end of the hose being left above
ground.
With renewed efforts the rescue
party attacked their discouraging
job after the second slide In twenty
minutes they had uncovered and res
cued Osterhout, little the worse for
his experience. Again they started
to uncover Hughes.
Physicians, waiting for his rescue,
reported shortly after o'clock that
they could detect no signs of life
through the rubber hose. but Paul
Adams, his son-in-law, insisted at Z
o'clock that he could detect labored
breathing.