Remarkable Preservation.
The Times, 1824-12-28T00:00:00

(From a New York paper.) A wonderful instance of theyreiervatibn of human life, when in imminent danger, occurred at (Ceneva, in the state of New York, on the 22d of October. AIr. James Gerry, an Irishman, had de- scended a well for the purpose of removing some obstructions. The well was 61 feet deep, and some of the stones In the well, near the botton) had been loosened by the washing of quick-sands. Having dlescended between 40 and 50 feet, as he was standing with one foot in the bucket, and the other sesting upon the side of the wall, on a sudden the stones below gave way and closed togetler, and the whole mass 6f the walls above sunk down upon him and buried him beneath the ruins. The shock, says the Geneva Gazctte, produced by such a disaster can be imagined, but not described. A groani issued from beneath the stoneg and earth; which proved that life was not'extinct, and in- spired a feeble hope of extricating the unfortunate mian alive ! Hun. dreds immediately collected around the spot, In painful solicitude, all anxious to bear a part in rescuinig a fellow.mortal from so terri- ble a grave I The most promnpt and active exertions were made to excavate as soon as possible the stones and eafth that had fallen in. It wao half past four o'clock p. in. when the catastroplhe happened. 1In m 6ninutes a windlass and bucket were procured and put in ope- raion. No less than 10 tons of stone were to be drawn up, before relief could be given. But few could lalsour at a time, and though they proceeded with the futmast activity, the removing1 of so great a quantity of stones, mingled with the earth that had failen in, was a task slow and tedious. As they proceeded, occaslonal groans could still be heard issuing from the cold damp earth beneath. When night ap?roachedd they had penetrated but a few feet below the sur- faee, and the prospect zseered gloomy and doubtful. A crold of 20(0 or 300 anixiously waited the issue of the eVent. lvery thing was soon put into a systematic train; persons were appointd to mate all necessary provision, and preserve order and silence amongstthte crowd. Ihe night was dark and unpleasant; but by the asistance of lamps they vigorously' prosecuted the work. Those in the well would, at intervals, call to the buried man, to ascertain if he could hear them ; but no answer could as yet be heard. A general silence and solemnity prevailed,, broken only by the occasional nmurmur of inquiry among the crowd, the hollow noise of the atenes tumibled into the bucket in the well, the voice of.the workmen, and now and then the groans of the distreg4ed man beneath. It was now towards midnight, and they had gone about 90 feet below the surface, the workmen in the well called again to Gerry,, a breathle8s silence pre. vailed, and a distinct answer was returred. At this a murmut of joy ran through the crowd, and the countenances of all were lighted up wvith hope. They now toiled with renewed ardour, occasionally calling to Gerry as before, and receiving in retuxrn distinct responses. They asLed. himi, whtat distance he thought he was down ? He ra. tionally replied,-" Between 40 and 60 feet." There now remained nor a doubt-but he might be extricated alive, provided the stones were not arched above him in such a mariner as to fall uporh hins when loosened; they now proceeded with the ut- most caution. Between two and three o'clock,when they had come to within 20 feet- of him, they stopped about 15 minutes to take some refreshment. The poor suffeher below, who for some time had been conscious of the exertions of his sympathizing fellows, perceiv- ing that the noise from the tumbling of the stones into the bucket no longer continued, now fancied they had ceased their exertions and left him to expire in that terrible situation! Iri) this moment of despair, he burst out into a pitiful tone of wailing, and begged theymi " For Grod's Hake not to leave him !" They informed him of the cause of their stopping; and he was soorl gladdened by the re- turning sound of the rattling of the stones into the bucket. They asked him in what situation he was? and he answered, that " he was wedged in all round by the stones." When they had come within 3 or 4 feet of him, he called for some water to drink. His thirst. was the natural reult of his protracted agonv. About daylight they had lowered the mass down even with his head. nThey found him forty.eight feet below the surface, in an erect position, completely wedged in, as he had said. A large stone, weighing eighty pounds. rested on his head whlich wvas turned a little up, making a considerable gash, thought not producinig a frac- ture in the hkull-a stone on each side of his head, pressing like a vice, and one or two smaller ones, covered with blood about his -face-leaving a smnall aperture for bis inouth, so that he coald just Ibreathe and speak. His arms were raised in the position in which he held the rope-one foot was in the buchet, and the other, fortu- nately, was at liberty so that he could move it-no other part of his body could stir ! So tight was he wedged in, that it was necessary I to remove the stones down as low asI his feet. At a quarter before nine o'clock in the moming, having continued sixteen houas and fifteen minutes irn the well, he was drawn up ina crate, and vblcom- ed by an admiring and joyful crowd to. this upper world as one rescued from the grave-asone arisen from the dead. Shivering with cold, he cast a 'wistful. look eround 'it&b his deliverers7, and was borne into the house. He was followed. by the tbree faithful men who hatl tolled incessantl for 13 bouts in thc well, and who received as theyecame up, the hearty cbeas Qf'the surro'unding multitude for their indefatigable and 'paiseworft exerttitis. Twro or three medical gentletnen.were in waiting-jo refeiye the' unfortunBate man; and it was fonnd on e;raifiiatlo'i, tb4t )providentiully . not a bone was fractaired! flis face iiaV-d: Be,e-e'badlv bruised and cat. as well as other parts ;f6lhi Eody. 6,-hTfi con(ispn an his head produced tnhensibilityef aafec}loutf }ii shocident, aB he says he knew nothing for sonie tip'e. o I?yto REMAREABLE PRESERVATION.