BURIED ALIVE.

Evening Star, Issue 2983, 10 September 1872, Page 2

BURIED ALIVE.

A sad accident occurred at Wanganui lately, by which a son of Mr P. Ward lost Ids life. From the evidence given at the inquest, it appears that Mr Ward and his son were engaged in digging a well. The son was working below, and Mr Ward was at the windlass drawing up the earth from the well at the time of tho accident; the well was about fourteen fret deep, the entire depth being of nothing but sand. Mr Ward called on the boy to come up, as ho wished to leave off; the boy replied that he wanted to send up .another bncketfull, just to clear up the bottom of the well, and he was engaged in doing so when a portion of the side of the well fell in, covering him up to the knees. Mr Ward at once ca'lcd for assistance Mr James Using, who was making the road close by, ran with his men to the well, and a man named Joseph Harwood went down and sent up a few buckets of sand ; but finding that it was coining in faster than he could send it up, a rope was passed down and made fast to the boy. Those on the top began to pull, but the poor boy could not bear the pain, and begged of them to desist. All this time the sand continued falling in, but it became evident to those on the top that both the boy and Harwood were in extreme peril. Again they tried to pull out the boy, but without avail. Harwood then requested to be drawn up, which was no sooner done than there was another fall of sand which buried the boy up to the chest. By this time a large number of people were present, and the scene was described by those who were present as being terrible in the extreme. A number of people now laid hold of the rope, determined to pull the boy out if possible. The poor fellow now bore the pain, which must have been excruciating, without a murmur, but all efforts tailed to move him, and at last the rope broke. The rope was then doubled and made fast on, and more and more strength applied, when the double rope broke, and almost at the same moment an immense fall of earth covered the unfortunate boy several feet. Harwood again went down and endeavored to remove sufficient sand to give the boy a chance to breathe, and had actually got down to the boy and removed his cap when there was another fall, and Harwood had another very narrow escape. He was immediately pulled up again, and shortly after nearly the whole of the well fell in. The well was sunk on the side of a hill, and all hands set to work to take down the side of the hill ; and after working at it for some time it became dark, and as all hopes of getting out the boy alive had ceased, the people left Off till next morning, wlien, a. large party set to, and after removing an immense amount of sand, they recovered the body. The deceased was a tino lad about seventeen years of age, and was very much liked by all who knew him.