Terrible Accident.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1625, 3 February 1886, Page 2

Terrible Accident.

A MAN BURIED ALIVE IN A WELL.

A lamentable accident, the bare facts of which have reached us by telegram, occurred at Avondale, a suburb of Auckland, on Monday last, by which a well known settler lost his life m a very horrible manner. The following particulars are condensed from the report furnished to the New Zealand 'Herald : — ■ John R. Wickham, butcher m Avondale, residing m a house rented from Mr John Buchanan, near the Whau Bridge, arranged with. Wm. Inskip, well-digger, to clean out his well, which, it may be' explained, was bricked to the bottom. Inskip started at 7.45 a.m., and was as sisted by Win. H. Scarlett, dairyman by occupation, but who was helping Inskip m cleaning wolls m the district. Messrs Wickham and Scarlett lowered him into the well with a rope, m & sling, the well being 40 feet deep. On getting down to the bottom, Inskip said there was three feet of mud m the^well. Scarlett setit him down a bucket and bailer,, and he commenced to bail out. Mr Wickham then left to go to his business premises at Avondale, leaving the two other men at work. Scarlett had taken away about a dozen buckets of mud, when Inskip. made the remark that the earth was slipping, and running like sand under the lower course of bricks. Scarlett replied, " Take care of yourself, Bill, whatI ever you do !" Scarlett had hardly the remark out of his mouth when Inskip gave a cry of alarm, and called for j the rope. Scarlett cub the lace from the bucket instantly, and threw the rope down the well, but at the same moment tht well collapsed. The bricks caved m, m tiers, and fell on him, all of the brick ing going to the bottom, up to within eight feet of the top, which latter section retained its position. Scarlett, on looking down the well, saw that it was filled with bricks and rubbish, some 15 feet if depth, and consequently nine feet of bricks and mullock were on the unfortunate man, who never had a chance of escape, the rope being caught m the bricks About 1300 bricks fell on him. Scarlett tried to pull the rope up, but could not do so. He could hear Inskip groaning, and called a carter who was passing by j to go and give the alarm and get assistance. The task of getting out the body | occupied until 12 o'clock at night, the work being necessarily slow, owing to the sides of the well having to be shored up, as the debris was taken out, to prevent accidents. i When Inskip was first discovered, the j attitude of the arms gave the impression | that he had been striving to protect his head from the fulling bricks. There j were some cuts on the top of his head, a dent m the chest, and some patches of blood on the breast of his shirt, but the features were placid, as if he had been suffocated. The deceased was 62 years of age, and leaves a widow and large family, the youngest being about nine years of age. He was formerly m the 65th Regiment, and had sunk wells while stationed with his detachment m Napier. It is believed that m scooping out the mud from the bottom of the well he m some way started the lower course I of bricks, and when once they began to go the total collapse of the bricking en- j sued, and thus caused the unfortunate man to lose his life.