The Somerset Herald

HIS NECK BROKEN.

Samuel Durst Overcome by Foul Air Fall Into a Well.

An accident resulting in the death of Samuel Durst, of this place, occurred at the home of County Treasurer Pugh, a short distance east of town, about half-past one o'clock Thursday afternoon. Recently the supply of water in Pugh's well became exhausted and he employed Manassas Pifer and George Witt to deepen the well. They dug down five or six feet and in doing so exploded a number of loads of dynamite in order to facilitate their work. At noon Thursday they complained that the air in the well had suddenly become foul and declined to continue at work longer. Durst it is claimed had formerly worked in a coal mine, where the air was more or less foul, and was not affected in the same manner by it as his fellow workmen. He volunteered to go down the Pugh well and had been at work about thirty minutes when a rain storm came up. Pifer and Witt, who were working the windlass at the top of the well, insisted upon his coming up until after the rain had blown over. Durst finally put his left foot in a loop at the end of the rope and grasping the rope with his hands called to the men at the windlass to hoist away.

When Durst was within a few feet of the top he suddenly relaxed his grip on the rope and fell backward. The men turning the windlass knew that something awful had happened the moment they were relieved of the weight of Durst's body. Leaning over the hole and peering down into the depths of the well, they heard the poor fellow groan, Witt volunteered to descend into the well, but before he reached the bottom called to be drawn up as he was being overcome by the foul air. Meanwhile Mr. Pugh's family had been apprised of the accident and a messenger was sent to town for aid. A number of people hurried to the scene, among them policeman George Saylor, who, without stopping to inquire as to the danger, asked to be sent down the well. At the bottom he found the body of Durst. Life was extinct. Placing the dead body in the bucket Saylor secured it with a strap and waited until it had been drawn to the top when he ascended. Saylor was very much exhausted when he reached the open air and claimed that the air at the bottom of the well was foul, although he had remained in it for a period of ten minutes without being entirely overcome.

Durst had fallen a distance of about twenty feet and evidently alighted on his head since his neck was broken. The body was removed to the dead man's house where it was prepared for burial. The deceased was about thirty-two years of age. He was sober and industrious and had only been at work in the well a half hour when he met his death.

County Treasurer Pugh does not place much faith in the theory of Durst's having been overcome by foul air and Saturday determined to test the air in the well. A lighted candle was lowered to the bottom of the well without the flames being disturbed. This test is considered an infallible one.