Sandford, Joshua

A LONG IMPRISONMENT.

Joshua Sandford, the Imprisoned
Well-digger near Paris, released
on Saturday.

Joshua Sandford, the young man who was imprisoned for 90 hours by the caving in of a well near Paris, was rescued from his perilous position on Saturday. He was working in the bottom of the well on Tuesday when something went wrong and he gave the order to be drawn up. Before he reached the top, the sides of the well caved in and the brick wall collapsing formed a pocket around the young man between forty and fifty feet from the surface. He existed in this cavity until rescued on Saturday afternoon and was brought to the surface in a surprising condition considering his long imprisonment. The work of rescue had been carried on incessantly since Tuesday, but to reach him the workers had to dig a new well some fifty feet away from the old, to the depth of the imprisoned man, and run a cross shaft to the old well. In this way the man was reached on Friday but it was found that his lower limbs were held fast by tons of brick earth and timber. Finally another cross tunnel was dug two feet below the first, the material taken from around the limbs of the imprisoned man and he was drawn down and taken out through the lower tunnel. Throughout the affair Sandford exhibited the highest bravery and assisted greatly in the work of rescue at first by tapping on an iron pipe which was in the well to let the workers know his whereabouts, and later by trying to dig the material from around his limbs. After his rescue Sandford exhibited the utmost coolness.
With his face covered with a handkerchief he was born to the house near the scene, where the doctors made a careful examination. No bones were broken. Nothing worse than a few bad bruises together with a slight scalp wound, were found, and the medical men expressed the opinion that he would be all right in forty-eight hours. Not even his sisters were allowed to see him. Sandford expressed a desire to sleep, and the nurse adjusted his pillow. "You needn't do that," he said. "I've had a pillow of stones all week and I can stand these."
The accident aroused the greatest excitement in the vicinity. All business in Paris was suspended for a time and thousands of people gathered around the well anxiously awaiting news of the imprisoned man. The news of his rescue was learned with joy; the bells were rung in Paris to celebrate the event, and messages of gladness for the safety of the young man came in from all parts of the country.