Yesterday morning a German named Herman Grafenstein who was digging a well at the insane asylum met sudden death from foul air in the well as he was being let down to resume his work. Saturday he was troubled some from the foul gas and when he came out in the evening, having reached a depth of seventy feet, he covered the well over to guard against anyone falling into it, which covering no doubt aided in the accumulation of gas between that time and yesterday morning. On returning to work yesterday morning he left his test lights at home and on being let down a distance of about twenty feet he called to the men at the windlass to draw him up which they proceeded to do but he was so overcome by the gas that when in about ten feet of the top he became insensible, loosed his hold and fell to the bottom of the well sixty feet below, falling upon and slightly bruising his head, though probably dead before reaching the bottom. Justice Hamilton in the absence from town of coroner Eager, held the inquest which resulted in a verdict in accordance with the above facts. He leaves a wife and two children who were dependent upon him for support. They live in one of S. K. McGinnis’ houses on east Main street.
Jamestown Weekly Alert, June 27, 1884
Yesterday morning a German named Herman Grafenstein who was digging a well at the insane asylum met sudden death from foul air in the well as he was being let down to resume his work. Saturday he was troubled some from the foul gas and when he came out in the evening, having reached a depth of seventy feet, he covered the well over to guard against anyone falling into it, which covering no doubt aided in the accumulation of gas between that time and yesterday morning. On returning to work yesterday morning he left his test lights at home and on being let down a distance of about twenty feet he called to the men at the windlass to draw him up which they proceeded to do but he was so overcome by the gas that when in about ten feet of the top he became insensible, loosed his hold and fell to the bottom of the well sixty feet below, falling upon and slightly bruising his head, though probably dead before reaching the bottom. Justice Hamilton in the absence from town of coroner Eager, held the inquest which resulted in a verdict in accordance with the above facts. He leaves a wife and two children who were dependent upon him for support. They live in one of S. K. McGinnis’ houses on east Main street.
Jamestown Weekly Alert, June 27, 1884
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