A VISION OF DEATH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2597, 3 September 1909, Page 3

A VISION OF DEATH.

THRILLING EXPERIENCE IN A WELL. ;• ; 9 The Narrabri correspondent of the “Sydney Evening News” writes:— Particulars are just to hand of a young man’s sensational experience on a station 20 miles from town, on the plains. The following are the exact particulars of the -affair, as gleaned from a reliable source: A party of three men had undertaken to clean out aud remove the timbering of a very deep well. One of them had been engaged at the last moment by the other two ' in consequence of his having had v experience in different mining industries in the State. He belongs to Sydney but lias been workng in the district some time. Previous 'to- entering on the work of removing the timber and debris, the two principals on the job made a descent of the well. They found nothing wrong with the ground below. While the third man was at the windhiss above, and they beneath, he, gazing across the plain before him, had ■ a distinct vision of the well, aud a man at the bottom of it. Tho man was himself, and the well was caving in- on him, and bringing him an awful fate ; he being buried alive. When his mates came up, they were told of his vision, but they only laughed at him.

The next day it was his turn to go below and commence the more hazardous work by himself. When he. was lowered to' the bottom he was horrified to find the excavation had already commenced to fall in. It was all right the previous day when his mates were down, lie signalled to them the beet way he could and they shouted down to bring up two implements which had been left at the bottom. By this time the man was almost paralysed with fear, and his mates above- almost in the game condition.; It was touch and go with their, mate at the bottom. Gathering the tools he signalled to haul up, windand the. long ascent began, the men ing for dear life. The man below had only gone up a few feet when, with a loud roar, intensified by the depth of the shaft, the sides caved in. Had he remained ten seconds longer he would have been .buried under # tons of, eartli and timber. He escaped .an awful death. He arrived at the:, top safely to receive tlic warm handgrips of his mates. The man who went I through this thrilling experience is an intelligent,.self-controlled man; but ho avers he never again?’wants to go through a similar ordeal.