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Hartford Township had an open well scare eighty
years ago similar to the one which happened in Allegan County last
year. It happened on the Joseph Ruggles farm in 1848. Stillman
F. Breed who was teaching school in the neighborhood at the time tells
about it as follows:
It was in the month of
February one beautiful, clear Sabbath day after the family had returned from
church service when Eli Ruggles, a youth of fifteen went to the well
with his younger brother and sister, Wesley and Mariah, after
a pail of water and lost the bucket. His mother had gone to the
nearest neighbors. Eli, with the assistance of his father, who was a
large, athletic man but blind, by means of a rope and windlass, was lowered
into the well, which was 22 feet deep, to recover the bucket. Reaching
the bottom he placed his feet on the opposite sides of the well, when one of
the stones dropped into the water then another and another in rapid
succession, when Eli called to his father to wind the windlass and himself
sprang up the rope with all his might, but when half way out the stones
closed in upon him to the depth of three feet above his head. With
position erect and both hands in which the rope was clasped, above his head,
stones below, above and all around, he was firmly held in their cold
embrace. The news was soon conveyed to the mother who hastened
homeward. Wesley mounted a horse to convey the news to the
neighbors. I was seated by the fireside of a neighbor when I heard a
voice of someone helloing. I went to the door and Wesley told me with
a stifled voice that Eli was in the well buried beneath the stones.
Taking my cap I hastened to the place which was a mile and a half distant.
Many teams were soon on the road hastening to the point of danger.
When I reached the house I was met by the mother who said, "Oh Stillman, we have a trial
now". Who can image the
anguish of the mother's heart, the love she felt for her dear son? I
saw, too, a father who was blind and could not behold the scene. How
great must have been his anguish of heart. Eli's little sisters were
weeping bitterly for they feared he would die. The poor boy was
groaning under the pressure of those large stones. There was yet a
circle of large stones at the top of the well held there by the frost and
those lay projecting over the inside and there was danger of their falling
every minute and any person would have been in danger of his life to venture
in there. Mr. Gilbert Conklin proposed knocking these stones
loose and letting them fall in, but Eli cried out, "Don't let the stones fall for my head is
hold the stones apart". Mr. Robertson went into the well and commenced
handing the stones out, but seeing they could not work that way he came out
and we tore away the curbing. Several more men had arrived to help
release the victim from death which seemed to be his doom. It was enough to
melt the most stubborn heart to hear the groans and cries of the poor boy
and his prayers he was "O
Lord, have mercy on me" and the
prayer of the father and mother to save their son. Ansel Reynolds,
the father of the Mrs. Roy Hinckley, went in and worked until the
boy's head and shoulders were uncovered, but the blood on the stones was too much
for him and he was helped out. Mr. Samuel Robertson took his
place and soon seeing the danger that both were in cried out, "Oh for God's sake, bring something
that we can get these stones out faster. Let us save the boy". Men lay on their breasts around the well
trying to hold those stones from falling but the sun was shining and
the stones were thawing and fall they must. One man said "lay boards over him", another said "build a stage around him. Some
board, some boards, for Heaven's sake". Here are boards in this lean-to and down comes the building
quickly and the boards were placed around the boy at the outside of the well
circle, coming together in the center and then the stones were loosened
until they were all down. The stones were too heavy to be raised by
any means at hand. Mr. John Olds had been digging a well a mile
and a half away and a rope and tub were there. Away files Husen
Taylor with his horse and cutter and soon the windlass was erected, then
the stones were soon removed. As we neared his feet the boy was in
great pain from the blood beginning to circulate again. We got almost
to his feet when someone said, "Can't you get out, Eli?" Eli answered, "I might by leaving one of my boots", and a shout went up and a dozen pairs of boots were
offered and Eli was soon out and we were all glad to see him.
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