DREADFUL DEATH IN A QUICKSAND. 53 



building a well about fifteen feet deep, sunk down to 

 a quicksand, at Woodside, New York, when the sides 

 caved in, partly burying" him. When discovered, his 

 head and part of his body, were however still above 

 the sand. Abundant assistance was at hand, and 



" His two sons worked desperately to save their father's 

 life, and dozens of men worked with shovels round the well, 

 whilst others fastened ropes under Mr. Parsell's arms. Ten 

 men pulled on the rope, from the second story of the house, 

 until deep ridges were made by the rope in the window sill ; 

 but all efforts failed and the agony produced by the 

 tremendous strain was so great, that at the request of the 

 doomed man himself the attempt was given up. Meanwhile 

 the sand constantly packed itself more solidly round him, 

 and continued to rise up over his head and shoulders. A 

 rubber tube was placed in his mouth to supply him with air, 

 while the rescuing party fought the deadly sands desperately ; 

 but they could not dislodge the body from their tenacious 

 grip. John, the elder son, stood at his father's side, and 

 with a shovel worked furiously for nearly two hours. Three 

 times he succeeded in clearing away the sands from his fa- 

 ther's head, but they rapidly rose up again like the waters 

 of a spring, and at last covered him entirely. After a long 

 time they succeeded in getting the body out but life was 

 extinct."* 



This terrible incident shows the extraordinary tenacity 

 with which quicksands will sometimes hold their victim ; 

 and the difficulty of effecting a rescue, even when 

 abundant means are at hand; and we think it more 

 than justifies any observations or words of warning 

 which we have written on this subject: a matter which 

 we believe no other traveller has done more than 

 casually allude to. 



* Condensed details from Report in the Scientific American News- 

 paper of June 14, 1890. 



