Dorweiler, Paul died 1889

DORWEILER

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 1/27/2023 at 08:52:50

Elkader Register, Thur., 23 May 1889.

On Saturday last Coroner Cain was called to Guttenberg to old an inquest over the remains of Paul and Joseph Dorweiler, who had been suffocated by gas in a well.

The facts as brought out in the coroner's inquest are as follows:

Paul Dorweiler had been hired by his brother-in-law, who lives about four miles from Guttenberg, to dig his well deeper. On Friday he went out and went into the well to set a blast to loosen up the rock in the bottom. After coming out of the well he threw down a lot of straw and set fire to it, but it failed to explode the blast. Saturday morning early he went down into the well by means of a rope ladder to see why the blast failed to explode. Soon after going into the well he was heard to call for help, and his brother Joseph (who is employed on the farm) started down the rope ladder to his assistance. Soon he to failed to respond to calls from above and help was summoned and the two drawn from the well by aid of ropes and grappling hooks, but too late, the gas had done its deadly work.

They were aged 21 and 20 years, and both were industrious young men.

The verdict of the coroner's jury was in accordance with the above facts.