Walter A. Bombarger, 1875-1910

BOMBARGER, ADOLPH

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 1/29/2011 at 01:15:16

Meets Death in Well
Walter Bombarger Overcome By Gas Forty Feet Below
Dead When Taken Out
Was Digging Well for His Father-in-law, A. Adolph, in Ellsworth Township

Walter A. Bombarger, one of the most prominent young farmers of Ellsworth township, met his death Saturday afternoon about one o’clock in a well forty feet deep on the farm occupied by his father-in-law, A. Adolph, where he had been at work for several days. He had been digging the well with a spade and Mr. Adolph was pulling the dirt to the top by means of a windlass. When they quit work at noon Saturday they had reached the depth of forty feet but no water. It was suggested that they bore down several feet with a han auger and after dinner Mr. Bombarger took the auger and was lowered into the well. He started to bore and after he had made a few turns of the handle remarked to Mr. Adolph, who was at the top, that the air was getting foul. He continued at work a few moments longer and Mr. Adolph saw him pitch forward and drop to his knees. He called to him but received no reply. He realized something terrible had happened and summoned assistance at once. Will Handgartner, a near neighbor, came as soon as possible and a lantern was ighted and lowered into the well. Before it had reached half way to the bottom it went out. It was then that they found out there was gas in the well. They secured a hook attached to a rope and dropping it to the bottom succeeded in pulling the body of Mr. Bombarger to the top. Life was extinct. This was only about thirty minutes after he had been lowered into the well. The supposition is that in boring with the auger he struck a pocket of gas and it came up so fast that before he could call to Mr. Adolph to pull him us he was overcome by the deadly fume.

This is one of the saddest accidents that has occurred here for some time. Deceased was one of the highly respected citizens of Ellsworth township and his death is sadly felt. He was thirty-three years of age and had been a resident of this county for fifteen years, the past two years residing on the Eisenhower farm easts of Huntington. He is a son of B. C. Bombarger. He leaves a wife and two small children, besides his father, step-mother, five brothers and four sisters, to mourn his untimely death. Funeral services were held at Huntington Tuesday morning and the remains interred in Oak Hill cemetery. (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, December 14, 1910)