In The Quicksands

Quick8and swallowed W. A. Finley, a hotel proprietor of Norristown, Tuesday, to the waist, and but for the heroic aseistance of two friends he would have met an awful doom. Finley, William Shine and John Goodwin started out to catch snipe and snappers. They drove to Fairview and then started on foot up the Skippack creek, which flows a mile from the town. They chose this spot for their tour for game because it is rarely visited. Finley and Shine waded in the creek searching for snappers, while Goodwin remained on the bank gunning for snipe. Without knowing it, Finley walked into a bed of quicksand. He did not realize for some minutes the peril he was in. Bapidly he began to sink, and then the horror of the threatened doom confronted him. He tried to lift his feet, but his legs had sunk to the tops of his boots in the consuming sand, and the water touched his waist. Finley pulled and tugged at his right leg. It yielded, but at the same time his left foot penetrated deeper and deeper into the mysterious substance. Then he reversed his eflorts and with all his strength pulled at his left leg. It yielded, but the right leg went down to an alarming depth. Finley called to Shine for help, and the latter responded quickly. He tried in vain at his own peril to extricate his friend. By this time the quicksand had almost swallowed Finley's legs, and the water was gradually rising and nearing his shoulders. Then Goodwin was summoned. The victim was sinking more rapidly now, and the water was getting alarraingly near his chin. The combined efforts of the two friends checked the descent. They tugged for 10 minutes before Finley, utterly exhausted, was pulled from the quicksand. For curiosity they aftJ erward tried to reach the bottom of the bed with lonir sticks. The sand was