Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-19

Many acts of heroism take place in
the bowels of the earth hat go unre-
corded, which, if heralded to the world,
would endow the heroes with undying
fame; but their modesty and matter of
fact way OF looking at these things for
bids them from Boosting or relating
these incidents, and it is only OCCASION
ally that they become known. We
~happended to get into a casual con-
versation the other evening with Jack
kerDIeen, foreman at the Hamburg,
II of the best miners on the lode, and
he innocently allowed us to lead him
on until we had gathered a halfa dozen
instances of bis personal experience
and courage that would do honor to
the bravest soldier that ever faced
death on the battle field. He will
blush to find that we took az advantage
OF him, and wonder what there is in
the happenings worthy OF embalming
in print. but we will leave that to the
readers judgment. Some two weeks
ago he had just gone down On the
400 foot level of the mine, on his usual
round of inspection, when his atten-
ton was called to a man crawling out
of an 80 foot deep Wine, who fell faint
ing as soon as he reached the DOR OF
the DRIFT. Jack rushed to the man,
found him insensible, and saw at once
that it was a case of foul air, and it
flashed across his mind that there
were more miners in the bottom of
that DRIFT. To rush TO another portion
of the mine and summon assistance,
grab a rope, hurry back and start
down the winze alder, was but the
work of a minute. Most men would
have hesitated before venturing into
the dense carbonic gas, to breathe
which was almost certain death, but
he had but thought, and that was
to rescue the three men in the Wine.
Reaching the bottom he found them
lying in a stupor and insensible. He
attached the rope to the body of n
of them, sang out to the miners who
had gathered at the mouth otthe winze
to haul away, which they did with a
will, and soon landed him on top. The
operation was repeated with the other
two, and then Jack, dizzy and faint,
climbed out. his temples throbbing
with pain, and very nearly overcome
his efforts. The men Fortunately re-
covered, after a course of medical
treatment, as also did Jack, who was
i'll for three days after the occurrence.
Some time ago Jack was working in
the Atlas mine putting in a blast in the
bottom of a 80 foot Wine, in company
wiki a brother miner. Everything
being ready to fire it, his companion
lit the fire, and both started up the
ladder, Jack ahead. He had climbed
about 20 feet when his partner shouted
that he was about to faint. Without a
moments hesitation, Jack skipped
back, and, just as the man relaxed his
hold, succeeded in grabbing a death
grip to his shirt. 1t was a fearfully
heavy burden, the man weighing 200
pounds; but, putting forth all of his
muscular energies, he slowly climbed
the ladder, round by round, the in.
sensible miner embarrassing his prog-
ress by his contortions. 1t was al
most certain death unless he succeeded
in getting out of reach of the ex p~losion,
and his progress seemed to be pain
fully slow; but he hung on, and was
within ten feet Of the top before TIE
blast went off, a sufficient distance to
place him and his load u of harms
way. Half a dozen rounds more
brought him to the surface of the drift,
where he deposited the man and fell
exhausted beside him. The memory
of that retreat from a horrible fate still
fingers, and Jack counts on the man he
rescued as one of his most devoted
friends. We might multiply instances
of his experiences, but the two related
above, are sufficient to show the perils
that these brave men encounter, and
the danger that they face so stoically
every time they go down into the
depth of the earth. Still the miners,
like the jolly tar at sea during the
storm, pity those whose occupations
keep them continually on the surface.