The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-02-14
A GALLANT RESCUE.

| The Three Miners Imprisoned by water
In the Grand Tunnel Wine at West Nam
ticokP. Pa. Rescued After Five Days Of
AGoni,inS >uspensr-without Light or
Food Their Only Hope was the Throb-
bling of the Pump. which Opened the
| Way at Last-The joyful Cry that Told
that They were Alive.
| WEST NANrICOKE. Pa. Feb O.-The
three miners who were hemmed in 10y
water and supposed to- be drowned in
No. 3 colliery of the Susquehanna Coal
Company last Wednesday afternoon,
were rescued alive this morning. The
names of the men are: John W. Rincer,
Wm. Craglc and Michael Schilling. They
could not have lived much longer on ac-
count of the scarcity of air.
The men were found by the gang of
reseucrs at the top of cross heading.
the highest point they could reach, and
which was only six feet above the ele-
walton reached by the flood. Here they
had waited in darkness and gloom. but
not without hope for rescue. They could
hear the throbbing of the great pumps,
$50 feet away. 1t was not until > n. III.
| that George Bendelman managed to
| float upon a raft across the water which
| yet filed the bottom Of the main gang
way. The imprisoned men heard him
us he reached the side they We're un,
aud faintly came the cry Ia him: We
are up here. all alive and waiting for
you." Bendelman took up the joyous
shout and sent il across the water in
| thrilling measures: The men are alive;
| they are alive.
Two other hardy miners, Anthony
Jones and William Bowen. at once
| plunged into the murlsy abyss. wading
and swimming to the other side. and
soon Others followed them. The men
were reached and brought to the main
gangway. Milk was given To them as
nOurishmcnt. and at five o'clock they
were carried upon the shoulders
of the rcscurrs across the water. When
the rescuers came to the men they
were rapturuu>ly greeted. the three
miners embracing and kissing them.
| The two little villages across the river
from here. where the men lived. are
filled with unspeakablr joy over the
| rescue.
Further "Details of the Rescue of the Inn
| priSoned Miners.
| NHKESBAEEE. Pa. Feb. i0.-As the
| facts nf the wonderful rescue from
Grand Tunnel mine of John Riuer.
| Vim. Cragrl and Michael Schilling be-
come known about the mining regions,
the people are intensely excited. The
experience of the men is most thrilling.
! After they had reached ii point of com
paratIvc safety from the flood they
found that only a slender piece of
wood held back tons of loose coal that
| had fallen into the mouth of the
crns,-cut. When they found the in
| clined cut in the vein and climbed
upit> almost perpendicular passage they
managed Ia obtain a piece of loose tim
her. This they placed across the open
| ing of the tunnel. and. after getting it
| firmly lodged. climbed upon il for a
seat. There they sat on this piece of
timber. scarcely three inches wide. for
| over four days. Behind them was the
immense body Of coal. held in place by
a small piece Of prop. and fearing to
| dislod@c it. the men dared not even rest
against it, In a short time their supply
of oil gave out and they were in total
| darkness.
Rincr the most experienced of the
men. was able to keep his head in their
long imprisonment. but both Cragin
anil Schilling at times became crazy.
| Cragin imagined he saw mine ear. and
| Jumped into the water tn ride to the
/ >lupe with IT, lie was rescued and got
back to the perch by Rineer. Schilling
was more easily managed. although he
was sobbing constantly.
Wednesday passed and Thursday
came. and then the men lost track of
time. The first welcome sound reach
| ing their ears was the ''plunk" of the
pump. The first message betn cen them
| and their rc>cucrs reached them at
three o'clock yesterday morning
The work Of reaching the imprisoned
miners was daringly accomplished by
George Bcndclman. who. when he found
his progress stopped by low timbcrs-
dipped his raft under them following
hy diving under lie lost his hat and
| miners lamp. bat VIM. Bowen, who
was swimming the Eangway. passed his
l lamp through 'NtI
| and Bender went On with his search
When he found Rinccr, Cragin and
Schilling they were up in the cross
hcnding prrchrd on a ''legging' on the
highest point they could get in the
mine This was but triflc more than
six feet above the elevation reached by
the flood. and here they had been with
out food since Wednesday morning.
At half-past five o'clock the water
was down enough, to let the men out by
floating them one at time on the raft,
to the flooded gangway. The physi-
clan in attendance says the men must
subsist on beef tea for number of
days. and they will be all right in a
short time except possibly Riner. who
is slightly poisoned in his feet from tho
sulphur water Of the mine.
THE COAL MINERS STRIKE.
Thirteen Thousand Men Already Out and