Evening journal., 1891-02-10
FIVE DAYS OF DESPAIR.
The Horrible Experience Of
Nanticoke's Rescued Men.
BURIED ALIVE FOR MANY HOURS.

Wild Scenes of Joy When Daring Res.
cuers Brought Them to Their Homes.
NANTlcoKE, Pa, Feb. i0.-John River.
William Cragle and John w. Schelling
were taken out Of the old No 3 mine Of
the Susquehanna Coal company at Nanti-
coke at $50 a. ~. yesterday, after five
days Of such suffering as few men in this
world ever experienced and survived AT
Il O'Clock on Wednesday morning they
were closed ii the mine by a rush Of water
from an abandoned working, and from
that moment until yesterday they had not
mouthful to eat nor drop Of water to
drink as they sat in absolute darkness for
40 hours, supporting each other on strip
Of plank not over five inches in width, un-
able TO move and in momentary expecta-
ton Of instant and horrible death.
During these long, dragging hours they
sat there wet from the waist to the feet in
poisonous sulphurous water, cold as ice.
shaking with chills, praying to God for re-
lief or death, hoping against hope. think
ing OF wife, children, home and friends.
and in a solitude and darkness absolute
and complete. The history Of coal mining
IN this state offers no parallel to such suf.
fering and endurance.
Pursued by the Flood.
When the rush Of water came the three
men heard the roar Of it and tried to
escape back along the gangway, but be
fore they even reached the cross heading.
from which Il was rushing, they were up
to their waists in water, which was rising
wit ff1l mid 10. a
for life.
They turned and ran back to the other
cross heading driven up the opposite side
Of the basin. They reached it with the wa
ter up to their armpits and scrambled up.
1t pitched upward at an angle of fifty de-
grees, and in that steep pitch was their sal
vation. They scrambled up 100 feet only
to find all exit to the old gangway hope
lessly blocked by fallen coal and rubbish.
This fallen rubbish was lodged loosely to-
gether An attempt tg climb over it could
have had only one result-to bring the
whole mass rushing down the steep slope
TO crush them to instant death.
The Plank Saved Them.
By lucky chance they found there a
piece Of Tagging IA board feet long and
inches wide Their lamps were still
alight. With infinite caution, to AVOID
starting the mass Of loose Goals down the
pitch, they took this board and wedped ii
in the loose pieces eight feet above the floor
Of the slope. Then they climbed on it and
sat down. The water rose in the slope al
most to their feet. Water oozing from the
loose coal behind them kept them soaking
wet from their waists down. Their lamps
burned only an hour or two and fickered
and went out from want Of oil
There they clung for 11O hours, hardly
daring to stir a limb, soaked with poison
GUS water they dare not drink, and with
out a morsel of food. No words can por-
tray their misery and suffering.
They Heard a Welcome Sound.
They had been captives about six hours
when the great mine pumps, 600 feet away.
were heard throbbing and drawing upon
the water. The moment was thrilling
one TO them, for it gave them the encour-
agement that so long as there was life
there was hope. They did notdare to move
from the tagging which gave them rest,
for a single misstep upon the rough mass
of broken rock that obstructed the heading
would have plunged them down into the
abyss below, which was filled fifty feet
with water
Sleep deserted them In the first few
hours of their imprisonment they began to
feel the pangs Of hunger, but the greater
torture Of thirst came over them This
they could only appease by wetting their
faces against the rib of the heading. and
licking the trickling water as it dropped
from the roof and ran down the side of
their prison walls.
A Daring Rescue.
The work OF rescue was attended not
only by hard labor but also bv daring
Along toward midnight George Bendell, a
hardy miner, got togethera board raft and
pushed out into the gangway. Bendell
got across the dip alone, his lamp flicker
ing and sending a gleam across the water
Back by the pumps force of men watched
him anxiously. He kept going ahead and
safely passed until the third timber set
baked him, but looking between it and
the roof he saw that the dip Of the gang
way took an upward turn.
He slipped into the water from the raft.
showed it under the timber and followed it
by diving. His lamp was lost, but William
Bowen and Anthony Jones plunged into
the water and swan toward him with
lights. Bowen got in reach first and passed
his lamp over the timber Bendell went on
and soon heard a call
They Are AIivei Alivetv
For Gods sake, hurry up, boys, and
get US out Of herer'
1t was River calling to him. Bendell
hurried back and sent the glad news across
the gangway:
"The men are found; they are alive! alive
aiiyen
Others Of the men now determined to get
through ana James s. Williams and John
G. Hopkins followed Bowen and Jones.
who were now ON the side with BendelI.
Up the cross heading they climbed to the
entombed men, who clasped them about
the neck, crying in turns and expressing
their joy. Then on their knees they prayed
earnestly for some time When they asked
for water milk was brought and given
them in small quantities for nourishment
Wild Scene of Joy.
One at a time on this floating raft the
three imprisoned men were brought Riv-
er, who has the constitution and physique
of giant, was able to walk and was in |
fun possession of his senses. Schelling, a
sturdy Polander, was also in good condi-
tion, but Cragle was wandering in his |
mind and was not able to stir limb |
Their comrades, as they welcomed the men
from their living grave, cheered and shout |
ed, and then wept over them like children.
DR. w. L. Morris gave them the needed |
stimulants and remedies, and then they |
were borne in triumph once more to the |
light of day. Hundreds of people thronged |
the mouth of the shaft intensely excited |
and anxious, and cheered wildly as the |
rescued men were borne out. Men who |
never saw each other before clasped hands |
If-Nas