Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-10
OUT DE THE TOMB.
Remarkable Rescue of Impris.
oned Miners.
LIKE MEN RISEN FROM THE BEAD

The Three Caught by the Water in tho
Grand Tunnel Mine Restored Living tn
Their Friends-An Experience for lis
Hours 80 Turn the Hair whire-Work
of the Blizzard in the West-SeyeraI
Persons Frozen to Death
WHKEsBAIEE, Pa. Feb 10-Iutense joy
and excitement prevails at the little hum
let of Grand Tunnel over the rescue of
three entombed miners who were impr g.
oned by water rushing into the Cangways
aud breasts of the Su>9uehanna coal col
iery at that place on Wednesday of last
week, after the firing of a blast. The
names OF the men are Michael Schilline
William Cragel, and John Riner, all well.
known miners They were found alive
In the upper workings near the outcrop,
the water being unable to reach them
after they managed to get out of it's swirl
when 1t was rushing through The mine.
The party was found in an almost ex-
hausted condition from their lis hours
imprisonment, and it will require care to
bring them through.
Thrilling Experience of the Men
AS the facts of the wonderful rescue
have become known about the mining
regions the people are intensely excited.
The experience Of the men i most thrill
ing. After they had reached a point of
comparative safety from the food, they
found that only slender piece of wood
served to keep back tons of loose coal
that had fallen into the mouth of the
cross-cut. When they found the inclined
~ IN I pn V-..tr tlr.,
perpendicular passage they managed to
obtain piece of loose timber This they
placed across the opening of the tunnel.
aud after getting it safely lodged, climbed
upon it for IA scat.
Four Days on Perch.
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 small piece
OF prop" and, fearing to disIodCe it, the
men dared not even rest against it. In
short time their supply of oil gave out,
and they were in total darkness. Riner
the most experienced of the men, was able
to keep his head i'll their long impriSon-
ment, but both Cragin and Schilling at
times became crazy. Cragin imagined he
saw mine car, and jumped into the water
to ride to the slope with it. He was res
cued, and got back to the perch by Riner.
Schilling was more easily managed al
though he was sobbing constantly.
A Daring Work of Rescuers.
Wednesday passed and Thursday came,
and then the men lost track of time The
first welcome sound reaching their ears
was the 'plunk" of the pump The first
message between them and tn cir rescuers
reached them at 3 o'clock yeste rday morn
ing. The work of reaching the imprisoned
miners was daringly accom- iished by
George Bender, who, when be found his
progress stopped by low timbers, dipped
his raft under them, following by diving.
lie lost his hat and miners lamp, but
William Bowen, who was swimming the
gang-way, passed his lamp through a
break over the Jimbers and Bender went
on with his search When he found
Riner, Cragin and Schilling they were I'D
IN the cross heading percked on a leg
ging" and at the hig hest point they could
get in the mine
Floated Out on a Raft
This was but a trihe more than six feet
above the elevation reached by the flood
and here they were without food since
Wednesday morning. At $50 the water
was down enough to let the men out by
floating them, one at time, on a raft
across the flooded gangway, their impris-
onment making them too weak to risk the
danger of the water. The physician in at
tendance says that the men must subsist
On beef tea for a number of DAYS and
they Will be all right in a short time ex-
cept, possibly, Riner. who is slightly moi
soned IN his feet from the sul phur water
of the mine