The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1891-02-13
NEW WORLD.
ESCAPE OF Three ME.

| Il ESCAf oC HNLL w Elm
Who Were Imprisoned in the Grand Tun-
mel Mine for Over -Four Days.
The three miners, John Rineer, William
Cragel and Michael Shilling, who were i'm
prisoned In the Grana Turner colliery oppo.
site Nanticoke, Pa, last week Wednesday by
a flood of water which broke upon them
from all old working, and from which three
others narrowly escaped, were rescued alive
Monday morning. The story of their escape
is accepted as one OF the most wonderful
known In the long list of mining accidents
where the men of the subterranean passages
are frequently imprisoned but rarely ever
rescued alive. The place where they found
reached by the water. Here only a slender
piece OF wood served to keep back tons of
loose coal that had fallen into the mouth or
i hehu Oh tne crosscut. When they. found the
almost perpendicular passage they managed
to press into service piece Of loose timber
which they had picked up In their hasty re.
treat and this they had placed across the op.
ening of the tunnel and after getting 1t safely
lodged climbed upon 1t for a seat. The men
then found their feet rested In the water be.
low them but soon after determined from its
gnrgling sound that it had gained the highest
altitude 1t could. There they were sitting on
a slender piece of timber 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 dislodge it the
men dared not even rest against It, John
Rineer. the most experienced of the miners,
an emplOye of many years in the coiery,
was able TO keep his head In their long i'm
prisonment, lbut both Cragel and Shilling ut
times became crazed. Cragel imagined he
saw mine car and jumped down into the
water to ride to the stope. upon it.. He was
rescued and got back on the perch by Rineer.
wednesday passed and Thursday came, and
then the men lost track of the time. The first
welcome sound reaching their ears was the |
''plnnk'' of the pump and then the men knew |
that active work had begun toward their res.
cue. This gave them great hope but from |
that time they could only count the ocular |
reverberations of the pumps "plunk"through |
But while this welcome sound reached their |
ears, the men were almost overcome by the
dreaded sound of the working of the coal and
Dose particles held In check behind them.
The creaking sound showed thai the coal
was becoming loosened and every moment
hey expected slide VI coal which would
envelope them and carry them away into the
iaily throwing away the loosened pieces they
iept the opening clear, and SO fingered and
waited, listening to the sounds of the work
NJ OF the rescuing party. The rescuers
worked constantly, and while they sat there
n the cold they rubbed one another. and
dopted every method they could conceive to
eep warm. At 8 30 O'Clock the water was
own enough to let the men be taken out.
his was done by floating them one at time
N the raft across the flooded gangway, their
Imprisonment making them too weak to risk
be danger Of the water. The scene was most
drilling, the stoutest hearts being overcome.
he men came from the mouth of their living
laha ..sxA a..~sl al<l
bouts and cries OF joy we're carried 10 their !
antilles and friends. A physician says the !
len must live on beef tea for some days. but
ley will be all right in a short time. except
Dssibly Rneer. who Is slightly poisoned In :
Is feet from the sulphur water of the mine. !