New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-10
PRICE THREE CENTS.
FACING DEATH FIVE DAYS.
THREE MEN RESCUED FROM THE FLOODED
NINE AT WEST NANTICOKE
SCENES OF JOY AS THE MINERS ARE BRoUG At
TO THE AIR AND LIGHT, ALIVE AND WELL,
THOUGH wEAK-AN EXPERIENCE BE- :
LIEvED TO BE WITHOUT PARALLEL
IN THE ANNALS OF THE
COAL REGIONS.
IsY TELEGRAPH TO TIE rKrnuNr.1


men-William Cragle, John W. Rineer and John
Shilhng-who were imprisoned in the No. 3 mine
of the Susquehanna Coal Company, at West
Nanicoke, were reached this morning and brought
out alive.
1t was 6 o'clock when the news came to the
surface that the men safe. and it spread
with lightning speed in every direction. Within
Slirty minutes the mouth of the shaft. high up on
the steep hillside. directly facing the broad Sus-
quehanna River surrounded by hundreds Of
people, who well-nigh wild with JOY, and at
:45 the three men were brought To the surface.
John Rineer and John Shilling walked. with
little help, from the mouth TO the wagons waiting
for them Cragle had TO be carried. As they
came from the pt-head the people burst into wild
cheering and surrounded them TO touch them.
Many grimy miner shed tears of joy. and women
cried and sobbed aloud. 1t was thrilling scene.
for these three men had passed through
an experience never equalled in this
county before. From II o'clock on Wednesday
morning until o'clock this morning they had
been penned in mine in q situation of such
misery and suffering passes description. Dur
ing the whole of that time, over 10 hours, they
were seated on narrow plank, not six inches
wide; below them twenty feet of water, over
their heads hundreds of tons of loose coal and
rubbish. which threatened at every move TO
rush down upon them and crush them. Not a
morsel of food, not drop of water passed their
lips in all that time. Not ray of light entered
the darkness, while the fearful cold almost froze
their blood.
The rescued men were taken TO their homes
surrounded by the cheering throng Of men and
women The news had gone before them, and as
he descended from the wagon at his own gate
John Rineers wife and children came rushing from
the house through the rain and snow TO meet
him whom they had given up as dead. Not
q dry eye in the great throng gathered
there when his wife threw herself into his arms
kissed him, wept over him and thanked God foi
his dcllycrance Cracle a young man of twenty
four, was taken TO his parents home. Shilling
a Poander, also has a wife and children and
they gave way TO tears of joy when he was taken
10 his home.
Physically Rincer and Shilling suffered the
least They were so weak and faint that they
could barely stand and their limbs were racked
with pains and stiliened with cramps, but their
minds were clear and rational Cragle was not
only utterly helpless but his mind wander.
ing. When he had been in some degree restored
by warmth and nOuriShment nc burst into tears
mingled with ordinations Of Thanks to Cod"
lie could not he kept still Sometimes he would
break out into hymn and then lose
o'clock this morning a reporter visited Ri
neer in his home. On couch in the sitting room,
bis head a snowy pillow lay the rescued miner.
AT his feet sat his wife, while around him were
his children and a circle of friends Rineer told
the following story:
Yes, we are safe, and l thank God for His
mercy to me and my family. On Wednesday
morning, when the rush of water came. it was
with Il roar and crash, seemingly in all direc-
tons. William Cragle and Mike Shilling were
with me- and for a second were dumfOunded.
The only way Of escape lay toward the direction
of the incoming waters and in that way
our road of escape was down hill. and in a minute
our feet in water. The water was
up to our waist and we stl pushed forward.
few feet further was the first cross-heading,
and hardly knowing what we did, we turned into
this II pitched upward at an almost perpendic-
ular incline and offered but slim foothold.
piece of agging' or plank. five inches wide. was
at the foot of the croSs-cut, and the two men
helped NE wrench this loose and then showing
me up on their shoulders. | put 1t across the
tunnel, each end having about four inches rest
The water was on our heels again, and after help
ing Mike and Cragle up on this perch, CLIMBED
up myself. After resting on the oeam
| began to feel above aud back into
the crosscut TO learn the condition
of affairs in that direction. Then tie discovery
was made that a great mass of loose coal was hea
above us by log becoming Iammed In some way
and surmised that possibly hundreds OF IONS OF
loose rubbish from the abandoned working apoVs
,vcre in This ro;s.hcad cut II this stuff started
TO run nothing could save us. IL would come
with rush through the narrow space and there
would be no hope for any OF us. Nothing coula
be done but sit on perch, which was Just hVe
inches wide and wait. The water seemed TO have
STONED coming up and remained stationary.
From Wednesday morning until our rescue
with an exception of possibly half an hour we
were sitting on the narrow strip OF tagging. we
were in absolute darkness and we huddled close
torcthcr for warmth. 1t was terribly cold IN that
part of the mine, and we soon grew SUN ana
numb Then we rubbed each other as well as
could be done in our dangerous positionl II seem:
now as il we had been there year. Medhesd1y
dragged through. and the night. iheh came
Thursday but after that We lost track ana nad
no ilea now long We had been in the place AFTER
n while terrible thirst came upon US, ana cTaei'
began TO act queer. There's ear, he sara, Le, Lev,
Gel ON il and run away. Come come. ana WIN
That lie jumped olf and heard nlm ,1n stragglns n
Shining on the sides, TO which clung as bess
could until The Here fdss found Gi crase ssf dFnk
inG WAS in re'G1T" gTeat guIps % of the water pun
nv head down 10 taste It and found
IL iiTS so strongly filed with sulphur that 10
blisPred and burned my tongue. IL seeucu "
cool the fever. however, and i drank several
mouthfuls Shilling had been left on the beam
above and could hear him up there gbDerlrS
and talking TO himself. Then came the fear that
he would loosen the rock behind HIM by some
means and it would come pouring down. once
back 10 our seats Shilling got better and kept
quiet At intervals afterward both became wild.
and it was hard work 10 keep them from JUMP
ing off CragIe time thought ms 1atheI
and mother were with him and would get angry
because | could not see them. Hunger dld nos
botber Ms IL was the thirst that caused the
suffering. . o.-s u,o.
rho .nIunk' of the pump 1t came very faint, but
o,o aIIv increased in volume until were sure
shat the rescuers were at work. After time we
heard voices and / began TO shout Ihls was
itent mn until this morning when lights appeared
over the black surface Of the water. and rafs
was nropelled guided by the sound Of our cries TO
the cross-cut the mouth Of which was now aDoye