The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-11
ARE RESCUED alive
The Imprisoned MIneS Were Found Early
Yesterday Afternoon.
TWENTY-SIX Hours OF ANGUISH
Both Men Well and Little the Worse
for Their Terrible Experimentation
the Gallant Work of Rescue Was
Carried On Danger Was Never
Considered by the Brave Band
Which Saved the imprisoned Men.

The two Polanders. John Moroskl
and Frank Shelter, who were impris-
Oned by the Bellevue cavern, were res
cued yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock.
after spending twenty-six hours in
bodily suffering and mental anguish.
Moroski had to be assisted out but
Shelter was active enough to walk with
out help
An immense crowd, attracted by the
nows of the finding Of the men, as
sembled at the mouth Of the slope and
cheer after cheer rent the air when the
brave rescuing party with the liberated
miners appeared Moroski's two little
sons who accompanied the rescuing
party into the mine were the only rela-
tiyes to greet the two Polanders when
they came from what would have been
their tomb had not the officials Of the
company made such timely and strenu-
ous efforts to release them.
Mr. StorrS and his men are deserv-
ing Of great credit for the successful
outcome Of the work of rescue. There
was no time lost. but Immediately
upon grssping the situation every
method available to find the impris.
oned men was resortsd to without any
question Of labor, danger or expense.
10 enter ''working" mine into tho
very heart Of the disturbance where
good air and safe roofs are all matter
Of chance is an undertaking which Is
attended with no small risk, aud tho
noble men who braved these dangers
deserve rank with the foremost OF
heroes.
THE WORK OF RESCUE
About II o'clock yesterday morning
the imprisoned men were first spoken
TO. About sixteen feet Of fallen coal
was between them and the rescuers.
The work was pushed as rapidly as
possible and when but seven and one
half feet remained to be cleared hole
was bored through the coal into the
chamber and as soon as the drill was
withdrawn Shelter informed the res
cuers that he and Moroski were all
right. They had lights and plenty Of
oil and as they had been sparing Of
their provisions they were not suffer
ing TO any great extent from hunger.
The space in which they were i'm
prisoned was about nine yards
long and the regular width of
chamber They had heard all
along the sounds Of the picks and drills
Of the reseuers, but as they could not
trust their judgement as to how far
away the working was going on, they
kept in the farthes! part Of their cell
for fear o blast would force in the wall
upon them. The shift which was at
work when the rescue was accom-
plishsi was in charge of Evan J.
Evans, foreman of the Avoudale mine.
and was made up of William Richards,
William Jenkins, John Davies and
Reese Anthony To reach the impris-
oned men it was necessary to drive a
tunnel four feet square through nine
teen feet of solid coal and; several feet
Of loose rock.
STORY OF THE MEN
They first knew Of their danger when
Miner Richard Evans called for them
to run as the roof was falling. They
attempted to do SO, but, lacking spirit,
became afraid aud retraced their steps,
taking shelter in the chamber of Evans
When the men found no means Of
escape they unloaded the coal from q
car, which was fortunately with them,
and turned it over on its side as IA
shelter in case the roof should begin to
fall again. Moroski worked against
the pillar with pick and shovel aud for
time was nearly frantic. The air in
the enclosure was very good. and was
probably supplied from the many
cracks and fissures connecting with the
surface.
The men as soon as they reached the
surface were given warm welcome
and large crowd escorted them to
their homes on the South Side. Nor
oski lives at 1910 Prospect avenue and
Frank Shelter lives at 1927 Remington
avenue.
CAUSE OF THE CAVE IN
Evan J. Evans, mine foreman at
Ayondale, who superlntended the sec.
ond search party, was seen by TRI-
BUNE reporter yesterday afternoon.
Mr.. Evans is man who has spent the
greatest part of his life underground.
and when questioned regarding the
cause of the catastrophe, said the pill.
lars might have been weakened by age
or decay. Changes in the weather
cause the pillars to crack and split by
degrees and this oave-in, he said, might
have been caused by either or both of
the reasons stated.
The excitement at the mine has sub
sided and the Simpson & Watkins
steam drill which was In readiness to
be worked from the surface has been
removed. The Delaware. Lackawaua
and Western officials vino assisted in
tho rescue were. W.R Storrs, Thomas
d, Davis, Benjamin Hughes. Thomas
Phillips, Evan J. Evans and David