The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-12-15
BRAVELY
RESCUED !
Two Men EntOmbed For Seven Hours
Saved Uninjured.
WERE HAULED UP WITH ROPES.
After the Rescuers Worked About Three
Hours, John wentz Was Lowered
Three Hundred Feet by Rope
and Located the Victims.

George Hughes, fire boss, and John Walton,
miner, had thrilling experience at the st.
Nicholas colliery yesterday afternoon, and
for seven hours were in position in which
death seemed to stare them in the face. They
were entombed and the volume of coal that
cut off their escape from the mine was so
great that it was first feared it could not be
removed in time to save the lives of the two
men. Happily rescue was effected, how
ever, and neither man sustained injury of
much consequence. Hughes resides at Maha-
noy City and Walton lives at Suffolk.
The accident by which the two men were
closed in occurred shortly before four o'clock
yesterday afternoon. Walton and a man
named John Wentz were employed in timber
ing steamway downwards and reached a
place where it was necessary to draw coal and
culm in order to make clear way for the
timber. The cum and coal was wedged in
the steamway and it was decided to use
piece of dynamite after removing piece of
the manway. A shot failed, and then
Hughes, the tireboss, undertook to see what
could be done towards clearing the place. He
went up the manway with Walton and Wentz,
and examined the place where the dynamite
had been used and failed to do the work de-
sired.
As the trio were thus occupied there was a
sudden roar and great rush of coal in the
steamway. Wentz was caught by the rush
and swept down the manway, but escaped
injury, As soon as he regained his feet he
hurried from the place and gave an alarm.
At this time the fate of the other two men
was merely matter of speculation, and no
little doubt was entertained about the men
being alive. 1t was generally conceded that
if the fall of coal crushed the manway
Hughes and Walton were beyond human aid
However the most hopeful view of the stu
alton was taken and several men commenced
the work of rescue under the direction of
Division Superintendent Rees Tasker, Dis
trict Superintendent William H. Richards
and Superintendent James P. Mcdonald
When the work was first started,
and for some time after, the men
could not determine whether or not
the victims were alive. Raps and
other methods failed in this connection
After coal and culm had been drawn and
loaded for about three hours, continuous
work having been maintained during that
period, communication was opened with the
entombed men, and it was learned that they
we're comparatively uniujured. 1t was four
hours later, or near eleven o'clock last night,
from their perilous and distressing position.
Mine Inspector William Stein, of town,
visited the st. Nicholas colliery yesterday
and, although he left there as late as -four
o'clock in the afternoon. no word of the
accident had reached the outside office of the
colliery up to that time. At $3.50 last evening
Mr.. Stein received a telegram from Superin-
tendent Mcdonald, notifying him of the
accident, and Mr. Stein Immediately went to
the scene and remained there until the men
were rescued.
Inspector STEMS official report of the affair
is as follows I'VE went down the second
outlet, or tender slope, of the Mammoth
vein and visited the place in which these
men were working, which is a new air way
driven $50 feet up from the second lift gang
way on the Skidmore vein, at the top of
which there is 50-foot shaft. The men
were engaged in timbering from the bottom
of the shaft dOwnwards, and drawing the
| loose material at the bottom of the
| second lift, keeping the COB up to their
| feet. In some way the upper portion of the
| COB became blocked, leaving a space of AZ
| feet between the lower and upper sections of
| the COB. The men went to start this upper
section. when it rushed away, causing the
manways on either side to collapse against
the ribs, and imprisoning the men in one OF
the safety holes on the west side of the man.
way, which are driven 80 feet apart, and
which the two men were fortunate enough in
reaching. 1t was decided to pull the gel
out. as there were no other means of com.
municating with the men. After drawing
out about twenty cars of coal and Other
material. a consultation was held, and John
Wentz was instructed to go up to the second
outlet and through the cross hole cOmmuni-
eating the Skidmore with the Mammoth
vein, to try and reach the men.
rope was attached to Wentzs body and he
was lowered about 300 feet. At this point
Wentz called to the imprisoned men and got
a response that they were alive and we'll
Messrs. Tasker, Richards and Stein, with a
corps of fire bosses from the neighboring
collieries and other workings, went to assist
in hosting up the men with ropes, which
were attached about the bodies of the latter
Much credit is due Wentz for the cool
judicious and heroic efforts he put forth in
connection with the rescue"