The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-04
4 MANS MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
Hew Il Feels to Fall eco Feet Down
lfnA lha&A

. Mine shaft.
Yesterday 4 representative OF the Ross.
land (B. Co. Miner had q pleasant chat
with Ailward Crooke. the sole survivor OF
the receEt fatal accident In the War Eagle
shaft Mr. Crooke II q young man y years
old. m old country man, who has been In
Canada for the last four or Ave years
Previous 70 coming here. rome seven
weeks ago. he had been engaged with the
Rathhun Mil Company. at Deseronto. On
tar!o. and during the time he was engaged
with the concern familiarixed himself with
mill machinery generally. He explained
that many accidents happened 10 the en-
ployes Of the mill, principally BY their get.
ting entangied In the betting. no that he
vas no stranger to accidents generally.
Mr.. Crooke had been working on the
War Eagle for about seven weeks pre-
vious 10 the time Of the disaster. He vas
at work tramming from the shaft TO the
cars at the zo-foos level. Occasionally he
was Instructed 10 70 10 the shaft head and
assis. In some work there On las, Satur.
day At I'm q m he got In the cage at the
2so-foot level and was being carried to the
head OF the shaft when the trouble oc>
CURED. In the cage with him were Schoi.
feld and Palmer. and about ton OF steel
going 10 the surface to DO sharpened-
Honyford and Neville were outside OF the
cage, some feet above him. The cage
stopped before II got TO the collar Of the
shaft and began to run back. slowly at
first. but gaining speed with every foot.
until . frsghsful velocity was attained
II thought al first" said Mr. rrooke.
Athas we were going back TO the .so-foot
level regularly. but az the speed increased
I realized that something had gone wrung.
and thar dreadful crash was eoninx
l sat down on the steel and shut my eyes
and tried TO hold myself together no best
could None OF us spoke: Al least, don't
REMINDER saying anything. and I did not
hear poor SckolneId OF Palmer say any
thing. They were together on the opposite
side 10 me. I cannot describe fully the
sense Of utter helpsesxness I felt as We
rushed down. kept my eyes shut all ne
time. ard cniy opened them after the
crash came Ii was all over 80 quickly
that had not sirnc to think. can hardly
yet realize Jas, what happened. but did
not lose consciousness st any time In the
mine, but was daxed and iighs4headed and
had only half my wits about me SUI
fered good deal OF pain In my hack and
noticed that eoughsd up some blood and
that frightened me little, My left ankle
WAS spra.ned and my left knee was hurt
I saw the men who came down 20 our as
s.starce. and I knew my con1Danions must
Be badly hurt a. I saw them Tying Ia the
cage When was taken 70 the hospital I
forg1. about everything for a while aud
cniy knew saat vas suffering good deal
with my back. II has got almost all right
now. Though ard nay other bruises do not
amount 20 anything serious. cannot Ae-
count for my escape fram death 7 can
only say that Providence snserferet In my
ease I ar very thankful 20 be alive after
nfy terrible experience. ana asn truly sorry
for the horrible fate 81 my comranfors-
Mr.. crooke expressed his gratitude 60
Tire god Sisters for All the Kindness
shoa him In the hospital Hs snsiat
rather grsnsy Tor q mc.sens when asked
as 20 his future movements. and then hs
said
Well, think wSen Tn well enough 20
ge; ouf VIII take little hossday 10 px,l
myself together. ana shen vsg Dc ready
10 80 rsintrx again think xhas hap
rsnsd VAS 3ssst m secsdens tsrnss be-
ns~e Essd WAS 70 blame . hss / hcce he
knows what think. He wla be vorrylne
over tire affair. Tsn sure
M Crooke sas played good deal Of
fc1fsaii tn the 0id country, ard VAS sue u
she International team In the Irssa. W ~sxn
match. playing fer The former. He u also
9eo6 q cTtcnot ana nnkea Nth ns1eh D.