Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-20
LIVED UNDER HE LAKE
Two Men Rescued Alive From
the Water Works Tunnel at
Cleveland.
Wandered in Darkness and Water
for Five Awful Days and
Nights.
Almost Dead When Rescued. But
Chances are Good for
Recovery.

Cleveland, o., Aug. 2O.-After being
buried for five and half days in a tun-
mel 200 feet under Lake Erie, Adam Kes-
ter and John Egan were rescued yester-
day afternoon and both probably will
recover.
Since last Wednesday, when fire de-
stroyed crib No. ., two miles out in the
lake, Hester and Egan have wandered
their shoulders in water, thru the tunnel
without food.
When the fire destroyed the crib they
We're in the tunnel with eleven of their
fellows, ten of whom were rescued. OF
the dozens caught in the trap all were
| recovered, dead or alive, except Kester,
who may be dead or still wandering
around under the lake.
The rescue of the two men was an he
| roic one. All hope that any of the men
| imprisoned in the tunnel We're alive had
been abandoned. but yesterday morning
men at work on the crib heard signals
being made on the pipes running down
under the lake.
| Foreman Van Dusen at once deter
mined upon rescue if possible. Attach
ing ropes under his arms he descended
/ into the gas-choked tunnel and tried to
reach the survivors. Overcome by the
gas he was forced to abandon his at
! tempt
While Foreman Van Dusen heard the
signals on the pipes an investigation
proved that the gas in the tunnel was
too thick for the men who had been
working in the open air to attempt the
rescue. At noon the foreman Went to
the bottom of the shaft and signaled the
men. He received an answer. He shout
ed to them and faint shout was heard
in return. An hour later he went down
again and shouted and the men seemed
to be nearer to him.
I'VE are behind the lock- shouted the
men, and Van Dusen called for them to
walk as far as they could and he would
| try and reach them with rope.
The tug F. E. Smith, which happened
to be in the neighborhood of the crib,
was signaled and sent for the life-saving
i
the crew appeared in the tug Chamber
/ lain.
At 2 o'clock Foreman Van Dusen, with
i a young man who was at work on the
crib. went to the bottom of the shaft.
4 The tunnel at that point is waist deep
1 in water.
/ After waiting half an hour the two
men who had been imprisoned in the
1 f,,r
i of them, and in answer to Van Dusens
i anxious inquiries they said there Were
n no more in the tunnel The two men
were hardly able to wakl but managed
to get thru the water and to the foot OF
the iron ladder that runs down the side
!, of the shaft.
A rope was let down the shaft and wa;
attached to one of the men. He was tn.
weaker of the two and was hauled to tn.
surface. The other man seemed to b;
f in good condition. The rope was passec
about his body, and while being hauled
10 the top of the shaft he aided the mel
/, by using the ladder as much as he could
Both men were able to talk, but did NJ
+ more than answer questions that wer,
g put to them.
After they had been in the open air
short time they became weaker. A lit
J. tie whisky and weak coffee We're givel
them. They We're wrapped in blanket
4 and placed on the tug Chamberlain an,
brought ashore. Ambulances We're ii
f waiting and the men were taken to
hospital.
The hospital doctors say kester'
chances of recovery are good. Egan i
rot doing so well.