The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1901-07-10
!. Terrible
z Experience
Of Miner
Who Was
Caught
In a
Cave In
BURIED
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FIVE
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DAYS

Carl Kramer, three months ago
burly big chested miner, is now but tn
shadow of his former self, his one
splendid physique almost wrecked
This great change in Carl is the resul
Of being buried for days in a mine witt
little hope of ever seeing the light O
day.
Kramer and Bob Soules went pros
Decting for gold in Shepherds canyon
about Is miles from Ballarat, Cal, ant
there met with the adventure that near
~ cost his life. He says:
Bob said he had his eye on partici-
Gar place, and when we had got settled
! IN camp he took me to an old inclined
shaft near the head Of the canyon. This
shaft dipped into the hillside at an an
gle Of about 50 degrees, and it is i'm
poFtant to remember that, as it has
peculiar bearing on the most interest
ing part or my story. The shaft had
been sunk to depth of about 90 feet.
we explored it, and sure enough at its
race we found a dark streak running
through the brown tale.
Soules soon got discouraged and quit.
Alone | could not fill the bucket and
moist the dirt to the top of the shaft. so
i hit on plan of running a tunnel low
er down the hill just under the shaft
L could then intersect the shaft on a
level with its bottom, wheel nv dirt out
and sort it easily. Struck by the FEAST
bIilty OF this plan, | made myself
rough wheelbarrow and started in.
was 1G feet in when the act.i dent
happened. 1t was about 8 o'clf,cz in
the morning. | had driven 4 'oo,e in
the face and had loaded it wit h block
powder Just as | was putty - i, tho
fuse there was a roar like 7 ,7,aa, q
conclusion of air that bic ,,+ INV
candle and nearly carried no off INV
feet Before a second "a nossod I
realized the pr0digiouS 5tc,a+o,. +ho+
had befallen me. The oe af tho toll
tunnel where it was 49, i,,e+ ~
its junction with the { - hoS oovod
in. What was the e. - +ho s1idog
That was the quest
foes b,,+ 49, frightened, | con-
ACSS, UuL lOF the - :..-4. =
kept my nerves o,;4
49,, ~ 49,, started toward the en-
or, 49, Innel. At a distance of
rho,o ooi,in~ feet from the face the
80 had caved There was a
~. -. f damp, shiny tale. weigh
liberty WI 'ono' A-N
The no
or, -, rror of the thing Overcame me
io,, e. .oment as the desperate condi-
-, which | was placed flashed
go III my mind. | was alone in the
80. on. No one but a solitary pros
- .or on his way to the upper Levels
the Argus range had visited it in
Ionths. / was doomed to the most
horrible of deaths, from which there
was not the slightest hope of rescue
/ was buried alive in a tomb ten feet
long, four wide and six high. must
remain there and perish miserably OF
thirst and starvation. Fortunately
had my lunch and a canteen of water
also few candles.
Suddenly sprang to my feet. for an
idea, like an inspiration, had flashed
across nv brain. The shaft! The
shaft" shouted, just like crazy mar
and as if some one could hear me.
Right above me in a direct lire was
the old shaft. | was in 10 feet, ind II
was running on an angle of 30 degrees
to 80 feet | had intended cutting II
farther on and using it as an air shafi
to my mine. Why not gopher up ant
strike it?
Then | remembered | had no tools
nothing but the shovel. | would have
given worlds for pick, and | looked
everywhere for one, but the search wa
unayaIing.
1t was at this time when about t.
yield again to despair. that thought o
the candlestlck. took it up and exam
ined it closely. | had made it myself o
the best Jessop steel. 1t was all in on
piece. and was very proud of it.
selected the middle of the ceiling 0
the tunnel, close to the face. The Sharl
steel of the candlestick cut rapidly int
the soft tale, and lump after lump of |
became detached and fell to the floor o
the tunnel. After bit could not reac
any higher, and, getting off the box,
piled all | had brought down into
heap. put the box on it, climbed up an
continued. kept this up for hours bf
fore stopping to rest When ! took m
first blow" as miners call it, the lowe
part of my body was already disappear
Tag through the ceiling. felt much eI
uouraged and. climbing or to the DO
again, redoubled my efforts.
The next move l made was to GU
steps in the face of the tunnel for m
feet, bracing my back against the hol
was boring. l continued this until tn
whole Of my body had disappeared.
worked upward and upward in TIL
way until l was so exhausted that
could not raise my arms above IN
head The candlestick bent Ike wi
low wand under the fearful strain
imposed upon it; but its temper wa
marvellous If always Straiphtpnpd oil