Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1903-03-13

Ferguson, via Arrowhead, B. G..
March 10.--Four men are dead, two
more are under physicians care and
Jack Mcleod, who, at the peril Of his
own life, descended the shaft of the
Nellie L. mine and brought seven
forms, one by one, to the surface, while
another brave rescuer was overcome
is practically uninjured after his ter
rible experience.
Dead and injured.
The dead are: Patrick Grilley, shift
boss; Allan Caulder, Edward Gognan
and Robert Savage. The two injured
men, Nels Johnson and his brother
known as Otto Bloom, are under ply
sicians' care and Will live.
The fatality has cost gloom over the
camp. 1t was SO unexpected and ter
riDle in Its erects, SO surrounded with
thrilling incidents, that the occur
rences of the late afternoon are stih
talked of in hushed horror by the com
munity.
The day shift at the Nellie L. fired
its shots and quit work at A D. m. The
night shift went on at D. m. Robert
Savage went to his machine to con
tinue drifting from the bottom Of q
winze in the lower workings. This
winze appears to have been full OF
powder smoke and carbonic acid gas
When Savage reached his post, or pos
sibly before doing SO, he shouted for
help, saying that he was smothering.
George Groshey descended to his
rescue and succeeded in bringing him
nearly UP to the floor level, when
Groshey became insensible. The body
of Savage dropped back down the
winze, distance of about 40 feet. AL.
Ian Caulder, gallant young fellow,
only 20 years of age, rushed down the
ladder. On reaching the bottom of the
ladder he called out for help, and Pat
Crilley, the shift boss and brother of
the superintendent, descended, to
share Caulder's fate.
The men above begged with each
other for the honor of risking their
lives to save the men below. Bar
clay Crilley went down and actually
reached his brother, but the gas drove
him up the level more dead than alive.
He was almost asphyxiated when he
struggled back to the winze head.
Brave Jack Mcleod.
Six men went down in the dark
where only death lived in the poison
GUS gas when Jack Mcleod, a Cape
Briton miner Of great experience and
heroism, made an attempt with a rope.
In the dark he stumbled across body,
which he secured with the line and
bore to the ladder foot. The men above
raised poor Paddy Crilley to the level,
Mcleod partly sustaining him step oy
step from the ladder.
Six times did Mcleod ascend with
the body Of a rescued comrade and
six times descended to meet his own
more than probable death.
The sixth and last man having been
carried up, Mcleod collapsed, and
Jack Sweeney descended to see If any
more remained in the winze bottom.
For the seventh time Mcleod had to
go back. with John Hendricks, to
Sweeney's rescue.
Mcleod has escaped practically un-
injured from his terrible but heroic
experience.
Steps are being taken to have the
heroism of Jack Mcleod publicly rec
ognized and rewarded.
No blame would appear to attach to
the mine management, the appliance Or
equipment
Among those who behaved with
bravery special mention should be
made Of Barclay Crilly, John w.
Sweeney and Thomas Baldwin. Near
" every man out of Is on the level
above the winze was overcome by the
gas ascending when the air was turned
On.