The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-02-04
The WORK OF RESCUE
0ruesome Sights That rlet the daze
of Brave Men Who Dared the Deep
Pecesses of the Wrecked f1ine

of Brave Men Who Dared the Deep
Recesses of the Wrecked nine.
Further details OF the mine horror
of Monday morning are given in Tues
day nights press dispatches.
Driving snow and sleet, aided by a
biting wind did all in their power to
hamper the movements Of those who
came to Cheswick to aid in the work
OF saving the living, II there were any.
and recovering the bodies Of the dead
at the Harwick Mine, in which nearly
200 men were imprisoned by an ex-
plosion yesterday Men came from
mining districts all about the neighbor-
hood and did valiant work toward
searching for the dead. Early in the
morning the mine inspectors. F. w.
Cunningham, of the fourth district, in
which the mine is located; w. r.
Adams, Of the third district; Henry
Laudiett. of the first district; Isaac G..
Roby, of the fifth district; James Blick,
of the seventh district, arrived. Chief
Mine Inspector Broderick had also
wired from Harrisburg that he would
be on hand IL needed.
cunningham was the first inspector
over the ground and spent the greater
part Of Monday night in the mine.
Early Tuesday morning, snatching q
few hours sleep, he went below again
and after directing the movements OF
the volunteer force in bratticing 80 as
to keep back the dangerous gas In
front finally announced that ne was
ready to lead a searching party back
into the mine. The rescuers went back
for many feet, but when they came TO
the surface they had no tidings OF liV-
ing men still entombed. Up and down
went the bucket in the bitter cold. Men
clambered from the icy elevator, dash
ed to the nearby engine room and
when warmed vert back to the bucket
and down the shaft. Then began the
rigging Of the platform cage-six hours
work on a wooden platform to take
the debris and the dead from the abyss.
Two places are already prepared to
receive the dead. The school house
is ready for use as morgue and an
other building belonging to the COM
pany near the entrance to the shaft Is
also in readiness. The two buildings
are designated as morgues, because no
one who knows the story believes that
a doctors aid will be necessary except
perhaps for some Of the rescuers.
At 8 o'clock Tuesday afternoon 10
men went down into the shaft to do
the work of bratticing, bolstering, tun-
neling and removing the debric that
has so far barred their progress into the
workings where the men were at laoor
when the explosion came. Their shit
WIS suprosed to be Of three hours only.
Even at that it was hard task. Even
before the bucket reached the bottom
they were drerched with water, which
the cold draught through the shaft soon
turned to ice. Shortly after they were
let down. a temporary hoist that had
been rugged up to bring up the debris
and the dead was started down the
shaft. Then came snow and efforts
were made to reach the living men at
the bottom Of the shaft, but the
wooden sides of the hoist, swollen by
the water. stuck to the iron guide slide
and then came hours Of manoeuvering
tn reach the bottom. The men below
had no means of warmth and many OF
them we're standing in deep water.
Every effort was made to lower the
cage and finally it was loosened and
got within II feet Of the bottom. Ine
men were within easv reach Of rope,
but their fingers, numbered and almost
frozen by the cold, were unable 10
grasp the offered help.
1T was s o'clock when the nrst lnree
men of the party who went down at 3
o'clock were brought to the surface.
Not one of them was able to walk, they
were so numbed by the cold, and they
told of their experience in the mine
below. Henry Beckert was one or the
first men out Of the cage. He was car
rfed to the boiler house and, after ~
mi.,utes Of warmth, managed 10
straiEhten himself and saw: "It was a
frightful experience. The cold and hun
gcr-and no good we could do: we
were too cold to work. There is ap-
parently no one to rescue. We had a
hard time to find many Of the dead; a
shred of clothing here and anotner
there, a jacket. pair Of overails, out
few bodies. When we left the bottom
there were 12 bodies lying there READY
to be brought up. There were many
Others there. and the bodies OF many
will never be found"