The Grit-advocate., 1904-09-30
DIED IN TUNNEL
ONE DEAD AND ONE: RESCUED
Guy Miller Rescued August johnson,
But Himself Succumbed. to
Poisonous Cases.

Denver, Sept. 2S.-A Como dispatch
last night says: Word has Jus,
reached here that the rescuing party
At the Almaden tunnel in the TarryalI
district broke into that bore through
q temporary shaft about l o'clock this
morning and that August Johnson, one
OF the two imprisoned miners, was
rescued alive. Guy Miller, the otheI
miner, WAS dead when the rescuinp
party reached him.
Johnson and Miller were lying near
together in the tunnel about $50 feet
from its mouth. Johnson was uncon-
scious when found but quickly revived
on being taken into fresh air. He re-
covered SO rapidly that he was able to
walk unassisted to the boarding house
Miller's body was removed from the
tunnel and an inquest will be held to
day by Justice Of the Peace Mecklen-
burg. who will act in the absence Of
the coroner. Miller died from suffoca
ton.
1t developed that Miller lost his life
| in saving that of Johnson. The men
were tramming Sunday night when the
fire started in the tunnel house. Nil
Ter had Just taken out a car OF rock
and discovered the blaze. 1t was then
already beyond control and huge vol
umes of smoke and gas were being
sucked into the tunnel, which Is 800
feet long.
Miller did not hesitate a moment.
but ran into the tunnel and called to
Johnson to hurry out. Johnson did not
hear his companion and Miller was
| forced to go almost to the breast OF
the bore, where Johnson was working
The head house is on fire, Gus,
Come out quick!" he called, when he
finally attracted Johnson's attention.
The two men started for the open
air. The smoke and gas was rapidly
filling the tunnel and their candles
were quickly extinguished.. It was
impossible to relight them.
The progress of the men was slow,
and in the inky darkness they fire.
quently stumbled and fell. The smoke
became more dense every second and
Johnson began to feel weak. He told
Miller that he would never be able to
get out, and urged his companion to
run ahead and leave him behind.
Miller refused to desert his friend.
but grabbed him about the waist and
started to carry him to the portal OF
the tunnel.
When within $50 feet of the mouth
Of the bore Johnson became uncon-
scious. and Miller. exhausted by his
efforts to rescue his companion, fell
to the floor with his human burden.
He lost consciousness and died from
suffocation. How Johnson escaped
I like fate seems little short of miracu-
lous. He was the first to succumb to
the deadly fumes and never could have
. -aH ~tva& t~,.x - oh
Ter carried him.
today and take charge of the body.
Miller was twenty-eight years old and
was a well known miner. johnson is
thirty-two years old.
Superintendent l.. c. King of the AL
MAIDEN property. who was badly
burned about the head, face and hands
trying to extinguish the fire in the
head house, is making good progress
toward recovery.
In order to reach the imprisoned
miners it was necessary to build
twenty-five foot shaft back Of the
mouth of the tunnel. This shaft was
competed at l o'clock this morning.
and then the rescuers. with water
soaked towels about their heads to
protect them from the smoke, started
to find the bodies of the two miners
Both were thought to, be dead when
brought to the surface. but the phy
sician at hand detected signs OF life in
Johnson's body, and restoratives and
stimulants were hastily administered
and he was resuscitated.
Johnson's lungs and throat are in
bad shape to-day but he will recover
in a week or two. When informed
that Miller was dead he broke down
and cried. He says he owes his life to-
the heroism Of his working compan-
ion.