New-York tribune., 1904-10-10
BURIED UNDER 800 TONS.
WORKMAN LITTLE HURT.
Coal Laboiously Lifted O~t-@,000
Persons See Work.


After having been buried under three hundred
tons of coal in pocket at the plant of the Kings
County Gas and Illuminating Company. at Fifty
hfth-st. and the Bay. Brooklyn John Cullen,
coal passer, sixty-four years old. of Fffty-third-
St and First-ave. was taken out alive at
o'clock yesterday afternoon. His injuries were
only slight. Thomas E. Byrnes, superintendent
of the company, half dozen policemen TWO nre-
men and more than a hundred other persons
worked with desperation until three hundreo
tons of coal had been laboriously lifted out ana
the exhausted man carried up ladder TO the
top of the pocket The workers and about two
thousand persons who had gathered around tns
works set up mighty shout when they heatu
that Cullen had been rescued.
The pocket is built of iron and is about forty
feet deep with a chute about two feet square
leading into the hreroom at the bottom. Cullen
was the staging at the top Of the pocket
shovelling coal. 1t was about $50 O'Clock
yesterday morning. Suddenly he lost his bal
ance and fell backward into the dark depths.
His three companions heard his cries and saw
him struggling below them. Every time Cullen
tried 20 climb up the coal above was loosened
and slipped down upon him. The more he strug-
gled the moro coal came down. and gradually he
was carried down close TO the chute and the
coal slid down until he was completely covered
and his companions could no longer hear his
cries.
Jamesc J. Wilson. the night foreman. lost no
time in putting every available man at work on
the coal He informed Mr.. Byrnes. the superin-
tendent and called on the Police and Fire de-
partments for assistance. The neighborhood
was secured for volunteers and within an hour
fifty men We're at work taking out the coal This
number was increased by q hundred before
morning.
Had the chute al the bottom OF the pocket
been bigger Cullen might have been taken out
that way. for he was so near the bottom that his
feet could be seen through the chute. and
through this opening II was possible 20 hold con-
versation with the imprisoned man lie
wedged in so tightly however. that he could not
move although he was able TO get some air.
which came 10 him through the openings be
tween the chunks OF soft coal
CulleE's wife was summoned. and she arrived
about o'clock. She bore the strain bravely.
and allowed to go down into the firepoom
and cheer her husband for a short time on
count of the heat however she was not able 10
stay there, and was taken into the superin-
tendent's office. where she received reports Of
the progress Of the work going out TO watch the
efforts of the frequently,
1t was slow work passing the coal up TO the
top Of the pocket Much Of it had 10 be moved
by hand and often it would slip back again.
The men worked in shifts under Wilson and
James Sheehan. the day foreman. When morn
ing came sandwiches and coffee were brought to
them. and they continued their desperate efforts
with renewed vigor.
Those who were watching Cullen from the bot
tom of the chute reported that he bearing
the strain well but getting hungry and
thirsty II was out OF the question 10 get any
food 10 him, but F1remen Vincent A. Coffel and
Wendell Van Loan of Engine Company No lO1
nnally devised a means whereby stimulants
could be given to Cullen. After considerable OF
the coal had been removed n small rubber tube
was slowly forced down the side Of the bin
through the coal When 1t reached Cullen whis-
key was poured into the top of the forty-flve-
foot rubber pipe. BY that time he had manGu-
Vred around that he could his arms TO
a limited extent. He took a drink from the
tube and then pinched the end together between
TWO chunks Of coal to keep the fluid from escap-
ing Thus he able TO take stimulant when
ever he felt faint. Through the bottom of the
chute Cullen expressed the Iiveest satisfaction
al what was being done for him, and those out
side marvelled at his pluck and powers of en-
durance.
When it was seen that Culen's removal was
only matter of n short time, Ambulance Sur
geon Eason was called from the Norwegian Hos
pital. To him too. It seemed impossible that
Cullen could have stood the weight of the coal
without receiving serious injury When the last
bit OF coal had been removed and Cullen was
free, he got up and tried to climb up the ladder
alone. but ready hands insisted on helnina
him. He bruised and black from head
10 FOOT. but he was strong enough TO call for
another drink. Then DR.. Eason looked him over
carefully and could find no injuries more seri-
Gus tnan cuts and bruises Cullen insisted on
Deing taken nome, and as he left the place he
told the foreman he would be back co work to-
uay. put II Will be several days before he is in
condition 10 shovel coal again
When asked how he felt when under the coal
ne replied that he realized he was in great dan
ger II was easy for me- however, he added
as 1 ielI that II was going 10 pass in my
work" S