Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1904-02-03
THE WORK OF RESCUE

Gruesome Sights That riet the GAZE
of Brave Men Who Dared the Deep
Recesses of the Wrecked f1ine.
Further details of the mine horror
of Monday morning are given In Tues
day nights press dispatches.
Driving snow and sleet, aided by q
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, If there were any,
and recovering the bodies of the deM
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:
Rohy. of the fifth district; James Blick,
of the seventh district, arrived: Chief
Mine Inspector Broderick had also
wired from Harrisburg that ne woul9
be on hand If needed.
"Cunnin9Aam was the first inspector
over the ground and spent the greater
part Of Monday night in tb9 mine.
Early Tuesday morning, Snatching a
few hours sleep, he we9K below again
and after directing tb4 movements of
the volunteer force IN bfatticing SO as
to keep back th8 dangerous gas in
front finally a1nounced that he was
ready to lead/a searching party back
into the mt1c. The rescuers went back
for manYfeet, but when they came to
the suYface they had no tidings of liv-
ing II1en still entombed. Up and down
wgGh the bucket in the bitter cold. Men
%lambered from the icy elevator, DASH
ed to the nearby engine room and
when warmed went back to the bucket
and down the shaft Then began the
rigging of the platform cage-six hours
work on wooden platform to take
the debris and the dead from the abyss
Two place are already prepared to
receive the cad. The school house
is ready TO Sc as morgue and an
other build. belonging to the COM
pany near IL trance to the shaft is
also in reat IS. The two buildings
are designate morgues, because NO
one who knew. he story believes that
a doctors aid will be necessary except
perhaps for some of the rescuers.
At s o'clock Tuesday afternoon l6
men went down into the shaft to do
the work of bratticing, bolstering,. tun-
neling ami removing the debric that
has so far barred their progress into the
workings where the men were at LABOR
when the explosion came. Their shit
was supposed TO lie of three hours only.
Even at that it was hard task. Even
before the bucket reached the bottom
thew were drenchel with water, winch
the cold draught through the shaft soon
turned to ice. Shortly after they were
let down. 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
ia reach the bottom. The men below
had no means of warmth and many OF
them were standing in deep water.
Every effort was made TO lower the
cage and finally it was loosened and
got within - feet Of the bottom. The
men were within easv reach Of rope,
but their fingers, numbered and almost
frozen by the cold, were unable to
grasp the offered help.
'It was o'clock when the first three
men of the party who went down at .
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 OF the
first men out of the cage. He was car
ried to the boiler house and. after 70
minutes Of warmth, managed to
straighten himself and saw: 1T was a
frightful experience. Tne cold and hun
ger-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 another
there. a jacket. pair of overalls, but
few bodies. When we left the bottom
there were 12 bodies lying there ready
to be brought up. There were many