Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-12-29
DAYS
|. B. HICKS, THE ENTOMBED
MINER, RESCUED AT LAST.
His Fellow Miners Worked Night and
Day Through 60 Feet of Rock to
Reach Him-He Was Nearly Crazy
With Joy When He Came Out-He
Said God Bless You ALL"

Bakersfield, Cal, Dec. 22.-Entombed
in the bowels of the earth beneath tons
of stone and dirt of a collapsed tunnel
Of the Eastern Electrical Power COM
pany L. b. Hicks, the miner who for
10 days faced death, was rescued at
HIPS o'clock tonight by a gang of his
fellow miners who have worked inces-
sanity to save him. For more than 60
feet, through rock, they burrowed in
the race against death.
Hicks was nearly crazy with Joy
when his rescuers drew his weakened
body from beneath the tram car, under
which he had been pinned since the
tunnel fell in, leaving him in darkness
and the plaything of a hooking death.
The hardened miners wept as Hicks
tried to thank them. Outside, a crowd
around the tunnel shaft had heard the
signal. Bakersfield was in a frenzy
of joy. Cannon doomed and the bells
in the churches tolled. Men and wom-
en- flocked to the streets and there ex-
changed congratulations
Hicks was brought from his peril
Gus position at $50 this evening when
his rescuers completed a scaffolding
TO prevent fall of boulders and dirt.
Hicks swayed like a drunken man,
the sputtering lights Of the miners
lamps half blinded him, and then
realization came to him that he was
free. God bless you all for standing
by me-" was all that he could say,
but it was enough. There in the cav
ems of the earth, grim faced miners
wept and an intended cheer stuck in
their throats. Dr. Stinchfeld placed
dark glasses over Hicks eyes, but
the miner said that he did not need
them as the light of the lamps did not
bother him. Hicks JOY on his release
was almost hysterical. He laughed and
cried by turns and DR.. Stinchfield,
fearing a violent reaction, gave him a
mild sedative.
L. b. Hicks, the miner who was res
cued tonight, was entombed alive I'M
der 60 feet of debris Is days ago in
the tunnel of the Edison Electrical
Power company, II miles northeast of
this city. Five of his fellow work
men were buried at the same time by
the cavein of thousands of tons of
earth and rock. Hope of rescuing any
of the victims was abandoned, when
after three days the sound of tapping
on the water pipe in the shaft was
heard. Instantly a response was sent
and the answering raps plainly proved
that at least one of the imprisoned
miners was alive.
The water pipe was cleared and
communication established through it
with the man at the bottom of the
shaft. He proved to be Hicks, a former
soldier and an expert miner, whose life
had been saved by a steel car under
which he was pinned. His five CON-
panions were dead.
Fearing to dislodge the debris in the
shaft, the rescuing party began work
on a drift from the side of the hill, and
work was not suspended day or night.
Hicks was given milk through the pipe
and soon showed signs of renewed
vigor. He said that during the three
hfly pISNl W hlo hloNOhCly lC huu
subsisted on plug of chewing tobac-
co. Thereafter, during the long hours
of his Imprisonment in closely cramped
quarters, he was kept well nourished.
Every effort was made to keep his
mind in a cheerful mood, so that it
might not become unbalanced by his
surroundings. The stencil from the re-
mains of the dead miners was percep-
tible at the surface of the ground and
was intense in close quarters where
Hicks was confined. A photograph
was placed so that the lonely man
could be entertained by music He al
so was kept in close communication
with his friends, who sent words Of
cheer to him.
Hicks rescue was a most difficult
piece of work, and that it was ac-
complished at all is regarded as mar
velous by all those acquainted with
the conditions which were met and
overcome.
MINEc O. coo or 1oz