Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-12-24
BURIED ALIVE FOR |6
DAYS, is NOW FREE.
Hicks Tells Story
Of T hri|Iing
Experience.
HIS QUEER SENSATION.

BAkERSFIELD, Cal, Dec. 24---Out
of the valley of the shadow Lindsay
B. Hicks, the miner who was buried
nearly sixteen days in the Edison mine
at this place. has been rescued from
his living tomb
Surrounded by hundreds who have
literally camped at the head of the
mine shaft waiting for the outcome of
the desperate battle being waged for
human life, the freed captive was
carried, lying on a stretcher, on the
shoulders Of the triumphant men who
reached him to the hospital.
Rough miners cheered, with tears in
their eyes, as the procession reached
the top of the mine shaft; women al
ternately laughed and wept, and ev-
cry one crowded forward for a look at
the rough. begrimed, sunken checked
workman whose name has been ON the
lips of nearly 60,00O,OO0 people for
more than week.
And above it all the mine whistles,
factory whistles. locomotive whistles
and every other thing that could be in
duced to make noise shrieked a well
come back to earth of the man who
had been buried alive and twice given
up fort lost. Every one who could
grasped the hand of him who had been
saved from almost certain death after
a Herculean struggle.
After twice changing plans on ac-
count Of great rocks that blocked their
path, the rescuers by careful timber
work to keep the soft dirt and rock
from raining down upon their heads
came upon the top of the car which
covered Hicks.
Bits of rock were torn out, and final
ly the buried man could be seen. They
had heard him for three days.
Through n hole a candle was drop
ped in to Hicks. His eyes have been
bandaged for two days to keep the sud
den glare from affecting him, but he
took the cloth off and blinlSed at the
candle. I'm all right" he said. "I'd
give you one of these eyes to get
good look at the sun right now,
though
1t was 1:25 o'clock at night when
Hicks was released. The last cut on
the drift was made at Hip o'clock,
and no sooner was the segment of
debris removed and the way left open
than Hicks began to scrape away the
rocks and earth and crawl toward the
opening.
With arms in front of his head he
went into the miniature tunnel and
began to work his way slowly through
to the other side of dump car, near
which he has remained during the ex-
cavating. When he had progressed
about halfway he stopped, and Super
intendent Frank Miller, who stood at
the tube at the mouth of the shaft.
Immediately called and asked what |
was the matter.
"Oh, nothing Hicks called back. !
I'm just going to stop. I'm out of
wind. My wind is very short, you
know
Then Hicks moved a few inches fur
ther toward freedom, and his arms
were seized by DR. Stinchfield and
Miner Gents. The two, exerting all
their strength, pulled the miner into
the main tunnel, where he was plac
ed in sitting position. The bIindfold
that Hicks had been ordered to nut
on was removed as the tunnel was
only dimly lighted by candle.
And there, hundred feet from the
face of the mountain and within a
few steps of the place where the
miner had lain entombed for nearly ,
sixteen days, there occurred pathet-
ically joyful scene. Dr. Stinchfield, !
with tears in his eyes and his hands
laid affectionately ON Hicks shoulders,
said:
well, how are you, old boyg'
And there were tears in the eyes of |
Hicks as well, the only tears that he (
had shed in all the days and nights
since he was entombed, as he replied:
Il am feeling fine can never
thank you, doctor, for what you have +
DONE"
And then Superintendent Gone of !
the Edison Power company, the man