Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-12-28
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
California Miner Saved After Being En-.
tombed IS Days,

Lindsey b. Hicks was released Saturday
! night from an cntOmbment Of Is days in
caved,in tunnel at Bakersfield, Cal. lie ap'
peared well and happy after his grewsomr
experience and was 80 strong that the
stimuants which had been prepared for
him were not needed
| While working on tunnel that was
building by the Edison power company
near Bakersfield on Dee Z the vertical
walls Of a deep cut FELL in on Hicks and
| five fellow workmen. II was Of first
thought that all had persisted Three days
later tapping on the iron rail Of the little
trumway running through the drift gave
the first intimation thar man still alive
was buried beneath the debris. A 70-fo0t
pipe two inches in diameter was imme
diately forced through the debris. IL
reached the spot where Hicks was en-.
tombed heavy. dirt car had become
wpdged in the debris in such a way as 10
keep the immense weight from crushing
him When Hicks pulled the wooden plug
from the iron pipe and called TO the men
above him. his voice sounded like one from
the grave. Through the pipe the men
working on top learned from Hicks that for
several hours after the cavc.in he had
talked with his companions but that they
had become silent aud he believed they
were dead, BY means Of the pipe Hicks
kept in communication with big force OF
rcscuers MIX was poured down the pipe,
This was the only sustensnce possible TO
give the man for nearly two weeks Dur.
ing the first two days, Hicks said he had
been living on plug Of tobacco.
He had just exhausted this when the
pipe was forced into the crevice in which
he was pinned. Every day gallons Of milk
were poured down the pipe to keep him
hat
rescue would at the utmost be only mat.
ter OF few days bu, as the work pro
crossed 1t was seen that the task was much
more difficult than was anticipated In
narrow space under the car there was just
room for Hicks to lie down, His prison
did not allow Of the slightest freedom Of
movement and for days the man lay on his
back not daring to move lest he might dis.
turb the overhead and bring down upon
himself an avalanche 81 dirt that would
mean his death Through the pipe Ne d.
rected the work Of rescue guiding the
course Of the tunnel the miners started to-
ward his prison so that IL would not by
some chance disturb the equilibrium Of the |
car which was all that lay between him |
and death, Before the end of the first |
week. the stencil from the decomposing /
bodies OF those who had died in the cave,in |
made his position almost unbearable. II |
was found when the rescuers had reached |
to within few feet of the entombed man
that il would be impossible to reach him
from above.
Another funnel had TO be started this
lime directed underneath the spot where he
lay as not to risk bringing down the
great pile of earth supported by the car
This work required the most delicate tim
)ering and was slow. Saturday afternoon
rescuer forced small opening in the re.
naming wall OF debris and several men
hook hands with Hicks in the tomb From
hat moment the miners worked with iend,
sh energy, taking the most desperate
hances until finally they were able to an,
lounce that Hicks was saved.