The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-24
SAVED AFTER FIFTEEN
 DAYS' OF ENFORCEMENT
THE REMARKABLE ESCAPE OF WORKMAN HICKS FROM EDr-
 SON POWER TUNNEL.

rive Companions Met Death and Flo
 spent the Time Near Their Rodies
 "hiie Scores of Men Worked Like
 Beavers to Save Him--AM Thought at
 firSt to Have Perished but Tapping on an Iron Rail Gave First SignaI | That Some One Had Survived tba
 Cave-In--Hicks the Only One and He
 Is Brought Out in Good Condition
 Food Passed to Him Through Sew
 enty-Foot Pipe.
 Bakersfield, Cal, Dec. 2S.-Ilndsav B Hicks, released last night from au entombment of fifteen days in caved. m tunnel, to-day appeared well and happy after his gruesome experience, spending much time in receiving tha congratulations of friends and neigh. bors, to whom he related the feelings he underwent within the dark close quarters of his tomb-like prison near the dead bodies of five less fortunate companions, while scores of men worked like beavers day and night for more than two weeks to save him from death by digging through many feet of earth and rock.
 Hicks was once a soldier, and is said to carry some Indian blood in his veins. His bravery under the trying conditions won for him the admiration of hun dreds of persons who watched the progress of his elimination So strong was Hicks at the finish that he helped to scrape away the last barrier of earth and crawled with slight assist ance from death to life
 Hicks was not emaciated. He was So strong that the stimulants that had been prepared for him were not needed, lt was 11;25 last night when Hicks was released. The last cut on the drift was made at 11:12 o'clock, and no sooner was the segment of debris removed, and the way left open, than Hicks be- gan to scrape away the rocks and earth, and crawl towards the opening With arms in front of his head, he went into the miniature tunnel, and be- gan to work his way slowly to the oth- CT side of dump car, near which he had remained during the excavating. When he had progressed about half way The stopped, and Superintendent Frank Miller, who stood at the tube at the | mouth of the shaft, immediately called, and asked what was the mater. "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 Mr Gents. The two, exerting all their strength, pulled the miner into the main tunnel, where he was placed in sit ting position. The blindfold that Hicks had been ordered ito put on was remov- ed, as the tunnel was only dinly lights ed by candle.
 And there, a hundred feet from tho 1 fee of he mountain, nd within few l steps of the place where the miner had lain entombed for nearly sixteen days, there occurred pathetically joyful scene Dr, Stinchfeld, with tears in his eyes and his hands laid affection ately on Hicks shoulders, said Well, l z how are you, old boy?"
 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: T am feeling fine. I can never thank, you doctor, for what you have done"
 Then came Superintendent Cone. of the Edison Power company, the man who had stayed by the work day and night, directing every move in the res. cue. He came forward, and took Hicka by both hands and said: T am gald to see you again, old man."
 To a representative of the Associated Press Superintendent Cone said: aOi course, I am overjoyed that Hicks is out, and l am rejoiced that he is well and strong. It was long, tedioustask, and a severe strain upon all connected with the work, but I would go through it all over again to save that man.
 While working in tunnel that was building by the Edison Power company near Bakersfield on December ', the vertical walls of a deep cut fell on Hicks and five fellow workmen. It was first thought that all had perished.
 Three days latter a tapping on the iron rail of the little tramway running through the drift gave the first initma- tion that a mali stitll alive was buried beneath the debris.
 A seventy foot pipe, two inches in diameter was immediately forced through the debris, It reached the spot where Hicks was entombed. A heavy dirt car become wedged in the debris in such a way as to keep the i'm. mense weight from crushing him.
 When Hicks pulled the wooden plug from the iron piple and called to the men above 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 cave-in he had talked with his companions, but that they had become silent, and he believed they were dead.
 Continued on Second Page.)