The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-12-25
EN7ONDED NAN SAVED
Buried Fifteen Days in Cave-in is
Rescued Well and Happy.
HELPED scRApe AWAY BARRIER

HELPED SCRNfE await pNfn'Eh
lindsay Hicks Net Emaciated After
Gruesome Experience In Tomb-Like
Prison Near Bodies Of Five Unfortu'
nate companions-Livcd On Milk.
bakersfield. Cal. Dec. 24.-Lindsay
y. Hicks. released from an entomD-
,ncnt oil IL days in a cavedin tunnel
appcarcd well and happy after his
gguesome experience. spending much
time in receiving congratulations OF
friends AMI neighbOrs. to whom ne
.claicd as best he could the feelings
DC underwent within the dark. close
quarters Of his tomblikc prison near
The dead bodies of five less fortunate
companions. while scores OF men
worked like beavers day and night
Tor more than two weeks 10 save him
from death by digging through many
feet OF earth and rock.
Hicks bravery under the trying con
ditions won for him the admiration OF
hundreds of persons who watched the
progress of tis elimination. So strong
was Hicks al the finish that he helped
To scrapc away the last barrier OF
earth. and crawlcd. with slight assist
ance. from death TO life.
Hicks was not omaciated He was
So strong that the stimulants that
had been prepared for him were not
needed
80 sooner was the last segment OF
debris removed and the way left open,
than Hicks began to scrape away the
rocks and earth and crawl toward TIE
oncnine With arms in front OF his
head he went into the miniature tun-
ncl and began to work his way slowly
through to the other side of dump
car near watch ho has remained dur
ing The evCayatiug His arms were
seized boy Dr Stnchheld AM miner.
The two cNeriing all their strength,
pulled the miner into the main tunnel.
where he was placed in sitting posi-
ton. The blndfold that Hicks had
been ordered TO put ON was removed.
Ms the tunnel was only dimiy lighted
by candle.
And there. 100 feet from the face OF
the mountain and within a few steps
of the place where the miner had lain
cntombed Tor nearly lG days. there oc-
CURED a pathetically JOYFUL scene. DIR.
Stinchn.lL with tears in his eyes. and
his hands laid anectionately on Hicks
shoulders. said: We'll how are yOu.
old bQy?'
Ard there were tears in the eyes
of Hicks a. we'll the only tear Mat
be had shed in all the days and II shts
since he was cntombed as he TO-
piled. Il ag feeling fine can never
thank YOU doctor. for what YOU have
done"
While working on a tunnel that was
building By The Edison Power company
near bakersfield on December :. The
vertical walls OF a deep cut fen in on
Hicks and five fellow workmen II was
at FIRST thought that all had persisted
under The hundreds Of tons Of rock and
earth.
Three days later a tapping on the
iron rail of the little iramway running
through the drift gave the first iniima-
ton that man still alive was buried
beneath the debris. \ 7o-foot pipe. two
inches in diameter. was Immediately
forced through The debris. II reached
the spot where Hicks was entombed \
heavy dirt cart had become wedged 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
cave-in he had talked with his COM
panions but that they had become
silent and he believed they were dead
By means of the pipe Hicks kept in
with big force OF res /
cuers which was at once organized. /
Mir was poured down the pipe. This /
was the only sustenanca IT was posi- .
bic to give the man for nearly TWO /.
weeks. During the first two days /
Hicks said he had existed on a plug I
of tobacco he had with him at the time /
OF the caye-in.
He had Just exhausted this when The
pipe was forced into the creyice in |
which ne was pinned. Every day GAL /
Ions OF milk were poured down the /
pipe TO keep him alive.
In a 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. MOI dar-
ing to move lest he might disturb tho
car overhead and bring down upon
himself an avalanche OF dirt that would
mean his death.
Through the pipe he directed tho
work Of rescue. guiding the course Of
the tunnel the miners started toward
his prison. 50 that it would not by
some chance disturb the equilibrium oi
the car which was all that lay between
him and death.
Erecting Monument TO Pope Leo.
Rome. Dec 24--The work Of erect