The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-24
HICKS TELLS OF LIFE IN TOMB.
THRILLING STORY OF rs DAYS IN
CREVICE UNDER MOUNTAIN.


Hairs-Thoughts OF Dead Comrades
DepressInE-some Easy Money Coming.
BAKERSFIELD, Cal, Dec. 2~s.-Linday B.
Hicks. who late last night crawlsd out OF
| the black tomb where he was buried aiv
for nearly sixteen days In a shaft 100 feet
deep at the Edison power plant in the
Sierra Nevada Mountains sixteen miles
northeast of Bakersfield. was well and
happy to-day and will soon be himself
again.
He has not aged perceptibly. His hair
has not turned gray. He has not the look
Of a frightened man.
He was somewhat dirty. His clothes In
places were threadbare and worn. but he
was game. He appreciated his resurrec-
| ton, for he sa id as soon as he was out:
ooh, this is fine, boys, to be among o
after spending an enforced rest on duty
in that abomins BILE hole. You fellows
made it pass joyfulIy for me, and at times I
really bell eyed l enjoyed my imprison-
ment.
THE thought that so many people wers
luitTt~lti III my unhappy ~ ~ wei"
striving vigorously to get me out; you can
realize how ! appreciate your efforts. The
sound Of those picks and the saws was
good TO me, and when that plug Of tobacco
and the hearty h~andshake came through
under the car ! was truly happy. II seemed
like a Thousand years burial under that
awful mass. It's all over now, and l can
only thank You and return thanks TO God
for my deliverance."
Hicks consented this afternoon to tell
the story in his own words Of his nerve
rackiug wait in the heart of the mountain.
He said
1T was awful close in there, and at first -
l thought l would die like the poor fellows
above me did. God! that was awful, TO hear
them moaning and twisting in the debris!
dying by inches from suffocation, but after
a while a cool draught OF air came sweep
ing up from below and | knew then I would
never be without air, IA there would always
be a current through the crevices.'
How did you come to he saved from tbs
cavein?"
We'll, when the crash came ] started to
run up the shaft, keeping along the right
rail. A falling timber struck me and fell
to the floor, and when l tried to get up I
was closed in. The timber didn't hurt me
much and in a few days / was all right
again. | never had any fear. The death
struggles OF the other men were awful,
though. After the fifth day / knew that I
would be saved. A feeling came over mn
that God was with me. l am grateful to
God and l will never go to hell il praying
can save me.
And maybe you won't believe me, but
sometimes down there l really enjoyed
myself. That tobacco saved my life. II
il the greatest food stun on earth and but
for it | would be in there a cold corpse
right now. After my plug gave out l tried
hard to reach an empty sack which lay just
above me. The rats would run across iC
and 1 had a hard time keeping them from
eating it. | struck at them but they were
almost out of reach.
AT last | knocked the tobacco sack down.
There were only a few grains In il, but the
taste OF these gave me renewed life. The
rats became thicker each day and some
times it gave me a shudder when I felt one
run across my face and I thought how it
had just returned from a meal of the body
of the poor fellows who had died near me.
Then sometimes l amused myself with
the bell wire, which fell right In front
OF me. BY pulling a long time l broke
this, and then l would play tunes with IL
on my teeth or tinkle the ends together.
At last l got 70 l could play a good tune
on the wire, and many a weary hour passed
In this amusement.
"ILlon't understand why my limbs are
not all swollen; but only my knees are q
bit sore.
Il was 80 cramped in them that I could
not stretch my legs ont and when / wanted
TO rest l would stick one of my legs down a
crevice and stretch You see the seat Of
my trousers is worn out from shifting about.
When / wanted to sleep l just put my hat
On a wheel of the car and rested my head
on it.
Il will stay here a while and think over
all the offers l have received. OF course; I
know I am somewhat OF a curiosity; and I
do not deny that | consider making some
easy money. One thing is certain; / will
not leave here until | have bad that Christ
mas dinner with the doctor. He boasted
once too often down the pipe about that
turkey, and | am going TO take him at his
word about eating all the dark and white
meat"
The car under which Hicks had been
imprisoned was exposed to view early
Saturday, and when it had been securely
braced the work OF cutting the rails out
beneath the car was begun. Shortly after
I p. M. the opening allowed Earl Porter,
a minAr working in the face, 10 reach under
the rail and grasp the right hand Of Hicks
in a hearty handshake, the first for sixteen
days.
With his left hand Porter passed a plug
Of tobacco to Hicks. The latter grasped
il eagerly and bit of a chunk and as he
spurted the brown liquid from him ex-
claimed. This ia real pleasure again.
Tobacco tastes better to me now than any.
thing to eet."
After the tobacco episode God was given
to Hicks in the shape OF coffee and toast.
The cutting OF the tTamcar rails was attended
with great danger. The man who sawed
the rail had 10 lie face upward below tho
rails. The first rail was removed late in tho
evening. At the second rail, the one
nearest Hicks. the feed pipe was encountered
close beside the rail. IL was necessary to