The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-12-24

~ for n moment and then. unable 10
speak further. turned and walked out
OF the tunnel and up the mountain
side.
Hicks appears well and happy after
his grewsome experience aud Is spend.
Ing much time In receiving the congrat-
ulatons OF friends and neighbors. 90
whom he relates ms best he can the
feelings he underwent within the dark.
close quarters Of his tombllkc prison
near the dead bodies Of five less fortu-
nate companions while scores ~ men
worked like beavers day and night for
more than two weeks 10 save him from
death by digging through many feet
OF earth and rock.
He was once n soldier and II said 10
carry some Indian blood In his veins.
His bravery under the trying condi.
tions has won for him the admiration
Of hundreds Of persons who watched
the progress Of his cxhumatlon. so
strong was Hicks at the finish that he
helped TO scrape away the last barrier
OF earth and crawled. with slight as.
slstance, from death 10 life.
Hicks was not emaclated. lie was
so strong that the stimulants that had
been prepared for hiis were not needed.
His beard was thick and stubby. but
not rs long rs might he expected. His
face and hands were dirty. hut his
clothing was fairly clean and in good
condition
To press representative Supern-
tendent Cone said
"Of course am overjoyed that Hicks
Is out. and | am rejOlced that he Is
well and strong. 1t was long. tedious
task and a severe strain upon all con
nected with the work but | would go
through II all over again to save that
man"
While working on tunnel that was
building by the Edison Power company
near Bakersfield on Dec. the vertical
walls of deep cut fell in on Hicks
and five fellow workmen.
II was first thought that all had per
ished under the hundreds of tons of
rock and earth.
Three days later tapping on the
iron rail of the little tramway running
through the drift gave the first intlma-
ton that a man still alive was buried
beneath the debris.
A seventy foot pipe, two inches in
diameter, was Immediately forced
through the debris. 1t reached the
spot where Hicks was entombed. A
heavy dirt car had become wedged in
the debris in such way as to 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 sew
eral hours after the cavern he had |
talked with his companions, but that |
they had become silent, and he believ
ed they were dead.
BY means of the pipe Hicks kept in |
communication with big force Of res
cuers at once organized Milk was
poured down the pipe This was the |
only sustenance possible to give the
man for nearly two weeks. During
the first two days Hicks said he had
existed on plug of tobacco he had
with him at the time of the cave-in.
He had just exhausted this when the
pipe was forced into the crevice in
which he was pinned. Every day gal
Ions of milk were poured down the
pipe to keep him alive.
1t was thought at first that his res
cue would at the most be only mat
ter Of few days, but as the work
it was seen that the task
was much more difficult one than
was anticipated.
To fee1 strong ha Va FpOOd apnetita