Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-12-28
DAYS.
|. B. HICKS, The ENTOMBED
MINER, RESCUED AT LAST.
His Fellow Miners Worked Night and
Day Through 60 Feet of Rock to
Reach Him-He Was Nearly Crazy
With Joy When He Came out-He
Said God Bless You ALL"

Bakersfield, Cal, Dec. 22.-Entombed
in the bowels of the earth beneath tons
of stone and dirt of collapsed tunnel
pany, l.. B. Hicks, the miner who for
10 days faced death, was rescued at
11:25 o'clock tonight by gang of his
fellow miners who have worked inces-
sanity to save him. For more than 60
feet, through rock, they burrowed in
the race against death.
Hicks was nearly crazy with Joy |
when his rescuers drew his weakened |
body from beneath the tram car, under
which he had been pinned since the
tunnel fell in leaving him in darkness
and the plaything of a hooking death.
The hardened miners wept as Hicks
tried to thank them. Outside, a crowd
around the tunnel shaft had heard the
signal. Bakersfield was in a frenzy
of joy. Cannon doomed and the bells
in the churches tolled. Men and wom-
en- flocked to the streets and there ex-
changed congratulations.
Hicks was brought from his peril
Gus position at $50 this evening when
his rescuers completed a scaffolding
TO prevent a fall of boulders and dirt.
Hicks swayed like a drunken man,
the suffering lights of the miners
lamps half blinded him, and then a
realization came to him that he was
free. God bless you all for standing
by me-" was all that he could say,
but it was enough. There in the cav
ems of the earth, grim faced miners
wept and an intended cheer stuck in
their throats Dr. Stinchfield placed
dark glasses over Hicks eyes, but
the miner said that he did not need
, them as the light of the lamps did not
bother him. Hicks joy on his release
was almost hysterical. He laughed and
cried by turns and DR.. Stinchfeld
fearing a violent reaction, gave him a
mild sedative.
L. b. Hicks, the miner who was res
cued tonight, was entombed alive un
der 60 feet of debris Is days ago in
the tunnel of the Edison Electrical
j Power company, II miles northeast OF
: this city. Five of his fellow work
men were buried at the same time by
l the cavCjn of thousands of tons Of
earth and rock. Hope of rescuing any
J, of the victims was abandoned, wheI
= after three days the sound of tapping
on the water pipe in the shaft was
), heard. Instantly a response was sen
J and the answering raps plainly proved
that at least one of the imprisoned
:. miners was alive.
The water pipe was cleared ant
j., communication established through
y with the man at the bottom of tn
" shaft. He proved to be Hicks, forme
soldier and an expert miner, whose lif
had been saved by a steel car unde
;. which he was pinned. His five con
>. panions were dead.
, Fearing to dislodge the debris in tn
1, shaft, the rescuing party began wor
:, on a drift from the side of the hill, an
- work was not suspended day or nigh
a Hicks was given milk through the PIP
- and soon showed signs of renewe
- vigor. He said that during the thre
! DAYS previous to his discovery he ha
- subsisted on a plug of chewing toba
- co. Thereafter, during the long houl
o of his Imprisonment in closely crampe
Il quarters. he was kept well nourishe
Every effort was made to keep b
~ mind in a cheerful mood, so that
IL might not become unbalanced by b
m surroundings. The stencil from the I
re- mains of the dead miners was perez
IN tible at the surface of the ground al
AZ was intense in close quarters whe
Hicks was confined. A phonogra
was placed so that the lonely m
could be entertained by music. He
: so was kept in close communicate
- with his friends, who sent words
cheer to him.
Hicks rescue was a most diffic'
piece of work, and that it was
complished at all is regarded as m
velous by all those acquainted W
the conditions which were met a
Il overcome.