Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-12-24
OUT OF MS TOME.

l.. B Hicks, the Edison Electric
Company tunnel digger, WAS released
from the living tomb he had occupied for
the past fifteen days ut Bakersfield, CAL,
at 1875 o'clock Saturday night He
was taken from the hole in the ground
aod removed to more open and safer
section OF the rescue drift Here he was
kept for some time and then rushed to
The ccmpsny's hospital, His physical
condition was pronounced excellent.
Hicks spent much time yesterday recsig-
ing the congratulations of friends and
neighbors, to whom he related as best
he could the feelings he underwent with
In the dark, close quarters Of bis 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 Now that
he has been brought back to earth alive
and but little the worse for his irightful
predicameni, he realizes fully the mi
raculous character of his escape and the
fue sel'.sacrilce Of the men who tciled
day and night tor a fortnight 10 snatch
him back from what seemed certain
death.
He gives the following as some OF
his thoughts while he was entombei
eff eternity is any longer and h 10
worse, excuse me from both Of them.
"a second after the crash it seemed
to be dark in my mind AZ well as in the
hole.
"Ihad Just let 60 all h0lds-eyen think
ing--and kind OF settled back az if | was
to stay there dead for 900 years
"But the noise(t the tapping on the pipe
braced me up like drink of whisky.
said to myself. Hicks. this il you and
you are sill alive. They may be coming
for you, Brace up and stick for the big
show
"When | heard mans voice shout
ing down the tube TO me to brace up ii
was better than being a kid again at
Christmas
"No more working underground for
me. think if | ever 20 down into any
kind of hold again | would go daily
A common cellar would give me the
shivers,"
When Hicks came from his tomb he
was not the emaciated creature people
mad expected to see. His body was well
preserved and he assisted in scrapiDg
away the gravel to allow him to crawl
into the hole dug to his tomb. Hicks
SAYS he will eat his Christmas dinner
in Bakersfield. Hicks told the fol-
lowing story: at was awful close in
tho.e. At first thought would die
like the poor fellows above me did.
God! it was awful to hear them moan
ing aud twisting in the debris, dying
by inches from sufocation. But after
while, a cool draft OF air came sweep.
ing up from below and l know then |
would never be without air, 80 there
would always lie q current through the
creyices. When the crash came start
el 10 run up the shaft keeping along the
right rail. A falling timber struck
me and ] fell to the floor. When
| tried to get up l was closed in.
The timber did not hurt me much, and
in few days will be all right again
] never bad any fear. The death
struggles of the other men were awful.
After The fifth day knew that ! would
be saved. A feeling came over me that
God was With roe. l am grateful to
God and will never 60 to hell If pray
ing can save me And maybe you won't
believe me, but if it hadn't boen for that
tobacco would be in there cold corpse
right now. The rats became thicker
each day. Sometimes 1t gave me a
shudder when felt one run across my
face"