The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-04-19

ings they endured. They all declared
that they owed their lives to one of
their party, a miner named Nemy, who
from the first took charge of the party.
Nemy told the story of the twenty
days Imprisonment modestly.
When the explosion occurred, he
said, he sought refuge in No. 3 gal
lery, believing that he would have a
fair chance there of escaping the gas
es. He was without light and often
Stun bled over corpses as he greped
his way to the gallery. Once he re-
members he scrambled through at least
fifty bodies. Finally he reached the
end of the workings and heard voices.
He went in the direction of the voices
and came upon a party Of his com
rades that We're sheltered in a remote
niche. There We're twenty OF them at
the time. Later on seven wandered off,
and nothing more was heard from
them.
They Find Dead Horse.
Nemy, from mere force of character,
took the leadership. He got the party
finally to sort of stable where the
While they were making their way to
that stable they had nothing to eat
save the dry bark they tore from the
timber supports in the galleries. When
they reached the stable they found a
quantity of oats, a measure of carrots
and portions of food that had been in
tended for the lunches of mule men
who had persisted in the explosion.
There were thirteen mouths to feed,
and even the resourceful Nemy found
it difficult to restrain his famished fol-
lowers. The decomposing body of a
horse was found near the stable, and it
was cut to pieces. Some of the men
ate from it, Others could not.
There We're times when some of the
party became nearly insane from suf-
fering, but in every case, the men said,
Nemy Gained them, encouraged them
and infused into them something of his
own dauntless spirit. They had only
a little water at the very first, and the
little was soon exhausted. 1t was the
lack of water that SO intensified their
sufferings TO relieve their thirst they
| were compelled to resort to measures
which cannot be described. They had
| plenty of matches, but curiously
enough they did not attempt to make
light and endured the darkness all
the while
Rescued at Last.
Nemy said that he was confident
all the time that efforts were being
made to rescue them, but they were
doing all they could for themselves.
Nemy had a general idea where they
were and gradually led the party to a
gallery near pit No. >. They broke
through this gallery, and it was Nemy
| himself who first appeared to the as
| tonished salvage men i'll the pit, shout
| ing, Il am bringing twelve with me"'
| Nemy was taken to the hospital, and
| his wife came to the bed where he was
| lying. She was dressed in deep mourn
| ing, having given him up for dead for
two weeks Nemy looked at her a
| long time before he spoke Then he
pointed to her black gown.
For whom are you in mourningY"
| said he. Not /, your husband, that is
| certain"
] @NStiS al. 1t 10 odiuy NC ICNdIdtu
| for his GOODNESS and courage with the
| cross of the Legion of Honor
| Five days after the appearance of
/ Nemy and his twelve companions a
/ rescue corps was working in pit 4
/ when one was touched on the shoulder
| by a man, thin and black, as if his
| skeleton was framed with coal.
/ 81 Am Saved"
It was Auguste Berton, who said
| family:
| Il am saved, thank Godr'
/ Berton was raised TO the pits mouth
and hurried 70 the hospital. His wife,
/ who greeted him as one risen from the
dead, was permitted to be with him
| for short time
Berten was in better condition than
the thirteen other miners rescued
| March 20. Strange TO say, he thought
he had been in his living tomb only
eight days.