Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-12-28
FACEDDEATHl5 DAYS.
l. 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 a collapsed tunnel
of the Eastern Electrical Power COM
pany, L. B. Hicks, the miner who for
Is days faced death, was rescued at
1925 o'clock tonight by gang Of his
fellow miners who have worked inces-
sanity to save him. For more than go
feet, through rock, they burrowed in
the race against death.
Hicks was nearly crazy with Joy
when his rescuers drew mis- 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 drunken man,
the sputtering 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.
Init
ems of the earth, grim faced miners
wept and an intended cheer stuck in
their Threats. 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.. StinchfeId,
fearing violent reaction, gave him
mild sedative.
J.. B. Hicks, the miner who was res
cued tonight, was entombed alive I'M
der so feet of debris Is days ago in
the tunnel of the Edison Electrical
Power company, IL miles northeast of
this city. Five Of his fellow work
men were buried at the same time by
the cavoin of thousands Of tons of
earth and rock. Hope of rescuing any
of the victims was abandoned, when
after three days the sound of tapping
on the water pipe in the shaft was
heard. Instantly a response was sent
and the answering raps plainly proved
that at least one of the imprisoned
miners was alive.
The water pipe was cleared and
communication established through it |
with the man at the bottom of the
shaft. He proved to be Hicks, a former
soldier and an expert MINER whose life |
had been saved by steel car under
which he was pinned. His five COM
panions were dead.
Fearing to dislodge the debris in the |
shaft the rescuing party began work |
on drift from the side of the hill, and |
work was not suspended day or night. |
Hicks was given milk through the pipe |
and soon showed signs of renewed |
vigor. He said that during the three
days previous to his discovery he had |
subsisted on plug of chewing tobac- |
co. Thereafter, during the long hours
of his imprisonment in closely cramped |
quarters, he was kept well nourished. |
Every effort was made to keep his |
mind in a cheerful mood, so that it |
might not become unbalanced by his |
surroundings. The stencil from the re-
mains of the dead miners was percep-
tible at the surface of the ground and
was intense in close quarters where |
Hicks was confined. A phonograph |
was placed so that the lonely man
could be entertained by music. He al
so was kept in close communication
with his friends, who sent words Of
cheer to him.
Hicks rescue was a most dificult |
piece of work, and that it was ac-
complished at all is regarded as mar
velous by all those acquainted with |
the conditions which were met and
overcome.
BII &c RIIPEn IA ~ a. $3.50