The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-05-04
Save SEVEN miners
FROM WATERY Grave
MEN IMPRISONED IN FLOODED
SHAFT RESCUED AFTER
HEROIC EFFORTS.
WE'RE ENTOMBED FOR
OVER HUNDRED HOURS
Fall Into Sound Sleep, After Taking
Light Nourishment, Absolutely
Exhausted - Foreman Describes
Their Awful Experiences.

Johnstown. Pa, May 2.-Taken from
The dark recesses of coal mine, where
they had been imprisoned for over 100
hours. and snatched almost from the
Jaws of death. the seven men taken
from the Berwind-White mine No. SO,
at Foustwell, are lying in the Windber
hospital. physically exhausted and OBJ
livious to all around them. The men
were reached about ten o'clock Tues
day night, but were not brought out
until an early hour Wednesday morn
ing. the physicians fearing reaction
from the excitement and sudden en-
posure to the outer air that might have
serious effect.
All Wanted to Go Home.
Immediately upon being brought out
all the men wanted to go to their
homes and were taken to the hospital
under protest. No food was given
them at first, but a stimulant in the
form of brandy and water was admin
istered to all. with the exception of
Michael Bolya, who craved hot milk.
This was not given him, however.
Soon after arriving at the hospital
the men were sound asleep and no
communication is allowed with them.
Correspondents and newspaper pho
tographers swarm about the vicinity
OF the hospital in an effort to get the
mems stories and their pictures, but
they are turned aside and the men are
not disturbed except at regular inter-
walls when the nurses administer hot
broths and nourishment. Immediately
after these treatments the men again
drop to sleep. apparently absolutely
exhausted.
The hospital physicians said this
morning that the men would be able
to be about in a few days, but they
would be weak and unable to resume
their regular duties for week or
more.
Life Came with Waters Fall.
eve knew the men on the outside
were at work pumping out the water
in an endeavor to release us. We
kept careful watch and could note
the water going down inch by inch
There was nothing we could do to
help and we all chafed under this. We
| could hear the tapping on the pipe and
knew it meant for us to keep up cur
courage" said Foreman Bolya. I'VE
always signaled back whenever we
heard the tapping.
"All the men had full dinner buckets
when they came into the mine Friday
morning, but the food in these was
soon exhausted and we felt the pangs
of hunger keenly I don't think the
| men after the third day ever expected
| to see their families again, but the
| way they kept up their spirits was ad-
| mirable.'
How Rescuers Worked.
| To reach the imprisoned men it was
necessary for the rescuers literally to
crawl and swim through mile of tun-
nels filled with water. The first party
after grouping it's way 500 yards, with
only a few inches between the surface
of the water and the roof of the tunnel
in which to breathe, were stopped at u
point where the water reached the
roof. One man tried to dive through
in the hope of finding an air space be-
yond and nearly lost his life.
| When they returned, nearly dead,
redoubled exertion with the pumps re-
duced the water sufficiently to let a
second party crawl through the tunnel
to the cutoff heading
The imprisoned men had improvised
a pump, and they worked at this and
hewed out coal to ward off the intense
cold. One man was kept tapping on
the compressed air pipe. The signals
were always four taps and then three
to indicate that they were in the
fourth right heading, and that seven
of them were alive. NO matter what
the answer this signal was never
changed.