The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1907-01-04
FACEDDEATHl5 DAYS
B. HICKS, The ENTOMBED
Miner, RESCUED AT LAST.
His Fellow Miners Worked Night and
Day Through so 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.-EntomDed
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
11:25 o'clock tonight by a 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 vas 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 WON
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
10 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 threats. DR.. Stinchield placed
lark glasses owe Hicks eyes, but
the miner said that he did not need
hem 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 I'm
Ter 60 feet of debris Is days ago in
he tunnel of the Edison Electrical
Power company, II miles northeast Of
his city. Five of his fellow work
| UlCu. MGI6 DullCu db luC odllC IL W
The cavein of thousands of tons O.
earth and rock. Hope of r%escuing any
of the victims was abandoned, wheI
after three days the sound Of tapping
on the water pipe in the shaft wal
heard. Instantly a response was sen
and the answering raps plainly proves
that at least one of the imprisone'
miners was alive.
The water pipe was cleared an,
communication established through j
with the man at the bottom of tn
shaft. He proved to be Hicks, a 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
shaft, the r%escuing party began wor
, on a drift from the side of the hill, an
work was not suspended day or nigh
Hicks was given milk through the pip
, and soon showed signs of renew
=. 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
q of his Imprisonment in closely crampe
quarters, he was kept well nourishe
r Every effort was made to keep n
. mind in a cheerful mood, so that
might not become unbalanced by h
Z surroundings. The stencil from the T
\ mains of the dead miners was perez
tible at the surface of the ground al
q was intense in close quarters whe'
e Hicks was confined. A phonograT
t was placed so that the lonely ma
could be entertained by music. He
e so was kept in close communicate
p with his friends, who sent words
a cheer to him.
i Hicks rescue was a most difhcl
piece of work, and that it was {
v complished at all is regarded as mi
e selous by all those acquainted WI
n the conditions which were met a
S overcome.