The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1908-01-31
SAVED AIT LAST
Rescued From Mine After Being
Entombed Over Forty Days.
FED THROUGH "A PIPE.

ing Prisoners in Colorado Mine
Since the First Of Last December
Were Brought tc tho Surface One
Day Last Week.
After having been entombed 46
days, one thousand feet below the
surface In the Alpha shaft OF tho
Gioux mine, near Ely, New. p r
brown, A. ID. Bailey and Fred Nc
Donald were rescued last week
Whistles all over the camp blew
loudly, while crowds cheercd in the
streets of Ely to the ringing Of tho
bells.
All" was the only word OF Bail
ey, the first to reach the outer air
lie tottercd forward into the arms
Oh comrades, who in a few minutes
recuperated him.
Is that you, Arthur" ouer;ed
Fred Mcdonald, as his brother sion
pea forward and embraced him after
nearly seven weeks OF seperation
by George, 1t certainly seems GOOD
10 De out Of that hole" he said as
ne was led away, telling his brother
OIL MS terrible experience.
somebody give me chew of to-
Dacco,' said Brown, with a laugh as
ne was led from the mine shaft to
the change room where the three
men were made comfortable
Ihe news that rescue was near AT
hand reached ely from the mine
shortly after IL o'clock the day be-
fore and many citizens went to the
mouth OF the shaft to greet the men.
Many hours passed while the crowd
waited and the entombed men and
their rescuers dug vigorously to re-
move the earth. that, blocked the,
mouth Of the 1000 feet tunnel.
FINALLY the anxious crowd around
the shaft heard the bell signal
hoist away" and loud cheer
burst forth. The basket soon rose tn
tho surface, bearing one Of the res
cuers supporting Bailey. Mrs. Bail
ey was not present, as one of her
children was sick. AS soon AS Bail
cy was provided with clean clothes
ne hurried home supported by
friends.
Another shout Of JOY greeted Fred
Mcdonald and when the last man
Peter Brown, came out the crowd be-
came almost hysterica, realizing
that the long entombment was end
ed
On the morning OF December 4th,
Mcdonald, Brown and Bailey and
two Greeks were working in the bot
tom OF shaft S5 feet below the
pump station and 1.6S5 feet below
the surface. The shaft caved in,
swapping the cable used to haul the
cage from the shaft and hurting
thousands of tons OF rock and tim
bers into the Shaft From the bot
tom OF the compartment in which
the men were working to the pump
ing station, series OF rickety lad
ders offered the only means Of eg-
rcSS.
With falling rocks and timbers
streaming down on them the five
men struggled up these ladders, Half
way up falling timbers knocked the
two Greeks from the ladders killing
them. Bailey, Mcdonald and Brown
reached the pump station. It's tim
bered roof withstood the rock and
timber that came down the shaft and
offered them a safe prison where fer
n whole day the men crouchod,
while at inerValS rocks and tmboro
kept crashing about them, threaten
ing momentarily to crush the deep
tomb
At first it was thought on the sur
face that all five OF the men had per-
ished, but twenty-four hours after
the accident the three buried men
managed to make themselves heard
by tapping on a six inch water pipe
that reached from the pumping sta
tion to the surface. Comm unication
was established with the world
above and food and drink were plen-
teously lowered through the pipe.
A large supply was sent down, as
1t was feared the pipe might be brok-
en- before the rescurers could reach
the imprisoned men But through
out the long weeks OF Imprisonment
this pipe was daley used. A port
able telephone was lowered and the
men were able to talk with people
above. This telephone carried from
friends news OF the world and mes
sages Of cheer, end from the bur
led men reports OF their condition.