The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-20
were BURIED 46 DAYS.
Three Entombed Nevada Miners Have
Been Released.

Ely, New, Jan. 20.-After having been
entombed forty-six days in the Alpha
shaft Of the Giroux mine, A. D. Bailey,
P. J. Brown and Fred Mcdonald, have
been rescued. $50
At $3.50 o'clock Saturday night Bailey
was brought out. Fourteen minutes
later Mcdonald came to the surface,
while ten minutes afterward Brown
was brought up. Whistles all over the
district blew loudly, while crowds
cheered in the streets of Ely and ev-
cry bell in the town was ringing.
All" this was the first exclamation
of Bailey when he reached the outer
air. Without another word he tottered
forward into the arms of comrades who
stood ready to assist him and was led
to the change room of the Alpha shaft.
where, in a few INMATES he recuperated
lis, that you,, Arthur p, squeried Fred
Mcdonald. as his brtther stepped for
ward and embraced him, after nearly s.
George, is certainly seems good to be
out Of that 'Hell-hole,' he said, as he
was led away, telling his brother In
pitched voice of his terrible experience.
Say, somebody give me a chew of
tobacco. quick said Brown, I'm on
the bum all right" With a happy laugh
he was led off by coInrade to the
change room.
These expressions were characteristic
of the temperament of the released
men, All were supremely happy and
relieved.
One morning in. December, when
Mcdonald Brown and Bailey and
two Greeks were working in the bot
tom of the three compartment shafts,
s. feet below the pump station and
1885 feet below the surface. the cave
in occurred.
from the third compartment of the
shaft snapped, and thousands Of tons
Of rocks debris and, timbers fell
down into the shaft. From the bot
tom of the compartment in which the
men were working to the pumping
station a distance of SIS feet, a series
of rickety ladders offered the only
means of escape. With falling rocks
and timbers streaming down upon
them the five men struggled up these
ladders. Half way up falling timbers
knocked the two Greeks from the
ladder, killing them. Bailey, McDon-
aid and Brown managed to reach the
pump station Its well-timbered roof
had withstood the rock and timber
that came down the shaft and offered
them shelter and safety. Here for the
first day after the cave-ln- the men
crouched. while at intervals they
could hear the rocks and timbers
At first it was thought that all the
men had persisted, but "a hours after
the cave-in- the three men who oc-
cupied the pumping station managed
to make themselves heard by tapping
on the six-inch water pipe that
stretched from the pumping station
to the surface. 1t was this pipe that
was the means of saving the lives or
the three men. When commun1ca-
ton was once established with the
world above, and the men of the mine
made known the fact that they were
still alive food and drink were I'M
mediately lowered through, the. pipe
A large supply was sent down, as II
was thought possible the pipe COM
munication might be cut of before
the rescuing party could reach the
imprisoned men, but throughout their
long weeks Of imprisonment this pipe
has been in daily use. A portable
telephone was lowered. and the men
were able to talk with the people
above. This telephone line has been
in almost constant use. FRIENDS send
ing them by its means the news OF
the outside world and messages OF
oh