The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-02-22
Man Who Directed Rescue
Work at the Alpha is
Remembered
Giroux Co. Manager Gives
Him Letter and Check
To Carry on Trip.

Mine Superintendent J A. Gala
CHER of the Veteran mine of Cumber-
land Ely was yesterday presented
with a letter acknowledging his SER
vices in directing the relief work at
the Alpha shaft, which resulted in
the saving of the lives of the three
men who were imprisoned for seven
weeks on the 900 level. and with a
check for a handsome amount by
Manager Walters of the Giroux COM
pany.
The occasion of the presentations
was the departure of Mr.. Gallagher
from Kimberly for visit of month
visit to his home in Lead, South
Dakota, from where his family will
accompany him back when he returns
TO the Veteran. Mr.. Gallagher let
several of his friends see the letter.
but modestly declined to state the
amount of the check which had been
presented him with expression of the
hope that it might help make his
trip more pleasurable.
The letter given Mr.. Gallagher
gives highest possible expression to
the appreciation which is entertained
by the Giroux management of the
splendid service he gave In the work
at the Alpha shaft and dwells upon
the high courage. resourcefulness
and general capability of the Veteran
man. II Is an expression of feeling
from Mr.. Walters which bears the
stamp of sincerity and echo of which
will be found In the expressions or
every man in any wise acquainted
with the work which Mr.. Gallagher
carried through at the Alpha. As
testimonial of esteem and confidence
in the mining ability of the man II
would be hard TO excel in its full
terms.
Taking charge of the Alpha rescue
work by Mr.. Gallagher was no small
matter. Aside from the very great
danger to his own life and the lives
of the men he assumed responsibility
for when he sent them into the caved
shaft, he took chance in assuming
the work of reaping harvest of de-
nunciation and criticism along with
loss of the high reputation for abil-
ity which he had attained during his
work In the district The odds were
heavily against his ever bringing
about the rescue of the entombed
men when he first took hold of the
work. Not a mining engineer in the
district but felt that the attempt
Fol tho who did
take hold, however, and endeavor to
bring about rescue. failure, despite
expectation that 1t would result,
meant that from all sides would come
those who would have done II differ
emily and whose ideas could not have
but succeeded, from their own view
point. Viewed in this light, 1t took
as much moral as physical courage
TO go ahead with the work and car
ry out the ideas which Gallagher lad
and believed would prove successful,
as they did.
Practically all the men who work
ed with him in the shaft are now
with him at the Veteran. Not a one
of them would go through the expe-
rience again for aught but that watch
induced them to go before--the saw
ing of human life. Commenting on
these men yesterday, Mr.. Gallagher
said, There never was braver lot
of boys | know that each and every
one of them at times faced perils
which would awaken the knowledge
of imminent danger to life in the
breast of any man. know that |
felt such danger and that | never
came out of the shaft and stepped
once more on solid ground that !
did not feel sense of relief
Mr.. Gallagher goes to Michigan
and Minnesota at this time for the
purpose of studying the caving and
slicing systems as employed in the
great iron mines of those states,
where the systems have been brought
to the highest perfection in opera
iion. He viii visit all of the promi-
nent properties and will gather the
very latest and best ideas that have
been developed for the handling of
ground under these systems to best
advantage to the end of obtaining
maximum results In safety of opera
tion and cheapening of mining costs.
The systems will be used in the
Cumberland Ely mines. which have
been pronounced by experts from the
Minneso md Michigan mines who
have visited them. to he excellently
adapted Tor this character of mining.