Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-01-23
ENTOMBED46DAYS
Since December 4, These Men Had
Been Imprisoned 1885 Feet
Under the Ground.
WERE FED THROUGH A PIPE.
A Cavern Had Blocked the Shaft and
Rescue Work Has Continued
Night and Day Since to
Release Them.

Ely, New, Jan. 20.-After having
been entombed 46 days In the Alpha
shaft Of the Giroux mine, A. D. Bailey
p. ], Brown and Fred Mcdonald have
been rescued.
At $3.50 o'clock Saturday night
Bailey was brought out. Fourteen min
utes later Mcdonald came to the sur
face while 10 minutes afterward Brown
was brought up. Whistles all over the
district blew loudly, while crowds
cheered In the streets Of Ely and every
bell In town was ringing.
News that an early escape would be
afforded by the men reached Ely short
ly after IL o'clock Saturday morning
by telephone. About s o'clock Satur-
day night the fact that an entry to
the surface of the debris in the main
way had been effected was telephoned
to the men anxiously waiting on top.
The entombed men had been working
several hours in digging their way to
freedom from the 1000 feet level. The
rescuers at the same time doing all
In their power to remove the earth
that was blocking the mouth of the
1000 feet tunnel.
On the morning of December Nc
Donald, Brown and Bailey and two
Greeks were working in the bottom Of
the three compartment shaft, So feet
below the pump station and 1,0S5 feet
below the surface. The cave-in oc-
Cured at 9 o'clock.
The cable used to haul the cage
from the third compartment Of the
shaft snapped and thousands of tons
of rocks, debris and timbers fell down
into the shaft. From the bottom of
the compartment in which the men
were working to the pumping station,
a distance of IS feet, a series of rick
ETY. 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, Mcdonald and Brown managed
to reach the pump station. Its well
timbered roof withstood the rock and
timber that came down the shaft and
offered them shelter and safety. Here
for the first day after the cave-in the
men crouched, while at intervals they
could hear the rocks and timbers
crashing above them.
At first 1t was thought that all the
men had persisted, but "a hours af-
,er the cave-in the three men who oc-
,upied the pumping station managed
o make themselves heard by tapping |
Upon the six-inch water pipe that
stretched from the pumping station to
he surface. 1t was this pipe that was
he means of saving the lives of the
hree men. When communication was
nee established with the world above
nd the men had made known the fact
hat they were still alive, food and
rink were Immediately lowered
through the pipe. A large supply was
ent down as 1t was thought possible
hat the pipe communication might be
ut of before the rescuing party could
each the imprisoned men, but
throughout their long weeks of impris-
nment this pipe has been in daily
sc. "A portable telephone was low
red and the men were able to talk
nth the people above. This telephone
ne has been in almost constant use,
riends sending them by its means the
ews of the outside world and. mes
ages of cheer.