Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-01-24
FROM LIVING TOMB
Miners Are Rescued After Being
Imprisoned Forty-Six Days
GREAT REJOICING AT ELY
Three Men Had Been Over a Thou
sand Feet Under Ground Since III 3
Third of Oecembsr--We Supplied
With Food and Drink

Third of Oecembsr--We Supplied
With Food and Drink
Ely, New, Jan. 20.-After having
been entombed fortysix days, 1000
feet below the surface in the Alpha
shaft of the Giroux mine, \. ID. Bailey,
p. j. Brown and Fred Mcdonald were
rescued Saturday night. Whistles
were blown all over the camp, bells
were rung and crowds cheered in the
streets of Ely to celebrate the mems
being saved.
"Ah," was the only word from Bailey,
the first of the trio to reach the outer
air. He tottered forward into the arms
of comrades, who in few minutes re-
cuperated him.
us that you, Arthur" asked Nc
Donald, as his brother stepped forward
and embraced him after nearly seven
weeks of separation. by George, it
certainly seems good to be out of that
hole" he said, as he was led away, tell
ing his brother of his terrible expe-
rience.
Somebody give me chew of to-
bacco," said Brown, with a laugh, as
he was led from the mine shaft to the
change room of the mine, where the
three men were made comfortable.
When news that rescue was near
reached Ely from the mine many citi-
Zens went to the mouth of the shaft to
greet the men. Many hours passed
while the crowd waited and the en-
tombed men and their rescuers dug
vigorously to remove the earth that
block ed the mouth of the 10OO-foot tun-
mel.
Finally the anxious crowd around the
shaft heard the bell signal hoist
away" and a loud cheer burst forth.
The basket soon rose to the surface.
bearing one of the rescuers supporting
Bailey. Mrs. Bailey was not there, for
one of her children was sick. AS soon
as Bailey was provided with clean
clothing he hurried home, supported by
friends.
Another shout of joy greeted Nc
Donald and when the last man. Brown.
came out, the crowd became almost
hysterical, realizing that the mems
long entombment was ended.
On the morning Of Dec 4 Mcdonald.
Brown and Bailey and two Greeks were
working in the bottom of a shaft eighty
five feet below the pump station and
1889 feet below the surface. The shaft
caved in, swapping the cable which
| l., Al.
shaft and hurting thousands of tons of
rock and timber into the shaft From
the bottom Of the compartment in
which the men were working to the
pumping station series of rick ETY. lad
ders offered the only means of egress.
With rocks and timbers raining down
upon them, the five men struggled up
these ladders. Half way up falling
timbers Knocked the two Greeks from
the ladders, killing both. but Bailey,
Mcdonald and Brown reached the
pump station. Its timbered roof with
stood the rocks and timbers which
came down the shaft, and offered them
n safe prison, where for a whole day
they crouched, while at intervals
/ lOthS liilIbtIo htpt tldSllllS dDONe
them, threatening momentarily to crush
this place Of refuge.
AT first at was thought on the sur.
| face that all five men had persisted, but
! twentyfour hours after the accident
the three buried men managed to make
/ themselves heard by tapping on IA six
inch water pipe that reached from the
pumping station to the surface.
Communication was established with
the world above and food and drink
were pientiOusly lowered through the
pipe. A large supply was sent down,
for il was feared the pipe might be
broken before the reScuers could reach
the imprisoned men. But throughout
the long weeks of Imprisonment this
pipe was used daily. a portable tele-
phone was lowered and the men were
able to talk with people above. This
telephone carried from friends news of
the world and messages Of cheer. and
from the buried men reports OF the
neither conditions.
Clearing the debris was slow work.
for tmbers. rocks and earth were so
twisted together that new shaft had
to be cut most of the 1000 feet. AT no
time did the entombed men suffer
greatly, except for their enforced Sc
cluson.