Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-21

We've got George Eddy herel"
ooh, George" came woman's
piercing cry from the crowd. "Is it
you? Is it you? Come here, George;
here 1 am, waiting for you"
Eddy, who was mine inspector,
was too weak to reply and could only
submit to the escort who carried him
silently to the car. At the foot of the
car steps the crowd was kept back
and women almost Historically clung
to the handrails, piteously imploring
those inside to let them enter.
A dramatic moment came when
William Clelland was brought up. At
the news of the disaster a week ago.
Robert, a brother, and also a miner,
came here from South Wilmington,
Ill. He was informed on his arrival
that all the entombed men were dead.
He offered his help as a rescuer and
declared he would remain here until
every body was brought up. He was
in the rescuing party today. As the
survivors were brought through the
gallery to the hosting shaft wrapped
in blankets, Roberts assisted them into
the cage.
In the first load that went up was
some one whom Robert did not rec
ognize.
The survivors We're put in the sleep
ing car under the care of nurses and
doctors and Robert went down the
shaft for another load. He was COM
ing out of the cage again when
friend stepped up and tapped him on
the shoulder and asked:
Deeply Affected
Bob, don't you know that Will is
up?"
Robert turned pale and staggered.
You don't mean"
Yes, alive. He's up alive. Why, Bob.
you brought him yourself wrapped in
blankets"
Robert was so overwrought he had
to be relieved from rescue work and
was himself taken into the sleeping
car. In little four-room cottage Mrs.
George Subacus became the envied of
all at nightfall, for her husband was
the first to be taken home.
Subacus and his brother John were
among the first survivors to reach the
surface. His story was simple and di-
rect
at o'clock last Saturday the pit
boss came to measure my work. al
ter he went I waited for the team 10
come for the coal, but in two hours
ii had not come. so I started to find out
what was the matter.
Pretty soon l saw smoke and I felt
that the ventilation fan had stopped.
The fire had been burning for one hour,
but that was the first l knew of it.
"I started to run then. But I met
George Eddy and some others-about
twenty-one in all--and Mr.. Eddy led
us way back where I had been work.
ing Then we tried to throw up a
barrier, but it was pitch dark and We
did not get along well. All the time
we breathed bad gas. 1 had nothing
to eat of my own, but 1 chewed bark
and drank water. We got the water
by making little holes in the bottom
of the entry"
What did you do all these days you
were penped in?"
why. we all said goodby to one an
other I and my brother. we cried
much At first the English among
us sang songs, and the italians were
all the time praying. but after a
while we were all too weak to move
about.
Nobody reached us today-we
reached them. We wanted more water
and we crawled over our own bar
rier and started. We had to worm
our way through a long aperture
scarcely big enough to hold us. We
were dreadfully weak.
"Then we saw the rescuers who had
come down. There was no cheering.
We just sat down and let them take
care of US"
Praise for Leader
From survivors who were seen, the
highest praise for fortitude and lead
ership is accorded William Clelland
Thrice daily Clelland, who is a staunch
churchman, conducted religious serv-
ices, his favorite hymn. the words of
which even some of the foreigners
picked up, was abide With me"
Twice today Clellanls rich Scotch
brogue arose in the dark cavern with
the grand words:
abide with me,
Fast falls the eventide,
The darkness deepens,
Lord with me abide
Twice daily Clelland delivered
blunt, stout-hearted sermon, cheering
on the faltering men.
"The Lord is with us even here, and
great is His mercy"
Then followed the Lords prayer in
Variably.
Imprisoned with the miners was a
live mule, which, owing to Slavish
superstition, is still alive.
When Clelland and Lorimer started
out to find more water, a trip that
led to their ultimate delivery, dozen
or more men remained temporarily be-
hind.
IF we don't succeed in getting
water kill the mule"
At these instructions the Lithunians
held up their hsnds in horror, for they
had a superstition that if in such an
extremity they sought to prolong their
own lives even at the sacrifice OF a
dumb brute, they were surely doomed.
Refused to Take Risk
Rather than take this chance they
speedily followed the trail of those who
had started to obtain water.
George Semmerich's inexperienced ef-
forts to make the contents of his lunch
pail last as long as possible shows
how pressed the imprisoned men were
for food.
Semmerichs pail had contained four
slices of bread, one piece of pie and a
huge dill pickle. Semmerich's est-
mate of how long this food would last
proved woefully wrong, for deducting
what he gave others it had all dis
appeared within tWenty-four hours.
Fortunately the prisoners still had
a practically unimpaired plug of to-
bacco. From this they extracted all
the nourishment possible and then
swallowed the quld.
This diet kept Semmerich's stomach
in SO feverish a condition that for the
three days the supply lasted he eXpe-
rienced practically no pangs of hunger
The leather band of his cap was next
pressed into service and his gloves fol-
lowed.
1T was not very sustaining" said
Semmerich, land 1 got pretty weak,
1,afF h1I Crrs