Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-03
GREATLY WEAKENED BY HUNGER
In Danger of Drowning by Rising
Water in Drift.
DIGGERs WORK LIKE DEMONS
Three Workmen at Bottom Of Narrow
Shaft All Time.
ROARING CHEERS AT RESCUE
Three Days and FOrty-Five Minutes
Young Man Kept Up Heart While
Friends Above Were Trying
to Reach Him.

JOPLIN, Mo, Aug. 2.-Joseph Clary, i'm
prisoned by a cavern in the White OAK
mine near this city since last Sunday
morning, was reached by rescuers this
morning. He was alive and well. When
the last spadefulls of earth were removed
by workmen in the shaft and they dropped
through the drift, Clary threw himself into
their arms and wept wnne the shouts OF
thousands cheering at the mouth OF the
mine echoed down the shaft
Three workmen were digging in the mar
row shaft when the bottom gave way ana
they dropped into the drift at SIS o'clock.
Clary saw the light of day and looked upon
fellow beings after a period in darkness
which though reckoned by him to be some
thing over four days was really exactly
three days and forty-five minutes.
Clary, though evidently in fair condi-
ton of health, was greatly weakened The
emotion he showed at the sight of his
rescuers and the deathlike pallor Of his
face brought tears to the eyes Of the hard
ened worn out miners. The shouts from
the mouth of the shaft, sounds from the
outer world and the gushes Of fresh air
gave heart and strength to the weakened
man, who at first had little to say. save to
breathe his thanks.
Quickly Taken Home.
At a signal from the rescuers q physi-
clan was lowered. He administered slim
ulants. Clary was hoisted to the surface
and set foot on top Of earth ten minutes
after he was found. Curious spectators
were kept from him. His father. brothers
and the physician hurried him away to the
Clary home nearby, where his mother,
weakened by the strain of her long Vigil.
lay i'll. The physician urged Clary not to
talk until he had gained strength.
Clary is % years old, the son OF Thomas
Clary a pioileer mine operator. who has
directed the rescue work constantly since
his sons Imprisonment. Relays of men and
boys began digging the shaft Sunday and
have worked night and day since. The first
three attempts to drill a small hole to
admit air and nourishmsnt failed, but. the
fourth was successful yesterday. It was
found that Clary was in imminent danger
of drowning from water rising in the drift.
| Diggers in the shaft redoubled their en-
ergy, with the result that the drift was
reached hours earlier than expected.
Describes His Experiences.
Standing on a high section of ground not
| yet reached by the steadily rising water,
Joseph Clary, who was entombed seventy
eight feet deep in a mine here since Sun
/ day morning, last night related his re-
| markable experience to men on the sur
! face. Communication was obtained with
the young man by means Of a telephone.
! AS he told of his long vigil in darkness,
fraught now with hope, now with bitter
disappointment but never in despair, he
interrupted the conversation now and then
TO receive supplies of food lowered through
the five-inch shaft which, after three holes
were bored in vain, finally reached the
drift where he was helo prisoner.
Clary said that he was bewildered at
first when he realized that he was en-
tombed, but that he was never In doubt
that he would be rescued. He said he be-
came hungry, but tried not to think about
it.
The terrible suspense he suffered is in
dicated in part OF his story told over the
phone.
He said;
'T tried to count the strokes OF the drill
and was able to gauge time a little by
the pounding of the bit. Hours passed
until heard the drill cutting into the hard
ground. but could not locate the sound
In the darkness
Water Continues to Rise.
Soon the drilling stopped and 1 knew
they had missed the drift. AS time passed
and 1 could hear no sound. could picture
them making new calculations.
"An the time the water was rising little
higher. 1 was hungry. but tried to keeI
from thinking about anything to eat 1t was
hard 10 keep from thinking about n, and
drank lot of water from the drift
After while 1 felt a draft of fresh ali
and 1 knew the drill had cut into the drift
But in the intense darkness. could moi
locate it. I called with all my might. but
could not make myself heard.
Then when / heard the drilling begir
again IN a new location was discouraged
for the first time.
1T was Just the same thing over and
over again for the next few hours. I grew
more ravenously hungry all the time, bu
tried TO forget t. l busted myself as much
as possible until the fourth drill hole pene
trated the roof of the drift 1t took me
1onO time ~ lorafa fha hoIa huf Iaa-