Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-02-08
CAVE|N BUR|ES
SIXTY MINERS
Men and Women Tearing
Away Rock and Earth
to Rescue Them
COME OUT OF PIT UNHURT
Voices of Entombed Men First
Heard Through Air
Pipe.
BY Special Leased wire TO New NexIcanl

BY Special Leased wire TO New Nexicanl
Sutter Creek, Calf, Feb. S.-One
hundred and forty men are tearing at
the rock and earth, blocking the
shaft of the Bunker Hill mine today
to rescue siXty-two miners entombed
by cave-in yesterday at the mouth
CT the incline shaft.
Another possibility of escape was
found by the imprisoned men in an
abandoned tunnel at the 200 foot level
of the mine, reached by an old shaft
partially filled with debris. One of
the men called through the air pipe
that they had climbed to the tunnel
and a crew was set at work early to-
day, clearing the earth and timbers in
the shaft and digging through a cave
in in the tunnel which blocks the
exits.
Wives and daughters of the en-
tombed men held torches through the
night. while men from nearby mines,
stripped TO the waist, assailed the jam
of loose country rock" which choked
the main shaft. They worked des-
perately without relief, many having
been on duty almost continuously
since the cave-in at 1 o'clock yester-
day afternoon.
The shaft is believed to be blocked
distance of about 100 feet from the
mouth. A loaded skip broke loose at
! the surface and shot down the incline,
striking and tearing loose the collar
timbers of the shaft. The upper TIM
bers gave way and the hanging wall
OF the slightly inclined shaft dropped,
! filling the opening with an almost I'M
penetrable Jam of timber and rock.
! 1t was feared that the debris had
i filled the bottom of the incline. en-
tombing the men on the lower levels,
but a faint voice through the air pipe
gave reinsurance and the later word
/ from the men below, saying they had
climbed to the 200 foot level establish
ed the fact that only the mouth OF the
shaft was blocked.
| A single air pipe remained open
with which a compressor was con
nected to force air into the mine. Min
ers were summoned from the Ere
inlcnt. arf ola ANA ior Nj i@a, and fhF
drive through the rock began under
Shift Boss Hoskins, who had narrowly
escaped death by leaping from the
skip when the cable broke.
Drop Food Throuoh Pipe.
! No food was dropped through the
air pine on account of the fear OF
choking it, but if the men are not
rescued today liquids will be sent
down. The miners had Just finished
lunch when the cave-in occurred ana
, John Sisson, who acted as spokesman
: through the air pipe, said they were
t not suffering and advised that nc
chances be taken in sending food
Trough the pipe.
: The shaft is 2,40O feet deep and the
men on the lower levels faced a peril
GUS adventure in climbing to the leve
of the old tunnel.
Bits of rocks from the mass above
richochetted along the walls OF the
shaft as the men crept upward. WIFI
. only one lamp lighted, on account o1
the need of saving the air. The tun
mel in which they await rescue has
been "stoped up for almost the en-
, Itire distance, and the sixty-tWo mer
S are huddled in a narrow room OF rocl
Y i'll which they cannot stand erect.
q The work is progressing rapid!
/. both in the main shaft and the tun
q mel, and it is believed that one Of thu
v openings will be cleared before night
e Rescued at Noon.
Suffer Creek, Calf, Feb. S.-Tht
sixty-two miners entombed in thu
Bunker Hill mine at 1 o'clock yester
day by a cave-in in the mouth of tht
shaft, were rescued at 12 o'clock to
day after night of desperate Worl
! by miners from nearby mines. Non'
I of the men was injured. They wer'
J greeted by their wives and daughter
as they came out of the snaft Will
their candles still burning.
A Glimpse of Daylight.
Sutter Creek, Calf, Feb. 8.-A tin
iopening, revealing a glimpse of ligh
at the 200 foot level down the shat
caught the eyes of the rescuers.
r shout was answered by crew frol
y the men in the shaft and few mon
erts later the rock jam was cleare
: sufficiently to allow the passage of
- mans body.
Greeted With Cheers.
When the word spread that an o
epine had been effected, the men ;
Iwork in the tunnel shaft ran to tt
a. main incline and a cheer from q
- persons greeted the first begrime
~ - miner as candle in hand. he wriggle
:. through the opening in the jagge
:. rock. One by one, the sixty-two pas
:. ed through and each found his fami
y, ~ waiting to welcome him.
~ A dinner had been prepared at Il
:, rhine dining hall and after hot rest
~ ratives had been administered to tt
Ut men, they were feted with ''lobscous
ne ard hot coffee while the crowd OF
H.