Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-04
MINE TOMB OPENS
AFTER EIGHT DAYS;
PRISONER IS FREE
Man Caught by Fall of Coal
Walks Out to Greet Wife
and Children.
WAS FED BY DOCTOR
THROUGH IRON TUBE
Unafraid, Toshesky Will Re-
turn to Work-Great Crowd
Cheers at Rescue.

CENTRALIA, Pa, Oct 4.-The
coal mine tomb of Thomas Toshesky
was opened this morning at S:22
o'clock and he walked to freedom and
Into the arms of his wife and three
children five minutes later. He had
been given up as dead after a fall of
coal in the Continental mine of the
Iehigh Valley Coal Company Friday
OF last week.
Hundreds of men who had worked
with Toshesky, with their families
and others from the town, were gath
cred about the entrance to the shaft
and cheered the hero of eight days
Imprisonment as he emerged from the
mine. He refused to be carried to his
home on the litter which had been
provided and made the trip supported
by members Of the rescue party.
The fortitude of the man was re-
markable.
Toshesky's prison, an abandoned
chamber, where he had been hemmed
~ by the fall of thousands of tons of
coal and rock, was rescued at 7:15
O'Clock today. He had been talking
to his rescuers through a tube and
Knew the last barrier was about to go
down. He then staged a little drama
which was typical of the bravery
which has sustained him in his
Mprison.
Lighting the miners lamp which he
wore on his cap. and which he had
eXtinguished so that the flame might
not eat up the scant air of his prison,
he stood at the point where he could
hear picks and crowbars tap tapping
their way to free him. The light of
his own lamp served TO illuminate the
last work of the reScuerS,
Then, when eager hands reached in
to draw him to safety he pushed them
back with a laugh.
I'M go out alone" he said. And
he did.
Meets Family mt Mouth OF shaft.
The second act of the drama was
ntaged at the mouth of the mine. The
crowd, which had been attracted as
much by desire to cheer a brave
man as by the morbid curiosity
which usually prompts such gather
ings, was massed at the entrance to
the shaft. A miner appeared at the
bottom and called up for hot water
and blankets. They knew Toshesk
was coming
Then there was absolute silence.
save for the sobbfHg Toshesky's S
VIE aud the subdued crying of his
little children, unable TO understand
why they were singled out to be the
7arget for SO many eyes
Expecting to see the cave-in victim
carried out, the crowd was so sur
br'ised when he walked forth among
them, his shoulders wrapped in a
blanket, that they forgot for a mo-
ment to cheer.
Mrs. Toshesky jumped forward
with a wild cry and threw herself
into her husbands arms He was the
stronger of the two, and held her up
until she had overcome her emotion.
Then he turned To the children and
fondled them as a physician vainly
tried to draw him away to a litter.
Never Gave Up Hope.
Toshesky told his rescuere that he
had never given up hope Memory of
a former accident. when he was buried
forty-eight hours. helped to sustain
him. He was not surprised, he said,
when, on Tuesday, an iron tube was
driven through the barrier of coal and
he was given food and clothing. After
he had heard the voices of friends
through the tube he ceased to worry.
When he first emerged into the light
it was seen that Toshesky's face was
pale. but it was the pallor of confine-
nnent There was nothing of fear in
his makeup.
Doctors who attended him today say
that few days rest will fit Toshesky
10 go back TO work in the pit where
he missed death by inches. Toshesky
SAYS he will go