Evening journal., 1913-10-23

The complete story OF the rescue OF
Thomas Toshesky, the miner who was
imprisoned for nearly eight days by
fall Of coal in the mammoth vein OF the
Continental Colliery of the Lehigh Val
ley Coal Company at Centralia, Pa, has
not vet been told. At one time. two
DAYS after he was imprisoned, he had a
clear way. twenty feet from liberty, but
his courage failed. In the course OF the
work, IN favor of which all other work
was naturally suspended, blacksmith
shop was set up to sharpen the picks.
telefone line was extended a mile and "A
half to the breach from which the
miners were tunneling, and a determin-
ed attempt was made To install an arr
compressor and oil engine in the rocky
bottom OF the breacit-- The progress OF
. the work, ihe ingenious devices by
means of which all of Toshesky's neces'
=, stiles, even to dry clothing and a carpet
: for the wet floor, were supplied through
1 a two-inch pipe. and the talk OF the man
e himself with his rescuers all combine "a
. make thrilling STORY. II Is twenty
five wears since a man has thus been
9 rescued dilNt HlAfi ~ ftHE "h 'H'l
/ meut in the darkness of mine.
How Anthracite Coal is Mined
For tho sake OF the safety of the
mine workers it is possible TO extract
, only about forty per cent. of the coal
now i'm the ground. The method uni
versally ia vogue is to run gangways,
or tunnels. thru the veins and then eX-
tract the coal from chambers branching
, off from the gangwayss. Between the
chambers solid spaces of coal, called
pillars. are left TO sustain the roofs OF
the eangways and chambers, which are
. also supported by tmbers wherever me-
cessarv. After as much coal has been
extracted as the miners assisted by or
dinarv laborers can safely take away
, the work of taking a little more. or
D "robhinp the pillars" Is taken mp by ex
. pcrienccd miners who know how 10 take
i every precaution TO protect themselves.
. This work is not as easy as 1t SOUNDS
T. as the chambers often pitch az acnte
Y angles TO the gangways. When th'
p chambers are being eXcavated the WORK
J.. is done inward ~ the face. or breast, oil
p the chamber. When the pillars are
beinc robbed the work is done from the
extreme end next to the breast OF Oh,
chamber outward. and the coal robbed
o from the pillars falls into the chamber
A small space at one side of the cham
. her is always timbered IN as Tar as th'
" breast i'm order to furnish the miner
I safe road for inurcss and egress. Ih'
\ wicdom of this Is obvious when one con
siders that the chambers may pitch a.
J, an anule af as much as 76 degrees, an'
- The coal blown away from the pillar
a comes rumbling down toward the gang
way.
How the Accident Happened.
!. ON the morning of Friday. Septemhe
4 %. Thomas Toshesky. 3S years old, am
Thomas AlcGmley. his puddle bot
g experienced miners. were robbing pillar
> in the mammoth vein of the Continenta
+ Collierv nj Centralia, Pa. The vein
+ four feet thick. and pitches at an angl
l. of as degrees, TO the gangway which J
e 200 feet below ground. The two me-
d lit the fuse 10 fire Shot or charg
= Of dynamite, and crawled rapidly dow
tbe manwav to stand at a safe distanc
in the gangway until it had exploded
Immediately after the explosion losh
" eskv. contrary 70 rules, went up IN
st manwav TO tumble the loosened COZ
IS ont into the chamber. His more pruden
IL and better disciplined companion retu'
1n ed TO accompany him until the prescril
en- ed period of time according to min
a. rules had elapsed. No sooner had Tosl
OF eskv traverscd the 60 or 20 feet to II
ton OF the chamber when there was
rroan and rumble Of the coal, and II
~ adjacent pillar. loosened by the sho
p moved over and filled up the chamb'
he and also the manway timbered off alor
's- its side, and Tosheskv was cut off
Mt small space left at the top. McGinl'
of ran wildly TO summon aid.
ne The Rescue.
The first effort of the hastily sun
moned rescue squad was TO clear q
manway All that day and the folloN
ing day men worked frantically passir
n timbrrs up the narrow way
T. strengthen IL as they cleared away Il
Ir. loosened coal BY Sunday morning the
is were enough for Toshesky to come dow
lr. little way and actually talk to h
s. rescuers. Even as he did so the pill'
moved and groaned again and he IL
back TO the top of the manway. II
zh ntrepid fellows. taking their lives
al their hands, continued to burrow !
the manway until the way was actual