El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-14

men Who went into the portal Of
Cumbre tunnel We're heroes of the
kind that went down with the Titanic.
These rescuers did not know what
lay beyond the black opening in the
side Of the continental divide. Yet
they risked their lives repeatedly with
no more show Of fear than q profess
slonal fire fighter displays when he
scales the wall of a burning building
To bring down a form crouching on a
scorching window ledge.
They were all brave and to list the
heroes of the great Cumbre disaster
would be to list every man-American
and MeNican-WhO was engaged in the
pcrilOus task of penetrating the fiery
furnace within that tunnel in the vain
hope that someone would be alive or e.
least their bodies might be recovered.
They literally forgot themselves In
thinking of others and they were
ready to risk their own lives to save
stranger and even to bring back
the body Of some stranger whose
loved ones were waiting for them long
into the dark night of sorrow.
Cooper Makes Heroic Attempt.
All were of the stuff that heroes
are made from but saw splendld
demonstration of physical and moral
courage that was worth the long, hard
trip down to the tunnel When we ar
rived at the tunnel mouth, with the
north portal showing a shade blacker
an Official Of the Pearson company, was
the first to dare the dangers in that
blazing tunnel He entered the south
portal with an old oxygen helmet
which would supply pure air but 20
minutes. He fought his way over
burning cars through narrow passages
OF scorching rock and over caveins
10 point approximately 500 feet from
the entrance. When he refined, the
soIes of his shoes were burned his feet
blistered and he was finally driven
back by the oppressive heat
Bisbee 1Ten Risk Death.
When the Copper Queen crew ar
rived with modern equipment of
oxygen helmets carrying a supply OF
gas lasting two hours, special safety
lamps and other appliances for carry
eternal hope was famed to a flame
We knew that IL anyone could pene-
trate the bore and make the tunnel
surrender its dead, 1t would be these
brave boys from Bisbee. They
freighted their cOmpactly stored out
fit, on the backs of mules over the
divide and to the south entrance of the
tunnel They started to work on the
morning they arrived without stopping
even to eat The crews were divided
irtO two squads and each fought for
the privilege of being the first to risk
death in the tunnel Mckeehan and
Capt. Dodgson took the teams into the
tunnel in relays and were forced to
drive the men back when the heat be
came too fierce or their oxygen be-
came low.
Smoke Was White.
Smoke which poured from the tunnel
entrace was not the black smoke
II hich one naturally would expect TO
see, but was white and rolled in great
volume, hanging heavy over the mouth
of the tunnel.
These men with their grotesque he'll
NETS, would 60 into the tunnel carry
Ing their dinky little safety lamps
hi
for them to crawl over the debris and
into the half closed chambers. Rocks I
were dropping constantly from the
ceiling and there We're a number OF
narrow escapes. They barred down
the loose rock for the other rescuers (
lTilo wore no helmets, fought their |
way along, were forced back by the
awful heat and then pressed on until [
the dial read "rstreat," and these
would have to 60 back to fresh air for !
a rest Of four hours, while the next (
shift would take its turn of two hours. !
Kosher Goes In.
entered the tunnel first on the 18th, 1
after the helmet men had cleared the |
tunnel for a short distance. went in
soc feet and took flash light pictures
OF the twisted and curled I'D skeletons
of the cars. the metal beams upon
which rested my camera. being so hot |
that 1t scorched the leather covering
OF the camera. Once I stumbled and |
fell into an alCOVe or dog hole where
the rock had been cut away to allow I
the men to retreat when a train. would I
come along. I thought my time had 4
come.
Picks Up Baby's Doll Head.
To make pictures Of the tragedy 1
was my one object in going into the 1
tunnel, and was not trying to do /
any rescue work / made pictures of j
the bodies as they were removed and i
Of the bones of one person who was 4
found near the express car. But none ]
OF this affected me as did that little /
China dolls head which picked up /
near the first class coach. 1t brought !
American girl playing with her doll /
as the train dashed into that tunnel /
] had to quit my work and go out into 4
the fresh air. A sob chOked in my
throat and the foul air felt as IL il 4
was pressing the air fom my lungs
When / reached the outside I looked 4
down and saw that I was still holding
the little china doll with the big blue z
pathetic little souvenir Of the awful !
tragedy Of Cumbre tunnel
No Internal Explosions.
The tunnel was not wrecked BY in I
tcrnal explosions of dynamite contact
mines, according to w. Z. McKeehan !
rescue expert for the Copper Queen /
company He believes that the train
entered the tunnel under control. the !
cattle train and stopped and the pass
angers were suffOcated by the poison J
Gus gases while trying to escape /
through the tunnel to the north en-
trance through which they had en-
tered on tie train
ReseEers Work Two Hour Shifts.
Two hours was as long as our he'll
0eted rescue crew could work in the
uunel' Mr. McKeehan told US "The
oxygen tank holds enough gas for two
md half hours, but when the gage
caches two hours it reads retreat to
give the men a margin Of gas on
-hich to reach the outside air When