Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-04
MEN ENTOMBED IN MINE
SIX DAYS RESCUED ALIVE
Found on Top Of Chute in Which
They Had Crawled to Escape
Flood of Water.
ALL EXPECTED TO RECOVER
Fish Oil, Used in Lamps, and Few
Crushed Chicken Bones Their
Principal Article of Diet for Sew
eral Days.

LANSFORD. PA, October 3.-Nine
Creek tunnel at Coaldale on Monday,
were taken out alive this afternoon
They we're found on top OF chute, in
which they had crawled to escape a
food OF water that had broken from
An abandoned working shaft. and
caused more than 900 feet of gangway
roof TO fall. shutting off means of
escape. The men are in the hospital
at Coaldale, and reports Tonight hold
promise that all will recover. None OF
them. however. was in condition TO tell
of the narrowing experience.
The rescue was accomplished after
200 mine workers and company officials
had battled for six days against dis
couraging conditions III the choked-up
gangway.
After blasting and tearing away more
than 800 feet of solid rock wall, coal
and timbers that had been wedged
tightly into the gangway by the fall of
the roof. rescue forces early to-day
reached an open space. back down
which the stream OF water poured
from the undermined source. Once
more their work was checked by the
presence OF an even deeper flow Of
water. and wooden platform was
built above the surface of the water.
and further progress was made iowa rd
the chutes In which the miners had
taken refuge.
GROUP OF HUDDLED
HUMANITY DISCOVERED
At the top of n chute. down which
the coal from upper veins is thrown
to the loading cars, the pitiful Group
of huddled humanity was discovered
It was intensely cold in the little space.
and the rescuers found the nine men
curled up into compact mass to re-
tain the warmth OF their bodies All
were terribly weakened by their $50
hours OF waiting, and. with wan faces
uplifted, the men in weak voices
shouted greetings to their rescuers.
Several OF the men talked cheerfully
TO their stretcher- bearers while being
taken from the mine, and from them it
was learned that fish oil and a few
crushed chicken bones had made up
their principal diet until Thursday
when the latter "delicacy" gave out
and the fish oil composition proved to
be the only item on the bill of faro.
Each OF the men had in his pocket
several cakes OF a fish oil substance
used by mine workers IN lamps. One
of them. John Bononus, has for many
years held reputation for his enor-
nous appetite. and the size of the
dinner pail that Is required to contain
his midday meal. When the rush Of
water forced in the roof. Bononus, ac-
cordinE to the story of his companions
ran with the others to the chute where
they were found. keeping firm grip
on the dinner pail. This is probably
what saved tho men from starvation
BONONUS SHARED roOD
WITH HIS COMPANIONS
I'm the pail Bononus had large
quantity of bread. other articles OF
food and the greater portion of n roast
chicken. All of tho food was shared
among his companions. but the chicken
was saved until last Not knowing
how long they would he held prisoners
the men partook OF their food in small
quantities. and, after carefully taking
off all the meat from the chicken bones,
placed tho latter back In the dinner
pail for reserve supply.