The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-10-04
NINE MEN RESCUED
AFTER WEEK IN MINE
They Had Managed to Subsist on a
Dinner Which One Of Their Num-
Der Had Been Provident
Enough to Save.

Lansford, Pa, Oct. 4.-Nine min,
workers entombed in the Foster creek
tunnel Of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation
company at Coadlale at noon Monday
were taken out alive at 4.25 o'clock yes.
terday afternoon. They were found on
top of chute in which they had crawled
TO escape food of water that had
broken from an abandoned working and
caused more than 800 feet of gangway
roof TO fall, shutting of all means of
escape. The men are now in the hos.
pital at Coaldale, and reports from there
held promise that all will recover. None
Of them, however, was in condition TO
tell Of their narrowing experience. Two
fellow mine workers, William Watkins
and George Hollywood, escaped from the
underground prison on Tuesday, after
crawling through holes made in the
fallen rock and coal.
/ The rescue was accomplished after 500
mine workers and company officials had
battled for six days against discourag.
ing conditions in the choked-up gang.
way Their task was made more diff
cult by a three-foot stream ef water
which flowed from an adjoining working
and which could be regularted only by
constant operation Of many pumps.
After blasting and tearing away more
than 800 feet Of solid rock, coal and
timbers that had been wedged tightly
into the gangway by the faIl Of roof.
rescue forces early yesterday reached an
open space back Of chute "a, down which
the stream Of water was poured from
the undermined source. Once more their
work was checked BY the presence Of
an even deeper how Of water and a wood.
en- platform resembling a large raft was
built above the surface Of the water,
and further progress was made toward
the chutes in which the men had taken
refuge.
AZ the top Of chute No 27. down which
the coal from upper veins l. thrown 20
the loading cars. the pitiful little group
Of huddlcd humanity was discovered. Il
was intensely cold IN the little space. I
and the rescuers found the nine men. /
two of whom are scarcely out of their /
teens, eurled up into a compact mass 20 1
retain the warmth of their bodies. All /
were terribly weakened BY their $50 4
hours Of waiting and praying. and with I
wan faces uplifted and eyes hliakine 81 /
the strain Of unfamiliar lirhts. the men I
in weak voices shouted greetings 30
their reseuers
One Of the men. John Bononus. has for
many years held q reputation for enor- 4
nous appetite and the size uf the dinner /
an that is required - contain his mid
lay meal When the rush - water
'orced il the roof. Ban1uus. according \
.o the story ~ he companions. ran with I
De others - chufe Ne. u. keeping
irm grip On ths dinner pail This Prob
.bly b what saved the men from starra- l.
ion. in the pal Bonanus had large
ruantity a bresa other articles of food
suna in nlnsf mfnsrs' cans and ths
resfef portion III raast chirl-an. AMI
{ the feod sns shared among rs c-lr- z
'Huluns but fhf thRken wns safsH urt
sst NJ kngwtua huw iuilR thsy woula
= hsld frissners. ths men uaftas.k s.f
hsr fped ir small 1ufntfies ana aftfr 7
nrsiuiiY takit,r ~ 81 ths nisat frun {
b. honss Tlsre1 the lstfef t,ark in thr
irmer rel fur q reserve uwru1r
More fhau ss hrnFs before thss+ rrs-
u1 a. nasr as tts msaF rn1ilf astesnrfr.s
BE- reserve surr1F - ftiatar t.an-s s-as
asse8 aruund ans fher. ar-rrsirr sa|
~ m,en uhe euii8 taR nsra e-orrs
etwesn thafr tas-h Esd ferrskar ~ - !,
r.aL rt1af.tfiss- Faf sac raef tee anrs.
gatFfr. tl.fT had hssF vittu1r fae8