The copper era and Morenci leader., 1920-07-09
MINERS ARE AWARD. ED GOLD. MEDALS FOR ACTS OF
 HEROISN
THE JOSEPH A. HOLMES SAFETY ASSOCIATION MAKE THEIR AWARDS FOR THE PAST YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY.

AWARDS FOR THE PAST YEAR
 IN THIS COUNTRY.
 Washington, June 29-The Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association, the hero commission for the mining in- dustry, today announced the awards to miners for special deeds of bravery in the saving of human life during the last three years in the United States. The gold hero medal is to be presented to four western miners and to the nearest surviving relative of three others, who sacrificed their lives in their attempts to rescue other miners from death. It is expected that formal award of the medals will be made by Dr. Frederick G. Cottrell, Director of the Bureau of Mines and President of the Association, during the International First Aid and Mine Rescue Contest at Denver, Colo, Sept. 9, 10, and II, at which miners will be present from all parts of the country Similar cvnests are held each year under the auspices of the Bureau of Mines for the development of the rescue and first aid men for the mines and in which medals are awarded to the teams most expert in life saving. VI
 The men who will be awarded gold medals and diplomas and the deeds they performed are as follows:
 John L. Boardman, of Butte, Mont, safety engineer for the Anaconda Copper Co.,, who lone-handed saved three miners from terrible death in the West Colusa mlne of the com pany and assisted in the rescue of the fourth. A fire in the Leonard copper mine, adjoining the West Co1usa mine. filled the latter mine with pois- onous gases. oaBrdman, wearing the oxygen rescue apparatus familiar to rescuers. at the risk of his life, en- tered the gas-filled mine four separate times to save life.
 Tn next to receive the gold medal will be Daniel Bionvitch of Biwalik, Minn., an employee of the Balkan Mining Company A fire broke out in Belgrade mine of the company in which one life was lost and many others were ieoparulzed. Three times Bionvitch drove his electric locomo- tive through smoke and gases, bring out helpless men, and finally, forth time he, brought out fellow worker
 A third and fourth medal will be awarded to James Collins and James Dilimirk. both of Mullen, Idaho, and employees of the Gold Hunter Mining and Smelling Company of that place. Whiie endeavoring 70 reach two en- tn'nted men in the mine. they the,1- sp;, ee were caught by cave-ir ard imprisoned for fifteen hours, when rescued were burned to the should CTS The two men they were endavor- ing to rescue. Peter F. Grant and Emil Sayko. were finally brought from the mine alive. after having been en- tombed for more tlraH fourteen days. Fellow employees took seven days to drill hole through to the imprisoned men, and by this means furnished them with food, water, light and silk clothing, after they had been without food for five days and without water for four days.
 Three other heroes, miners for the North Butte Mining Co. at Butte, Mont, sacrificed their lives in trying to save others The nearest living re latives of each of the three men will be at Denver during the First Aid and Mine Rescue Contest and will receive from Dr.. Cottrell the gold medals and the diplomas detailing the heroic deeds of the dead men.
 On June s, 1917 a fire occurred in the Speculator Shaft of the North Butte Mining Co. When the fire start ed. Michael Conroy and Peter Sheri- dan of Butte, both employees of the Company. started down into the mine to save their fellow men. but before they reached them the fresh air which had been coming down the shaft re- versed allowing hot and poisonous gases to come up the shaft. When the cage was hoisted to the surface, the bodies of the two brave men were found on the shaft burned to a crisp. The relatives of these men will re- ceive the medals.
 James D. Moore, another miner at the same fire, went through the mine attempting to bring the miners to the surface After he had collected seven men. he was driven back by the smoke and decided that the only hope would be to build a bulkhead as protection against the gases and remain behind it until rescued Ur1uer his direction the bulkhead was erected. requiring five hours for completion and enclos ing the party of eight men. They ob l taned air from a compressed line nearby With nothing to do but wait 1 Moore cheered the men and in the l meantime wrote a farewell letter tC 1 his wife. Sixty hours after the com
 pletion of the bulkhead, the rescuer: wearing apparatus found the barri