Evening star., 1922-09-18
Three Weeks Drilling Ends
as Exploration Crews
Prepare to Enter.
DOCTORS AND NURSES
WAIT AT TOP OF SHAFT
Engineers Say "a Hours to Lapse
Before First Body or Live
Victim Reaches Surface.
BY the Associated Press.

JACKSON, Calf. September ID
Rescuers working from the adjoining
kennedy mine penetrated the Argo-
naut mine, where forty-seven men
have been entombed more than three
weeks. shortly after am. today.
Announcement that the hole had
been drilled into the Argonaut work
ings was made by f. c. Hutchinson,
president of kennedy Mine and Mill
ing Company, through whose work
ings the rescue work is being con-
Quoted. Hutchinson said the hole
proved that the 3.600-foot level of the
Kennedy mine and the 4,20o-foot level
of the Argonaut mine had been con-
nected.
The opening connecting the Ken
nedy mine with the Argonaut work
ings has been enlarged to the full
size necessary for tn, passage Of tho
rescue crews, 1t was announced ohf-
cially at 6:45 o'clock.
Engineers at the mouth Of the mine
said at least twenty-four hours would
be required before the first body or
rescued miner could be brought to
the surface. Several days may be re-
Quired for exploration work before
the bodies of men are found. it was
said.
The great force Of the draft blow
ing from the Kennedy into. the Ar
gonaut mine indicates that there is
no cave-in on the 4,200-foot level of
the Argonaut, the rescue officials de-
clared.
Fire Peril Avoided.
Crews of men were holding the
ventilating doors on the 3,600-foot
level of the Kennedy closed in order
that the draft would not. rekindle
the fire in the Argonaut
Tense watchers stood In the chill
morning twilight, fearing and hop
cue squads. They were not relatives
of the entombed men, but mine
officials. Red Cross workers and
men.
Arrangements had been made that
the Red Cross should carry any i'm
portant tidings to relatives. The
changing Of the shifts at l am. was
the only colorful> event of the night.
The lines of men awaiting the skips
presented a picture of determination.
None of the miners spoke except in
low tones.
Doctors and Nurses Present.
The rescue crews came and went to
and from their tasks three quarters
of a mile below the earth's surface;
officials went about the various mat
ters connected with the miners des-
perate efforts SO far beneath them;
several scores of newspaper men and
women worked in what Is to all In
tents and purposes a well-equipped
city room.
Every possible thing that can be
done for the aid of the entombed men.
should they be alive. has been done.
Doctors, nurses. all the paraphernalia
and appliances of hospital await
them, and, too, grimmer preparations
have been made to care for their
bodies should darger fate be theirs.
On the $500 foot level, the rescue
crew battered with picks last night
at the face of the raise they cut to
reach the Argonaut workings. They
feared to use explosives because of
the possibility that flying splinters of
rock might injure some of the trap
ped men there, or that the detonation
would damage timbering and cause a
cave-in which would delay them
hours. days. or even weeks.
1t was a struggle Of human will
and muscle against the elements, and |
the elements won, temporarily when !,
: survey showed that eleven feet OF.
rock, and not four or five, as the !
miners had supposed. lay between
.hem and their goal. But the miners
would not admit they were beaten !
and with long drills they resumed |
Efforts to pierce the barrier and es-
.ablish some sort Of communication. |
Exploring Crews Form.
When word was received that the
rescue workers had broken into the Ar
yonaut mine. Byron o. Pickard, en-
sineer of the United States bureau Of |
mines, took charge Of the work.
Apparatus teams with four men to |
zach team, each headed by a captain.
we're ready at the collar IF the Ken
,edy mine and took the places Of the
Iweat and mud covered rescue crews.
The first team ready to crawl through
he opening made into the Argonaut
vas headed by Rodney B. Hecox Of the
United States bureau of mines. This
cam was to be followed Immediately by
aims Hecox and Duncan and their
nen wore gibbs, or the two proto-oxy-
rem breathing apparatus. Each captain
arrfed q cage containing q canary bird
md burning candles in order to detect
he presence Of carbon dioxide or car
ION monoxide.
The two teams were the first to
,egin exploration work In the
Argonaut mine. Oxygen was sufficient
o last only two hours. Each com.
,any carried full equipment for
together with spirits Of
ammonia for revival Of heArt action