New Britain herald., 1922-09-18
Communication Establish ed Today, but Entrance Must be Timbered for Safety.
Families of Victims Stand in Chill of Morning Watching Progress of Work.

Jackson, Calif., Sept. 1s.-(By As sociated Press between the Argonaut gold mine where 47 men have been entombed more than three weeks. and the adjoining Ken nedy mine was esta abished at 4;50 a. m, today, according to V. s. Gar barini, superintendent of the Argon- aut Co. Garbarini said light was passing between the two mines at that hour.
 Penetrate at 5 A. NJ.
 Rescuers penetrated the Argonaut shortly after 5 a. m.
 The opening was enlarged to the full size necessary for the passage of the rescuers at 6:45 o'clock.
 The rescue crew, which has been driving ahead on the 3,9oo foot level of the Kennedy, racing the crew on the higher level. so see which first would break into the Argonaut, was taken of the work when the draft through the connecting cut assured that there were no cave ins on the Argonauts 4,200 foot level.
 The crews on the $500 foot level, all members of which are Argonaut miners, won the $5,00o bonus offered by the mine officials to the first crew to break into the Argonaut.
 Timber For Safety
 Jackson. Calf. Sept. 1S.-Timber- ing of the Kennedy and Argonaut mines to prevent cave-in on the rescuers who stand ready to enter the Argonaut, in which ~ men have been entombed, delayed the federal mine rescue crews from going into the Ar gonaut, according to the last word telephoned today from the 3,so0 foot level of the Kennedy.
 Engineers at the mouth of the mine said at least 24 hours would be required before the first body or res- cued miner could be brought to the surface. The first day may be re- quifed for exploration work before any bodies are found, it was said
 Jackson, Calif. Sept. IS, (By Asso- ciated PressJ.-Eleven feet of rock remained to be drilled at midnight to open the way from the Kennedy mine into the adjoining Argonaut workings where 47 men now have been entombed more than three weeks
 Rev. Fathers Michael J. Kearney of Jackson and Michael O'Connor of sutter Creek, stood silent guards at the mouth of the Kennedy awaiting any call from the Argonaut where of alive.
 An official statement said that the first connection to be made would be through single long drill hole.
 After this hole has been drilled" said the statement several hours will elapse before men will be able to pass through into the Argonaut."
 E. c. Hutchison. president of the Kennedy Mining Go. said the hole connected the 3,6oo foot level of the Kennedy mine and the 4,2o0 foot level of the Argonaut
 The first connection with the Argo- naut is a one inch drill hole.
 MT. Garbarini said it might be necessary to timber between the mines before the rescuers could work with safety.
 Tense watchers stood in the chill morning twilight awaiting the first word from the rescue squads.
 Before the drills twisted through the last rock barrier there had been little but disappointment and monot- ony in the wait above ground. So many times had the wives, parents and children of the imprisoned miners heard that a cut through was ex- pected and failed that most of them were at home in bed when it actually | was achieved
 The changing of the shifts alone this morning was the only colorful event of the night. None of the miners spoke except in low tones Two priests stood silently by the shaft m outh, awaiting any call that might | take them underground. Every pos sible thing has been done for the aid of the entombed men, should they be alive, Doctors nurses and hospital equipment await them.
 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 iniure some of the trap ped men there, or that the detona- tion would damage timbering and cause a cave-in.
 The drill hole was enlarged to IS ; Inches in diameter within an hour liter it had been opened. The draft from the Kennedy into the Argonaut mine was so strong two men were required to keep each door closed on he $500 foot level of the Kennedy.
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