Imperial Valley press., 1922-09-06
|RUM0R MINE
SHORT GUT
ADDSTHR|LL
Rescue Workers Hope Short
Cut Will Lead to AZ
EntOmbed Miners
NO MORE "SIGNALS"
Everything Ready to Care
for Miners or Take
Out Bodies
United Press Leased Wire

AT THE ARGONAUT MINE, Jack.
son, Calf, Sept. 6.-Unconfirmed ru-
mors that the night shift last night dis
covered an open cross-cut which would
have eliminated necessity of drilling
through 60 feet of hard rock and ad-
vanced rescue work by four days,
thrilled Jackson this morning.
So far, mine officials are silent on
the rumor.
The feeling among the miners is run
ming high regarding the reports. Every
days delay vastly decreases possibil-
ity of finding the men alive.
All day Tuesday Jackson built on
the chance that the old connecting
drift between the Kennedy and Argon-
aut mines when reached, would be open
and the AZ imprisoned miners might
soon be liberated.
But the drift, broken into during
the night, was found to be caved.
If this same condition prevailed the
entire length of the 1858 foot drift, it
will take a week, by conservative esti-
mate, to clean it out. After that, the
IS foot raise to be cut through new
rock cannot be cut in less than "a hours
it is conceded.
There is only one hope still held out
by mine officials. That is that while
the drift is clogged at the start, a
stretch might be found further in with
the timbers still standing.
Workers coming off the night shift
were depressed and pessimistic, predict
ing at least week must elapse before
the rescue crew can get through. 1t is
nearly beyond possible hope that the
imprisoned men could live that much
longer waiting for relief.
Clear 10 Feet
None on the night shift reported
hearing any more "signal blasts. -
Only 10 feet of drift was cleared
away by the night shift. This leaves
343 feet still to go. The work was
made extremely difficult by the pres
ence of old timbers and rails found i'm
bedded in the mud and rock.
On the 5000 foot level, where another
crew of men is racing with the main
force in the hope that it might break
through first, so feet was cleared dur
ing the night with 175 feet still to go.
Organized plans for caring for the
men, if alive, were complete to the
last detail today and little remained
for the hundreds of townspeople and
outside relief workers to do except sit
and wait.
This absence of occupation increas-
ed the depression and made the wait
ing harder.
w. N. Mullins, of the state compen-
sation bureau, is here directing prepar-
ations for restorative work if the men
are brought alive.
Telephones are ready at the various
levels of the Kennedy and as soon as
one of the men is found alive, or a
body is found, the word will be rushed
to the surface.
Platforms are being built on the hill
side near the mouth of the shaft where
officials and newspapermen may see
as the men-or the ,bodies-are
brought to the surface without inter
ferring with the first aid workers who
will be stationed Immediately at the
mouth of the shaft.
V. Filliti, italian consul general II
expected to arrive i'll Jackson during
the day to renew his demand that gen
eral investigation be made of the Ar
gonaut tragedy. Filliti was here las
+, week and went to San Francisco u
consult with other officials.