The Topeka state journal., 1922-09-18
ENTER MINE
shaft station and relieved group A
teams after two hours.
Prepared for Gas.


their men wore proto-oxygen breath
ing apparatus. Each captain carried
q cage containing canary bird, and
burning candles in order to detect the
presence OF carbon dioxide or carbon
monoxide, the two deadly mine gases.
Engineer Richards orders were for
the two teams to keep together and
under no conditions to separate in the
exploration work in the Argonaut
nilie.' Oxygen was sufficient to last
only two hours.
TLC first task of the team was to
rescue the living. The second was to
ascertain the location of the dead and
the third to restore proper ventilation
i'll theN mine.
1.-The carbon monoxide gas has de-
creased very materially, so that test
canary bird is only slightly affected"
Doctor Duschak said. "The volume of
air coming out of the Muldoon shaft
of the Argonaut has increased about
four times over the volume which was
coming out before the $500 foot Ken
4.200 foot Argonaut level"
Causes q Delay.
Timbering the opening between the
Kennedy and Argonaut mines to pre-
vent a cave-in on the rescuers, who
stand ready to enter the Argonaut in
which forty-seven men have been en-
tombed, delayed the federal mine res
cue crews from entering the Argonaut,
according to the last word telephoned
from the 3,600-foot level of the Ken
nedy today.
Air is rushing thru the 3,600-foot
level of the Kennedy mine to the
4,200-foot level of the Argonaut at
such a rate that it now requires four
men to close a door, the $3.50 a. M.
Bulletin issued by Fred L. Lowell, state
industrial accident commission engi-
neer said. This means that the air in
the Argonaut will be purified quickly
for exploration and rescue work, mine
officials said.
Fresh Air Is Requisite.
Instructions in event a living miner
was found, were dependent on the
judgment Of the captain in charge.
Fresh air, the instructions stated, was
the greatest requisite The first
search in the Argonaut mine was to be
on the 4.200foot level.
Failing to find men here, the res
cuers were ordered to make thoro
search of the 4,300-foot level. ALI
drifts, slopes and man ways were or
dered thoroly searched and tested for
men and gas conditions. In event no
living men or bodies were found on
these levels, the rescuers were order
ed to ascend to the 3,90o-foot level.
1t is believed that water has covered
the 4,600-foot level. and all levels
below that point. Proper restoration
of ventilation was to be accomplished
by the building of bulkheads, the use
Of canvas curtains, use of pressure
fans, and proper adjustment OF doors.
Search for live men or dead bodies
in the Argonaut will be started shortly
after IL o'clock noon, it was an
nounced at 1890 O'Clock in an official
workers will finish timbering up the
top of the opening between the two
mines.
Thru Early Today.
Kennedy Mine, Jackson, Cal, Sept.
1S.-After three weeks of tiresome
battling with muck and rock, the Ar
gonaut crew working on the $500 foot
level of the Kennedy mine opened up
at o'clock this morning an air pas
sage-way from their tunnel three
quarters Of mile under ground to
the 4,200 drift Of their neighbor, the
Argonaut, where for three weeks al
most to the hour, forty-seven men
have been entombed.
After the last blast, according to
V. S. Garbarini, the Argonaut super
intendent who just came to the sur
face after exploring the rescue cham
mel, the air cleared Immediately in
stead of throwing off the overpower-
precipitated. The penetration is only
an afr way and not large enough to
permit the passage of the mine rescue
crew which at this time was still slum-
bering awaiting a call for tbs rescue
dash.
May Have to Use Timber.
Timbering may be 0eeessary to let
the rescuers thru, and this will take
time, just how much Garbarini would
not speculate, saying bulletins an
nouncing the progress will come to
the surface every twenty minutes.
First indications of the end came
early last evening when a shot showed
the face of the final barrier was al
most in sight and that drilling took
the diggers into soft wet rock and for
several hours, crowds gathered, many
of which were relatives of the men
buried far beneath the surface and for
whom only slightest hope is held that
they are alive.
Air Passing Thru.
E. c. Hutchinson. president of the
Kennedy mine, announced at SEQ
o'clock that the last blast had opened
up a fishure in the rock from the
S,600-foot level of the Kennedy to the
that strong current of air was pass
ipg thru into the Argonaut drift into
the Kennedy. 1t was pointed out,
however, that this does not mean they
have broken thru and it may be
several hours before the real break
fore it can be entered.
At 6:15 o'clock the fishure had
widened to a sixteen-inch hole leading
into the Argonaut. The draught be-
came so heavy it required two men
to hold the emergency doors which
had been provided to control the air
passage.
The mine rescue crew is ready for
the signal to go below as soon as the
hole is large enough to serve as a
raee OR fHo Ion <1F4 he
Argonaut's 4,200-foot level.