Evening star., 1922-09-19
COL DEN ARGONAUT
TOMB GIVES UP
ITS AZ BODIES
(Centinued from First Page.)


rescue for the men below. for the
fire blocked the shaft and prevented
the escape Of the miners.
Men came from all 'over the west
to offer their services. the curious
fellowship of miners bringing hearty
offers of service from all who could
get to jackson. Mining companies
in distant states. even in Mexico. tele-
graphed proffers of assistance. The
Kennedy Mining Company, operators
of an adjoining shaft. sunk the Bit
terness of lawsuit in its willing
ness to be of service and loaned all
of its property and facilities to the
work of rescue.
Risk Lives to Explore. p.
For many weary days, disappointed
sometimes by unexpected dihculties
and heartened sometimes by equally
unexpected bits of good luck, rescue
crews drove through the choked tun-
mel that once had connected the two
mines or battered at the rock separat-
ing one Of the Kennedy's drifts from
the Argonauts 4.200-foot level: Early
yesterday g. drill was driven through
the last barrier OF rock into the
Argonaut.
Sweating shoulders and unbreak-
able Wills drove steel picks at the
rock until this hole had been en-
larged enough to permit man to
pass Five men made nasty ana
unauthorized exploration OF part OF
the Argonaut. seeking survivors at
the imminent risk of their own lives.
The opening was enlarged SO that
rescue squad could pass. and all
day explorations went on without
any result The levels were clear.
there was no sign of any miner left
in them, either dead or aliVe. Ihe
rescue men. hampered by their oxy-
gen helmets and the heat of the
underground workings, turned their
attention to exploring the cross cuts
and drifts leading from the tunnels
already traversed. In one they found
a bulkhead that had not been there
when the miners went below INTO
that fatal mine three weeks ago.
Bulkhead Mute Evidence.
Hope rose anew at this evidence
that some, at least, Of the entomoed
men had not died an instant death
frons the gases thrown Off by the fire
In the shaft, and the rescuers pressed
on. They found another bulkhead.
not built Of planks and timbers and
stuffed with torn clothing like the
first, but erected of earth. rock and
debris. II was pitiful structure
gaping in places so that the rescuers
could see through 1t. but it checked
the air currents somewhat and the
men in the oxygen helmets halted
before it, afraid to tear it down while
the air was poisonous. lest theg
thereby cause sudden death to any
who might be alive beyond it.
Hone Plunges Heavily.
Hope stood at it's highest when this
second bulkhead was found and from
that height it made its greatest
plunge. Before those who waited
above for news Of their loved ones
knew even that the rescuers had
broken through the bulkheads. word
came that the bodies of forty-two men
had been found and counted.
Not long after word came up from
the telephone station. hurriedly ad-
vanced to the 4.20O-foot level. near
the bulkheaded place. that the other
five also had been found dead.
Jackson took the blow calmly and
presently found comfort in the sure
knowledge gained from notes left by
two Of the men and from the re-
ports OF rescuers regarding the mems
work before they died. that quick.
nerciful death had come to them
in stead OF the agonies OF starvation.
There was no lingering in inky dark
ness 5000 feet below sea level. The
aas came. then !ethargy. then oblivion.
Lived Only Three Hours.
Records scrawled on paper by one
man and scratched on timber by
another showed they had lived but little
81
their pitiful barricades. Saddest of all
was the mute record Of the bare begin
ming of a third bulkhead when gas had
driven them from the scene OF the
second.
Identification will be difficult. The
length of time since they died, the
Of their casual tombs. the
lack Of the clothing they had torn on
head. combined to remove from most
Of the bodies any distinguishing char
The Red Cross has received a fund
Of $4,000 for the miners dependents.
and 1t is estimated that where miner
State Compensation Insurance Fund
will pay an average Of approximately
a, 200 to dependents. The Argonaut
Mining Company had insured it's EN-
OlOyeS in the state fund.
There is some need among relatives
Of some of the victims. however.
Consolation for Bereaved.
Red Cross officials said $1,000 was
provided by the Argonaut company for
Temporary relief. The local chapter
OF the Red Cross spent much of that
sum in maintaining three temporary
in supplying the needs of
miners families and in providing food
and comforts for rescue crews.
A feature OF the Red Cross merci
ful mission was the assigning of it's
members to the consolation of be-
rsaved families. Last night and tdr
day each Of the families Of the eight
cen married miners among the forty
seven victims had among 1T a woman
visitor to speak words OF sympathy
and encouragement.
A revision In California mining
safety laws will be urged in the next
legislature, according to Fletcher
Hamilton, state nineralogist. He
said he thought it would be feasible
to have Independent exits and to have
ufidsfground safety stations with
source of supply of air and
supplies of food and water.
story Of First Entry.
The story Of the hrst exploration
into the Argonaut's workings came to
light early today. It was told by
= 1P Rva