Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-09-19
ENTOMBED MINERS
WERE ALL DEAD WHEN
FOUNI BY RESCUERS
Continued from pnge l

Men came from all over the west 10
offer their services, the curious fellow
ship OF miners bringing hearty offers
OF services from all who could get 70
jackson. Mining companies In dis
tant states, even In Mexico, telegraph
ed proffers OF assistance. The Kenno-
dy Mining Company. operators OF an
adjoining shaft. sunk the bitterness
OF lawsuit in Its willingness to be
Of service and loaned all Its property
and facilities to the work OF reecue.
Rescucrs Worked at Top Speed.
For many weary days. disappointed
sometimes by unexpected difficulties
and heartened sometimes by equally
unexpected bits OF good luck, rescue
crews drove through tho choked tun-
mel that once had connected the two
mines or battered at tho rock separ-
atIng' ono OF the Kennedy's drifts
from tho Argonauts 4,200 foot level
Early yesterday a drill wns driven
through the last barrier OF rock into
the Argonaut.
Sweating shoulders and unbreakable
Wills drove steel picks at the rock
until this hole had been enlarged
enough to permit a man TO pass. Five
men made hasty and unauthorized
exploration of part OF the Argonaut,
seeking souvenirs at the imminent
| risk Of their own lives. Tho opening
was enlarged so that n rescue crew
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. The rescue mon. ham
pered by their oxygen helmets and tho
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 q bulkhead that had not
been there whom tho miners went be-
low into that fatal mine three weeks
ago.
Fought Against Death In Mine.
Hope rose anew Mt this evidence that
some at least OF the entombed men
had not died an instant death from
the gases thrown off by the fre In
the shaft and the rescuers pressed on.
They found another bulkhead. not
built or pianks and timbers and stuff
ed with torn clothing like the first
but erected OF earth, rock and debris
1t was n pitiful structure, gaping in
places so that the rescuers could sec
through IL. but 1t checked the air
currents somewhat had the mon in
the oxygen helmets halted before IL
afraid 10 tear Il down while the. air
before IL was poisinous lest they thero.
by cause sudden death to any on,
who might be alive beyond It.
Find Bodies OF Men Long Dead.
Hopo stood at its highest when thi,
second bulkhead was found and from
that height Il made it's greatest plunge
Before those who waited above fo
news Of their loved ones knew ever
the rescuers had broken through IN,
bulkhead word came that the bodie
OF az men had been found and counted
Not long after word came up from
the temporary station, hurriedIy ad
!, vanced 10 the 1900 foot level. near tn,
bulkhead place. that the other hv,
also had been found dead.
Had Been Spared Agonies of Starys
| ton.
Jackson took the blow calmly. an.
presently found comfort IN the sur,
knowledge. gained from notes left b,
two OF the men. and from the report
OF rescuers regarding the mems worl
before they died, that a quick, merci
full death had come TO them insteai
= of the agonies Of starvation. Their
was no lingering in inky darkness
5000 feet below sea level. The ga
! came. then lethargy, then oblivion.
Records scrawled on paper by on
man. and scratched on a timber b
another. showed they had lived bu
little more than three hours afte
d erecting their pitlfui oarricades. Sad
/. dest of all was the mute record of IN
# bare beginning OF a third bulkhea
: when gas had driven them from tn
=, scene OF the secopd.
l. Identification Almost Impossible.
II Identification will be difficult. tn
II length of the time since they die
II the temperature OF their casual tom
'e the lack OF the clothing they ha
torn off TO stuff into cracks in the
8, first bulkhead, combined to reno,
ID from most of the bodies any di.
t tinguishing characteristic.
10 The Red Cross has received a fur
D. of $4,000 for the miners dependent
j. and it is estimated that where a min'
l. left widow or child the Californ
D, State Compensation insurance fur
n viii pay an average OF approximate
$4,000 to dependents. The Argona'
he Mining Company had insured its en-
n- pioyes in the State fund. There
a. some need among relatives Of. son