Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-19

EntomDod Three Weeks. II NY
Three weeks ago last Sunday night
me men deer, in the, Arsonaut heiteYsd
they smelled smoke A shift .~1Ttoes 4
took two men and went to ..dnyesttr
gate. They found the saaft saaEe% It
the 5000 foot level, CHANGED death
from gas and were carried through
the fire to the. top of the, nnine.s
Then began the work of fire night
ing which presently n,srEed into. one
OF rescue for the men below, for the
fire blocked the shaft and prevented
the escape of the SINNERS. y. y q
Men came from all over the west
to offer a their services, the curious
fellowship Of miners bringing hearty
offers Of service from all who could
get to Jackson Mining companies II.
distant states. even in Mexico tele-.
graphed profrers of assistance. This
Kennedy mining company operators
Of an adjoining shaft, sunk the Bit
terness of a lawsuit in Its willingn ess
to be of service and loaned all it.
property and facilities to the work OF
rescue, For many weary days, dis
appointed some times by unexpected
difficulties and heartened some times
by equally unexpected bits of good
luck, rescue crews drove through the
choked tunnel that once had connect
ed the two mines or battered at the
rock separating one of the Kennedy's
drifts from the Argonaut's 1900 foot
level.
Last Barrier Overcome.
Yesterday drill was driven
through the last barrier OF rock into
the Argonaut.
Five men had made a hasty and
unauthorized exploration of part Of
the Argonaut, seeking survivors at
the imminent risk of their own lives.
The opening was enlarged SO that a
rescue crew could pass, and all day
explorations went on without any re-
suit eH Z
The levels were clear. there was no
sign of any miner left in them. either
pered by their oxygen helmets end
the heat in the underground work
ings, turned their attention to explor-
ing 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 that fatal night three!
weeks ago.
Hope rose anew at this evidence
that some at least Of the entombed
men had not died an instant death
from the gases thrown Off by the fire
in the shaft. and the, e,r-scuers pressed
on. They found another bulkhead,
not built of planks and timbers ana,
stuffed with torn clothing. like the
first. but erected of earth. rock and
debris ge &s a3g
It was a pitiful structure, gaping
in places so that the rescuers could
, see through it, but it checked the air
currents somewhat and the men in
the oxygen helmets hating before It,
afraid to tear it down while the air
before 1t was poisonous, lest they
thereby cause sudden death to any
who might be alive beyond 1t.
Hope at Its Height.
| Hope stood at its highest when
this second bulkhead was found and
from that height it made its greatess
plunge. Before those who waited
| above for news Of their loved oneS
broken through the bulkhead word
came that the bodies OF AZ men had
! been found and counted. Z, Il II
Not long after word came up from
the telephone station. hurriedly aSl-
vanced to the 4,200 foot Aeyel, near
the bulkheaded place, that the other
Ave also had been found dead i
Jackson took the blow calmly and
presently found comfort in. the ssire
knowledge, gained from notes lett by
1 two of the men and from the reports
of rescuers regarding the mems worn
before3they died, that q quick, nnercts
full death had come to them tneea1
of the agonies OF starvation. 81 THefS
was no lingering In inky darknes1
i 1000 feet below sea Level. Ths ~
came, then lethargy. them oblivion. |;
1 Lived Only Few Houxs. 4
I, Records scrawied on paper w onf
man and scratched on timksf III
another showed they mad .iivod M
little more than three hours 49,
B erecting their pittfni hart4cAdS2
4 Saddests OF all was the mute fe6or1
Iof. The bare beginning Of 4 y fkif
bulkhead when gAe had driven q
from the scene sof the second 4
4 IdentiAcattons VIII be dtdAcult. =
length of time sinee they 1is1 y
Temperature OF the casual totd6s ss
Hack of the clothing they h1a taTS VI
\ to atnH into cracks ia 4Aolx 111
tbulkheAd. !. combin1ds 10 fetSo y ~
1 tccasiassN a - 4 II