The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-09-18
Waiting at
NJ Mouth of
Mistake in Calculation Again
Brings Disappointment
10 Relatives of Entombed
Miners.
l9 Fl. to Go at ; O'Clock

/ Waiting at the Month Of the Ken
nedy Shaft. Sept l7.-rA sizzling
Sunday aftetnoou-a dropping day
that was TO have been the rescue
day of the ~ miners caught in the
depths Of the Argouaut,
A disappointing day.
Saturday all Jackson was sure that
the hard rock men would break in
TO the Argonaut at 1880 Sunday
morning: not later. At 1890 there
was still 80 feet Of stone between
the hard rock men and the lost min
efs. r
The officials had miscalculated. The
action OF the ground--the constant
/ friction between hard rock and soft
earth-had led to the mistake.
The men might break through az
midnight. 1t might be some time
Monday.
One More Day.
Jackson, grown used to disap-
pointment took the new disappoint.
ment we'll The look OF hope and ex-
pcctation and cagerness one saw on
the faces Of the women OF the min
ers early in the morning gave way
to a look OF resignation.
+ zone more day--perhaps."
For three weeks the women have
told themselves that. For three
weeks at has been repeated 10 them.
Three weeks and their men down in
the rabbit warren OF the Argonaut,
waiting, starving, dying
Three weeks and hard rock men
ard muckers do all that man may
do to effect rescue.
1t slate afternoon. One OF the
shifts has just come up. They are
battered adm dirty and worn, some
Of them with not enough energy
left to put out the light in their 7
lamps.
Their overalls are soaking. Their i
bare chests glisten with sweat. They Il
stumble out Of the skip, but they
smile. They have done good work,
the best that could be done in six
hours OF terrible heat and powder
fumes and a place where men can
scarcely stand erect. One cries out
that they have blasted three rounds,
Spells Good Work.
That may mean IS feet. 1t may
mean less. But whatever it means i'll
tootage, it spelss good work.
They lumber into the Red Cross
canteen and swallow their good red
whisky at a gulp-then ask for more,
1t is whisky that it helping them. A
shot or two before they go down. q
couple OF more when they come up.
Whisky and honest grit, and the love
they bear those men in the Argonaut
sepulchre--that's what driving them
on as hard rock men have seldom
been driven before
Look how their shoulders droop--
as though they had been trying to
push away the rock with them.
The Red Cross gives out the
whisky. The Red Cross women are
in the 10 homes in Jackson, doing
whatever they can find to do Tor the
10 wives and sweethcartS.
Women Await News.
The women may come TO the shaft
tonight But the Red Cross may
keep them at home. They have
promised they will stay at home, and
have been promised that the news
will be brought 10 them as soon a.
possible, They have hcen patient.
these mining women. They have
waited three long weeks for news,
They can wait a few more hours.
Or can theys
II woll be better for them, the Red
Cross ladies say. ii they can stay at
home. But hysteria, panic. may grin
them al the last moment They may
insist on coming TO the shaft. III
.hey insist they Will not be opposed,
But the shaft AZ be a. uleut to-
light "a il i this afternoon. Il NAV
be sileut until Monday afternoon. II
) ] O'Clock the last haiectia has
lgfn read THE men who came nff
. little while ago made ore foot
1 Ea#a .as=e.