Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-08-13
RESCUED FIVE
Continued from Pace One)

special night shift at the mine near
here when collapse of wall blocked
their outlet at ten o'clock last Thurs
day night. Two of them escaped, and
Roy James could have saved himself
also: but he ran farther back to call
the other four and found himself cut
off.
The Ave, George Cashier Harry
Watson, L. B. Wilson and Randolph
and James, ranging in age from ~
to 80, and all married save Wilson,
spent their time in prayer and song,
When they finally were rescued by
the unrelenting toll of a force of 200
men working in relays, they were in
fairly good condition except that
Cashier had wrenched his back in
falling off a scaffolding when the
cave-in occurred and was suffering
severe pain and had a cold.
Their clothes, heavy with the mud
of the mine pit, were cut from their
backs at the mines first aid station
where they were taken amid cheers
of workers and the mingled laughter
and tears of friends and relatives and
then they were ready to go home and
tell their stories.
Cobb told an Associated Press cor
respondent about what happened
underground as follows:
Two of the boys We're on the
ground at the time of the accident
and one Of them shouted. The cuts
pullin'. boys and rushed for the
shaft. Two of us fell off the sloping
scaffold on which we were working
and met the rushing waters.
The water hurled Wilson and
James down but they caught some
timber and climbed clear OF the wa
ter. The rest of US climbed up too
and began figuring. We figured the
water was gorged below. We did not
know it was to the shaft.
I'VE laid there till Friday morn
ing, I guess, and then we all got VIC
tory from God except James,,
failed We prayed on then until
Sunday morning. We had only our
carbide lamps. | told them l was
going to do some writing. II turned
to James and said Roy, are YOU
right or are you wrong? I'm gong
to put down what you say.
ROY said: I don't know what 10
do Then, turning his eyes toward
Heaven he said Put it down I'm
saved
we held + grand and glorious
meeting then and were living on the
Lords love when they found US
Cobb then recounted their efforts
to get water and how they huddled
together to keep warm. The men
had carried no food into the mine
and had only a small supply OF wat
er. but when ii gave out they caught
drippings in a tobacco can. IheN
had four matches between them and
their carbide miners camps ana oy
burning the lamps one at a time they
maintained a little light for a long
time. They did not know how long,
for as one said they lost count OF
time and were glad of it. 1t was not
so hard to wait when they could not
count the days.
The others, whose stories were
along the same lines as that OF Cobp
agreed that nobody lost hope of be-
ing rescued except Cashier, and ne
gave his comrades final instructions
for the care Of his family in event
he died before rescue came. The
men were cheered most of the time
by, the sound of drills. which three
impatient squads Of workers were
driving under direction of engineers
and shortly before they finally were
reached they saw light and one OF
the entombed men shouted: we are
every one right back here!"
Dick Wright and Freeman Cobb.
the latter a brother of Randolph
Cobb. were the first to reach the i'm
prisoned men. They found the men
in prayer and one of the rescuers
told them to keep quiet, but they
kept on praying until they were TAX
en- out.
The men walked unaided to the
shaft with the exception Of Cashier.
and were hoisted to the surface. in
buckets Watsons greeting to the
crowd was: where's my horse? /
want to ride him home"