Evening star., 1926-09-30
ENT0MBED MINERS
ATE ECORN-COB PIPES
43, Resting in Hospital, Tell
of Making Tea of Bark
From Timbers.

IRONWOOD, Mich, September 80.
--Lolling in the lap Of luxury. feel
ing clean white sheets, slipping warm
broth and smoking cigarettes, 43
miners imprisoned in the Pabst iron
mine from noon last Friday until mid
afternoon yesterday lay on cots in
Ora ndview Hospital today and told
how they ate corn-cob pipes and bark
and Tapped water off damp rocks to
keep alive for Ave days in their un-
derground prison.
Joyous relatives clustered about
the men to hear their stories. Phys
ical examinations were made. The
hospital doctors wished to make sure
that the sudden return to normal life
after priVation and exposure prove
NOT too much of a shock to the happy
men.
Some Fully Recovered.
Some were pronounced able TO leave
the hospital Immediately and physi-
clans said most would be able to go
to their homes today.
The stories they told brought
smiles as well as shudders from
nurses and doctors. Florine Stolich
told how he>h had chewed up and swal-
lowed three corncob pipes In the
course of I've days They not only as
suaged the gnawings OF hunger. he
said. but relieved. in measure. his
longing for tobacco.
One man. whose name was with
held at the request of his com
rades, tried to commit suicide by
blasting with dynamite. Just when
this occurred during the long I'M
prisonment. it was difficult to learn,
because many of the men lost some
track of time and were little
vague in speaking Of it. The suicide
was prevented by fellow prisoners.
No mental disorders due to despair
or any other cause were noticeable
In the men. nurses said. The men
were in good condition physically
except some were still weak and ex-
hauSted.
Most of the men, attending ply
sicians said, will be able to go to their
homes by tonight.
Rescue was effected through hun
dreds of feet of underground shafts
and laterals some hurriedly con-
structed and others weakened and
made unsafe by the Cayein.
First to reach the imprisoned men
was George Hawes of Chicago, safety
expert of the Pullman Co. and a for
mer employe of the mine. He was
greeted by Tom Trewartha. shift
boss, who with two others We're on
guard duty" while their companions
slept. Halves was followed by Capt.
Gust Erickson. in charge of the Pabst
mine for the Oliver Iron Mining Co;
Capt. Harry Byrne of the Tilden Mine
at Bessemer, Mich, and Oscar Olson.
chief engineer of the Oliver Co., who
made their way through the danger.
Gus rescue passage.
"AH o. H." Chief Says.
How are you?" Hawes asked Ire
wartha
I'VE are all o. X. Forty-three men
all right" Trewartha replied. "
Hawes shouted the news to his com
panions, who were at various places
in the shaft. They in turn relayed
it. and soon those on the surface
knew that all were ''alive and well"
1t was not long until all the impris-
oned men were awake and rejoicing.
All took turns putting a lone cigarette
Halves had in his pocket.
Soup. coffee, tobacco and other ar
able AS possible pending their removal
to the surface were Immediately dis
patched. Meanwhile workers started
making the rescue passage safer with
heavy timberings.
Shortly after 9 o'clock last night
Samuel F. Synkelman. 38. father of
eight children, emerged. He was the
first Of the men to come to the sur
face. Ten thousand persons were
jammed about the shafts mouth.
All Are Examined.
Synkelman. covered with the red
iron ore. was taken to the mine res
cue car for examination. Later, after
a few words with several Of his fam.
lily. he went to the hospital.
All Of the men were given a pre-
liminal.y examination by a physician,
who visited them in their subter.
ranean abode. They declared they
were all right. but officials thought it
best that all go to the hospital. Fam.
lilies of each were permitted to spend
a little while with them.
None of the entombed men gave UP
hope. They took care to keep their
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