The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-09-30
HAIL MINE BOSS
HERO OF RESCUE
Continued From Page u

singing, and also was one of the lead
ers in the religious discussions.
The miners said they prayed,
talked religion, sang songs, and
worked during the trying period.
They had plenty Of water, but it
was not good. They boiled it before
drinking, using at the last, their
clothes for fuel. For light, they
drained the kerosene from the tail
lights Of mine cars and used this in
their lamps when the supply Of
carbide gave out. For wicks, they
tore up portions of their clothing.
Make Birch Tea
They stripped the bark from the
birch shaftings Of the mine and
made tea. They sang their songs in
several languages and employed
divers schemes to break the
monotony.
Realizing that work was essential
to make the men forget their plight,
Trewartha kept them busy striving
to dig their way out with picks and
shovels salvaged in an old britt.
Trewartha's authority was absolute
during the long incarceration, and
his skillful leadership probably
saved their lives, mine officials be-
lieved.
The veteran old mine boss, who
grew up in the iron country,
showed the men how to prepare
their tea; he STAYED Off possible
starvation by conservation of the
scant supply Of food in their
lunch.
Sam Snyklema, 3S-year-old father
of eight children, was the first Of
the miners to be brought to the
surface. A mighty. cheer went up
from thousands of Threats as he was
led from the shaft lift while cameras
clicked. He was taken directly to
Grandview Hospital.
II lost my dinner bucket when the
cavein shut me off, he said, land
I'd gone hungry I guess but my
buddie give me some sandwiches,
then old Tom wouldn't let me eat
'em like I wanted to. But that was
best because I'm all right now and
I might not a been without some
food"
Snyklema's first request to nurse
was that she wash his face before he
went home to his wife and children.
But he did not go home. Instead,
John Patrick, mayor of Ironwood,
brought his family to the hospital.
The discussions of religion never
assumed serious aspect, though
the men did not always agree,
Snylxlema sair.
The men exploded one blast Of
powder, he said, and officials of the
mine declared this was the blast
heard Monday that could not be ac-
counted for. The trapped miners re-
peatedly tapped on the pipes leading
to the surface, ,Snyklema said, but
only Wednesday heard from the res
cuers by way Of the pipes.
Rescue is Slow
The task of bringing the men to
the surface was slow because of the
difficulty of getting the weakened
men down improvised rope ladders
through the debris-strewn shaft from
the eighth level, where most of them
were found.
Although four separate rescue OPP
erations were attempted, the one
which succeeded in reaching the
men first, came in from the Aurora
Mine, about 200 feet distance from
the Pabst shaft, but on the same
ridge.
The successful shaft was made by
crews of men working in four-hour
relays, timbering their tunnel as
they progressed to prevent further
cave-ins. For the first 100 feet the
shaft was lateral. Then it turned up
at a sharp angle to reach the eighth
level of the G.. Pabst operations,
where the men were entombed by
cave-in last Friday night.
AS word was relayed back through
the mouth Of Aurora mine that the
men were safe, tumult took posses
sion of the throng of relatives who
uoiu DetH hcOplllS ~ udy cliiA h45ilI
vigil during the long rescue.
And when the word spread down
the iron ridge, men and women ran
from all directions to cheer. Guards
had to exert force to keep over
joyed sweethearts and wives from
the danger zone around the eleva-
vator. This elevator slipped ard
killed three men Friday night. The
vibrations Of that crash are be-
lieved to have caused the cave-in
which trapped the miner$.
Weak soup and tea and toast were
hastily prepared in the lltchen o.
the temporary hospital seq PIP Fear
the shaft over the weehsend and
sent down for feeding to the men
before they were lifted to tho ground.
rears That the men woulu suffer
from colapse when they reacDed the
ar proved wrong. The liquid\ foods
given them below the surface swere
believed to have steadied then,
A physician and two nursoe tSook
the food below.
Harry M. Byrnes, Oscar olson
and George Hues, rescue worlre,.s<
who were the first to talk to wv
imprisoned men and witness their
plight, said the resourcefulness OF
Trewartha undoubtedly saved their
| lives. The men were idle when the
rescpers came upon them, though
a short time before they had been
| digging toward the lower level in
an effort to meet the rescuers.
The men kept track of the time by
recording each revolution of the
hour hands on their watches on the
rock walls Of their compartment.