Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-04-21
"A Few Hours at Outside
Should Suffice" He Says
as Pair Indicate They Are
Prepared to Die.
GIVE INSTRUCTIONS
IN EVENT OF FAILURE
Draegermen Work Desperately to
Penetrate Tomb, Some of Them
Remaining Below 80 Hours in
Order to Be First to Break
Through Wall.

BACKGROUND
DR.. D. E. Robertson and Herman
Magal, young Toronto attorney,
recent purchasers of a Moose Riuer,
NoDG Scotia, gold mine, with the
mine timekeeper, Charles Alfred
Scadding, were trapped on the
141-toot leUel of the mine on Easter
day 1Dhile on inspection tour.
Since that time rescue creUS
haze worked desperately to effect
rescue, until only narrolD DdH of
rock separates them from the en-
tombed men.
Magiu died yesterday.
Copyright. 1896. by the Associated Press)
MOOSE RIVER, Nova Scotia,
April 21.-Although the two men
trapped in a gold mine had in
dicated they were prepared for
death after nine days of suffer-
ing, hope that they yet might be
rescued alive before nightfall
was expressed at noon today.
However, he disclosed that 20 feet
of fallen material still lay between the
rescuers and the imprisoned men
Michael Dwyer, Nova Scotia's min
lister of mines, who personally is di-
recting rescue efforts, stated: "A few
hours at the outside should suffice
to reach the men"
From 141 feet below the surface,
DR.. D. E. Robertson, Toronto surgeon,
had given what was believed a fare
well message for himself and Charles
Alfred Scadding, trapped with him in
the depths since Easter Sunday night.
Their companion. Hermann Magill,
Toronto lawyer and part owner with
DR.. Robertson Of the mine, lay dead
in the narrow corridor toward which
mining crews we're attempting to dig.
Draegermen in Vanguard.
In the vanguard of the rescue party
went draegermen, Nova Scotia's skilled
mine rescue workers, who have been
trained intensively in the art of boring
through solid rock and loose dirt to
men caught Underground.
Behind Their .abored scores of VOL
unteers. the men with CUTS" for
whom Dryer had called to cart
debris out of the rescue shaft as
the draegermen welded picks and
shovels in advance.
Although many of the rescue
workers were so exhausted that they
were operating in Is minute shifts,
some of the draegermen remained
below more than 80 hours, fatty re-
fusing to come to the surface.
The refusal was due, in part, it
was learned, to the arrival of 20
additional miner volunteers from
Stellarton today.
Some of them told the draeger-
men: We'll have to go down and
finish the job for you"
But the draegermen said they we're
determined to be the first to break
through to the underground prison.
Miners Work in Relays.
Far down in the pit. scooping earth
by hand and passing big rocks along
the human chain, the miners worked
in relays. When their trick" was up
they staggered to the fresh air. re-
ceived nourishment and went back.
They were encouraged in their ef-
forts by Dwyer, known as Mike" to
the miners with whom he has spent
most of his life The heavy, thickset
minister ignored the warning of physi-
clans who sent him to bed in a hos
pital last night.
Sleep was all he required, he said.
Then he put back on his miners
clothes and disappeared down the
dangerous shaft, whose heavily crew.
iced sides promised little security.
Before he went back down, Dryer
outlined the three methods of ap-
proach to the men which have been
attempted since the accident.
They were:
/. A vertical shaft through solid
rock to reach the mems prison: 1t had
been temporarily abandoned because
of the length of time required to COM
plete it.
2. The clearing of various old shafts.
8. A diamond drill hole direct to
where the men were imprisoned: this
has been the only successful approach
to date.
Dwyer said he was confident the
men were Gin as good physical condi-
ton as could be expected" and that
they would be rescued alive.
With desperate rescue workers still
uncertain as to when they would be
(see MINERS, Page A-3l