Evening star., 1936-08-22
MIRACLES TOLD
by MINE RESCUED
Ordeal of Watching Two
Companions Die Related
. by Saved Pair.


countryside today passed the mir
acle" story-a stirring account of how
two strong men were rescued alive
from a coal mine that had been their
black, gas-filled prison ITO feet under
ground for 72 hours.
Discovery that their two compan-
Ions had died shortly after a fire and
cave-in trapped the men Tuesday
afternoon tinctured the story with
sadness. Such a fate had been pre-
dicted freely for all four.
In hospital today, j. w. McCann,
30, and Demmer Sexton, 81, the latter
in a critical condition, clung to that
lone chance in a thousand" for sur
vival given them by Arnold Griffith,
chief State mine inspector, during the
slowly passing hours while his rescue
workers tore at debris blocking the
bottom of the main shaft.
The terrifying ordeal of watching
Edward Stoner, 1r., rs, and George T.
Dameron, q, colored, drop dead; the
dragging hours without food; the re-
treat from menacing gases; the dread
that the sound Of rescue operations
might ceaSe-theSe made up the
dramatic story of McCann, oldest Of
the trapped four and the only un-
married member.
Tried to Help Men.
IT did everything could to give the
men courage" McCann related
II told them every funny story I
~, - fH4t 0,,1I
cheer up. You can't fear death when
you are laughing and telling funny
stories.
But Stoner and Dameron would
not be encouraged. Both knelt on
the floor of the tunnel and asked God
to save them. AS for me, knew that
II I was saved it would be through
my own courage and my will to live.
tried to make Stoner and Dameron
realize that We all had an equal
chance of survival. The air which
Sexton and I breathed was the same
that Stoner and Dameron we're
breathing. 1t was no more in the
books for those two to 60 than it was
for Sexton and me.
L
to die, I'm going to die seized him
by the wrist and, pressing it hard,
told him that he was not going to die
I told him that I could tell by the
color of his eyes that he was going
to live-but it did no good. I guess
he didn't believe me-"
Spurning an offer of assistance in
lighting cigarette, the bearded
miner boasted:
Listen, may not look it now, but
I'm pretty tough fellow. I've worked
lot of places in a lot of countries
and know my way around"
Never Lost Presence OF Mind.
Il never lost my presence of mind
the whole time was in the mine"
McCann said.
A word picture of what went on
down in the mine as obtained from
McCann:
Four pm. Tuesday he first learned
shaft to q choked hole of burned tim
Der and dirt. McCann and his COM
panions fused the old mine trick" of
going far back into a tunnel and bar
ricading themselves against fire
damp.
Two hours later when they came
out to search for better air, Stoner
dropped dead
He wouldn't keep his head down
like said" McCann explained.
In two hours more Dameron died.
As time went on Sexton grew weak,
was unconscious when reached by the
rescurers and would have been dead
in another 80 minutes" said DR..
John Maddux.
Said McCann:
Il could hear the men working up
In the shaft. pounded on the timber
and tried to make them hear me.
guess they didn't"
"Oh, God. was afraid you would
give us up and stop digging" McCann
sobbed when Griffith appeared with
his searching party to look upon the
dark scene of life and death.
Sexton Appeared Dead.
Sexton was stretched on the mine
floor and appeared to be dead. After
treatment and administration of stimu-
lants he mumbled through thick lips,
II knew you fellows wouldn't give us
up"
Dameron, bridegroom of week, was
found with his arms locked in death
around a wooden support. The body
Of Stoner, who with Sexton, had leased
the mine and was putting it in shape
for operation. was found far back in
the tunnel.
Griffith, who went sleepless while
directing rescue workers in overcoming
heart-rending series of reversals,
told Of the climax to the search:
We broke through into the south
entry shaft from the base of the main
shaft at lis O'Clock yesterday ..s
found a dead pony about 40 feet
from the base We each held to
a rope and made the first test for
white or black damp We were
making the second test when we were
suddenly startled by shout deeper
in the tunnel:
Here we are"
1t was McCann.
runeral services probably will be |
held Sunday for the two victims.
Stoner is survived by his widow, a |
6-year-old daughter, his parents, six
sisters and two brothers.
The coroner's inquest into the ira
gedy is scheduled for Monday. The
chief witness will be McCann who.
despite his ordeal, braved a smile |
when thousands of spectators cheered
his appearance from the mine prison.
Then he said:
II thought of everything bad I had
ever done in my life while I was
down there"
REMINGT0N-RAND PLANT |
QUIET AFTER DISORDER