Show Rescue Crews Free Two Iwo Weary Miners SHAMOKIN Pa May 15 UP Two Avo weary but happy miners imprisoned in a R. flooded mine for 62 hours were freed Saturday in ina ina a dramatic rescue feet below the surface The rescue came just in time according to Arthur Peter Gordon 32 one of the survivors He said that the air in their chamber was getting bad Looking haggard but In fair condition considering their experience ence Gordon and his companion Edward Heck 41 41 were rushed to Shamokin hospital Physicians said they were suffering from exposure exposure exposure ex ex- ex- ex and shock Hope Fades Their companion in the Independent Independent Inde Inde- pendent mine Charles Bashore was still missing Gordon and Heck said they had not seen him since water poured into their operation operation operation oper oper- from an adjoining abandoned 1 mine Vet Veteran ran rescue workers said they had virtually abandoned d all hope for Bashore but that they would continue pumping operations operations operations opera opera- to drain the mine and get getto getto getto to his body The Thc rescue teams working fe feverishly feverishly feverishly fe- fe against time reached Gordon Gordon Gordon Gor Gor- don and Heck at 6 o'clock this morning Using a type navy-type life raft which they first deflated they entered entered entered en en- the gangway leading to the imprisoned mens men's chamber They then floated 85 feet to the cham cham- ber Heck was taken out first and Gordon 15 minutes later When they returned to the entrance of the thc gangway the rescue team put each man on a pitch board a special type stretcher for underground underground underground under under- ground operations After giving them temporary first aid the rescuers bound the eyes of ot each so the sudden light wouldn't harm them tied them securely to the stretchers and then laboriously carried them feet up the slope to the surface Both survivors were cheerful and joked with their rescuers In the ambulance en route to the hospital Gordon described briefly their experience in the chamber where they sought refuge from the rushing waters late Wednesday afternoon Digging Futile For the first four hours he said they tried to dig their way out but made little progress and abandoned abandoned abandoned aban aban- the attempt Two hours after they were trapped their miners miners' min mm- miners miners' ers ers' lights lights' gave out and they ere re rein in iii darkness until th the rescue team reached them They felt the height of the Wat water water wa wa- t ter r below them by their hands and had the feeling they wouldn't be able to hold out much longer because of the bad air I Gordon said he and Heck were always in pretty good spirits because because because be be- cause the tapping signals from the rescue crews from Thursday on gave them plenty of confidence dence |