Show FIGHT FOB LIFE FAK PERILS OF FIRE AND GAS writes farewell message and will on a board falls unconscious walle seeking escape and Is fl nally rescued ouray col alone tor many hours far beneath the surface in a strange mine that was burning and full of smoke and deadly gases groping his way in stygian darkness through a labyrinth of workings miles in ag gregath length writing what he thought was his last message and will then falling unconscious in the main tunnel which was deep with water and being rescued is the remarkable experience through which lawrence withrow a graveyard at the revenue mine passed through the other day withrow s escape from death is remarkable by all mining men who cannot conceive how he escaped alive after breathing the nox lous and deadly gases in the mine workings tor so long a time the next day the young was in a serious condition his lungs being in flamed from his exertions and the smoke and gases but he will recover unless unexpected developments oc he is glad to be alive but ashud ders when telling of his terrible 12 hours alone in the bowels of the earth the collar of the shaft no 1 at the revenue was set on fire at three clock in the morning by a miner s candle stuck carelessly into the tim bers the candle was left by the men who went off at three clock and no one was supposed to be in the workings after that time the fire was not discovered tor hours withrow who was working at the toot station soon realized the dan ger from above when he saw the col lar of the shaft burning the smoke from which was being sucked down into the shaft and workings in heavy volumes he quickly abandoned the pump where he was working and ran to the nearest telephone in the mine ALL ABOUND HIM WAS FLAME AND SMOKE to call up the transformer man a mile and a halt away at the portal of the long tunnel but the wires were cut and communication with anyone at the surface was out of the question believing his death was but a mat ter of a few moments at the most withrow sat down and wrote a fare well note to his mother on a board broken from a candle box bidding her good by and willing her all his pos sessions including his life insurance and considerable mining stock he placed the board in back of the tele phone box knowing that when the alre was out and the mine free from smoke and gas it would be found after making bis will withrow se cured a large bunch of cotton waste soaked it in water and tied it over his mouth and nose with a piece of sus pender then he began his desperate fight tor life he was entirely unfamiliar with the workings of the great mine and had to trust to luck as to where he went expecting every moment to fall into some or shaft and be killed he pushed bravely on in the darkness feeling his way along the sides of the various drifts through which he passed until he suddenly tumbled into the of shaft no 2 up which he climbed half choked until he gained the first station feet above the reaching no further up wl arow again and again essayed to climb up the square sets only to fall back bleeding and wound ed to the station despairing of getting further through the shaft he turned blindly into a drift through which he con linued to drag himself until he emerged at a point near the main tun nel and top that was running deep with water that was being poured into the shaft in an effort to extinguish the fire withrow tell into the water coming in contact with a floating mine timber which he grasped he kept hold of the timber and with it was swept to the mouth of the tunnel where the later loses itself over the side of the mountain withrow tried to reach the main workings but fell unconscious in which condition he re until accidentally found by other employed emp loyes of the mine he re reined the congratulations of the whole camp tor the brave fight he made for his life |