Goldfield Mine
| All hope of saving Stevens, the entombed Mammoth miner at Goldfield. was practically abandoned on Wednesday night. Hiram Peterson of Mesa telephoned The Republican last night that a messenger from Goldfield had arrived there in the morning saying that Stevens had been given up. A telegram was sent to his family in Colorado on Wednesday evening informing them for the first time of the terrible accident of last Saturday night. The relieving force was compelled on Wednesday morning to quit work on the shaft begun on Sunday. They were not far from the drift, but the working had become not but utterly Impracticable. No sound had been heard in the drift below since the day before and the workers believed if Stevens was not already dead he had succumbed. A new shaft had once begun and when the messenger left Goldfield it had been sunk to a depth of thirty- five feet. Under the most favorable conditions it is estimated that it will take ten days to reach the Interior of the mine. At the end of that time Sevens will have been buried fourteen days. A man might live that long-with nothing to eat or drink. Stevens took a couple of gallons of water and candies into the mine with him. If he left them outside the entrance to the drift, as he most likely would have done, they were probably buried by the cave in. The greatest physical danger threatening him was suffocation, but air, as is well known, perculates freely through masses of loose earth and rock. The closed entrance, however, is very narrow, a mere neck in the opening. Whether enough air could be supplied to him through, that is doubtful. The mental danger is fully, as alarming. A man shut in for days without knowledge of a probably successful attempt to relieve him would likely die of sheer fright. Arizona Republican, The Phoenix, Arizona | Friday, July 09, 1897 | A Modest Mining Foreman te In the City to Recuperate. Wm, Bolithe the mining superintendent the Mammoth mine, at Goldfield is in the city. He arrived this morning. He is the gentleman who had charge of the gallant force of men that wrought the rescue of the brave miner Stevens, who wae entombed thirteen days and ten hours. He states that Stevens is getting along nicely and has already accumulated eighteen pounds of flesh. Stevens weighed a hundred and fifty-six pounds when be was buried by the cave in and when taken out 116 pounds Consequently the Herald's report in that particular is absolutely correct, The marvelous mining feat of sinking a shaft a hundred and twenty three feet and timbering the some was accomplished in ten days and four hours. The shaft was three and a half by six feet. Another remarkable feature is in fact instead of a level or drift as has been reported that Stevens was buried in, it was a crosscut. This being so none but a thoroughly competent man could have possibly sank to the spot with such precision without the aid of engineering instruments. Mr. Bolithe and Mr. Stevens are old friends as well as brother miners and that may in a manner account for the wonderful nerve that Steven's manifested in his awful predicament. He states that C A Hall, the general superintendent, exercised extraordinary judgment and let no obstacle stand in the way of getting to the entombed man. Mr. Bolithe is taking a day off to recuperate the vigor which he lost during the strain on his nerves through loss of rest and worry during the memorable event. Messrs Hall and Sullivan are to be congratulated in controlling the services of such a man. He enters a mild protest against the ill natured and ignorant criticisms that were current at the time that he was bending every nerve to rescue his friend, Phoenix Weekly Herald, (Phoenix, AZ) Thursday, July 29, 1897; Issue 30 |
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Jno. Stevens Again in the Land of the Living "GIVE ME WATER!" Were the First Words of the Entombed Goldfield Miner Who Is Saved After Thirteen Days of Starvation. Yesterday William Kimball came down from Goldfield to Tempe after Dr. Hart that he might be on the ground to render whatever professional services might be necessary when the rescue party that has worked so faith- fully for the past thirteen days, reached Mr. Stevens the imprisoned miner. All possible preparation had been made and a number who were curio us as to the circumstances and the final result went up to the mine last night. Last evening they had reached a point within a few feet of him, so near in fact that they could converse. Hurry up and give me some water, 1 am burning up with thirst were his first words. About seven o'clock this morning the shell was broken between the workmen and the unfortunate below and before they had fairly recovered from the cloud of dust and smoke preparatory to descending into the drift Mr. Stevens was seen crawling up through the newly made crevice his wan and haggard features depicting the awful tortures he had endured since the afternoon of the fourth of July. The physician descended the shaft and took charge of the man and said though he is seemingly in better condition than was expected at last report he had not been taken to the surface. Mr. Stevens was in full possession of his reason and well kept his bearings and record of time. Though his awful confinement has left him but a shadow of his former self he has suffered no relapse and it is believed no difficulty will be experienced in bringing him back to health and strength. It is estimated that he has lost about forty pounds during his imprisonment. He ate his lunch just before the cave-in occurred of July 4th consequently he has been entirely without food. He had but one gallon of water and that was exhausted on Tuesday, July 6. Since then he has not only endured hunger and thirst but bravely held out against a seeming cruel fate, maintaining his reason and self possession signaling with regularity and precision and though withering away kepi up both faith and works. When they reached him it was discovered that he had heard the sounds above him and dug up toward them a distance of six feet. Probably no case in this vicinity has eves excited both sympathy and curiosity to such an extent as the awful ordeal of Mr. Stevens and his experience is a marvelous illustration of the re- sources and strength of a brave and determined man. There is universal happiness over his deliverance and the breaking of the awful suspense. It was thought best not to bring Mr. Stevens to the surface till darkness comes again for fear of injuring his eye- sight, bat comfortable quarters are arranged on top as soon as he is able to occupy them. Phoenix Weekly Herald, (Phoenix, AZ) Thursday, July 22, 1897;
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