James A. Miller, 43, foreman, attempted to rescue Jet C. Rogers, 15, farmhand, and Ora Postlewait, 34, farmer and well digger, from a cesspool cave?in, Liberal, Kansas, October 14, 1911. Jet and Postlewait, at night, were buried under bricks and sand, 10 feet deep, at the bottom of a cesspool that they were deepening, when the wall caved in upon them, leaving an arch of bricks overhanging and scarcely supported by the soil 18 feet above their heads. The opening in the arch was but 12 by 16 inches. A number of men gathered, and, an hour after the accident, Jet’s father and another, who had signified their willingness to enter the cesspool, were pulled away from the opening by Miller, who said he would descend to the rescue. An electric light was lowered into the cesspool, and, regardless of remonstrances and warnings, Miller descended with a rope around his thighs. There was a general apprehension that the arch might fall. The imprisoned men could be heard groaning at that time, but 20 minutes later the groaning ceased. At intervals of 20 or 30 minutes, Miller was raised to the surface to rest and get fresh air. Several times, efforts were made to dissuade him from descending again. After working four hours sending up buckets of sand and bricks, Miller reached Jet’s hand. While he was resting, a fall of sand occurred, covering the hand to the depth of a foot. When he had again uncovered Jet, Miller tied a rope around him, and he was then pulled to the surface. While this was being done, a slide of sand occurred, sufficient to cover Miller’s feet as he stood at the bottom. Twenty minutes later, Miller reached Postlewait, and he too was pulled up. Both men had been suffocated. 7458-717
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