John J. Wilber, 40, mine track layer, died attempting to save an indeterminate person, or persons, from suffocation, Panama, Illinois, November 11, 1910. Following an explosion of gas, which disarranged the ventilating system of a coal mine, Wilber, with two others, left a safe entry and went into the section of the mine affected by the explosion to the aid of the miners who had been working there. After they had gone 250 feet in an entry in which much after-damp was present, and in which they had to stoop low to get fresh air, Wilber crawled 165 feet farther and was then compelled to call for assistance. His companions tried to drag him out but had to leave him, and he suffocated. 7126-633
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7126-633