Mathias Wuhr saved Dominic L. Gaudine and Bartholomew O. Stackable, and attempted to save Vernon H. Betts and J. D. Allan Gaudine, from suffocation, Minto, New Brunswick, July 28, 1932. From ground level, Stackable, 18, miner, descended cross pieces of a partition in the shaft of an abandoned coal mine, into which his two younger brothers and Allan, 9, had fallen having been overcome by gas while descending. Stackable was overcome. The shaft was 45 feet deep. Having the impression that the children had simply fallen from the top and without realizing there was danger from gas in the shaft, Betts, 33, miner, and Thomas A. Gallant descended, Gallant being overcome on the bottom and Betts falling from the cross pieces to the bottom. In the excitement, Gaudine, 45, miner, descended the cross pieces to the bottom to rescue his son and was overcome. Many men, including Wuhr, 34, miner, then were at the shaft, and all realized there was gas in it. Wuhr had a rope tied on him and gauze saturated with ammonia fixed over his mouth and nose. Men held the rope, and Wuhr took a deep breath, descended the cross pieces, and raised Gaudine. He started to put another rope around Gaudine but was overcome, then was pulled to the top. He was revived and was given a stimulant. Roped and wearing the gauze, Wuhr made four more trips to the bottom of the shaft, in turn putting a loop in a rope that was lowered to him on Gaudine, Stackable, Betts, and Allan. Each time he was overcome and was pulled out and revived. Gaudine and Stackable were revived. Betts and Allan were dead. After Stackable’s rescue, M. Alexander Tooke descended to the bottom of the shaft and put the loop on Gallant, and both were pulled out. Gallant was dead. After rescuing Stackable, Wuhr felt soreness in his chest, and each time he was overcome, he was revived with more difficulty. After he had roped Allan, physicians examined Wuhr and refused to let him again enter. Another man then descended and put the loop on one of Stackable’s brothers, and both were pulled out. Later Stackable’s other brother was removed by grappling. Both of Stackable’s brothers were dead. Wuhr was disabled for four weeks.
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