Aug. 27—Aug. 27, 1963

Miners rescued in Sheppton Cave-in

After two weeks of being trapped hundreds of feet underground, miners Henry Throne and David Fellin were hoisted to the surface in the early morning hours of Aug. 27.

Throne, Fellin and a third miner, Louis Bova, became trapped in the mine on Aug. 13 when a push occurred, causing tons of rock and coal to fill in the steep slope that the three men were working inside at the Fellin Coal Co. mine near Sheppton.

Since the news of the cave-in, crews worked to find a way to rescue the men. After attempts to dig gangways failed, a small borehole was dug in an attempt to reach them. The hole opened up in the chamber, and the rescuers heard Throne and Fellin saying, "We are here." Work then began on digging an 18-inch rescue borehole.

Shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 26, the 18-inch rescue borehole reached Throne and Fellin. The rescue crews then began preparation to bring the men to the surface.

While ascending the rescue hole, the men were able to communicate with their rescuers. Throne shouted, "I'm coming up. I'm coming up!" when he started his ascent of the 308-foot ride to the surface. He reached the surface at 2:07 a.m.

Fellin was next. On his journey to the surface, the rescuers and others at the site heard Fellin singing "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" and exclaimed, "This is the best ride I ever, ever had." He reached the surface at 2:41 a.m.

After a brief medical examination at the site, the pair were flown in separate Marine helicopters to Hazleton General Hospital for a full medical examination.

Bova had not been heard from since Aug. 19. Fellin, who was co-owner of the mine, told the rescue crews to drill several feet east from the spot where the original 6-inch lifeline was drilled in hopes of finding Bova.

Brian Fulton, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune's expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.

Brian Fulton, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune's expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.