Trapped In A Mine For The Second Time - In Centralia

On September 26th 1913, Thomas Tomasheffski was trapped in a mine at Centralia for 8 days and nights. Not only did he survive,  but it was the second time he had been trapped in a mine.

The Pittsburgh Press, October 1 1913

Philadelphia Enquirer, October 1913.

Milk and food were sent through a tube, as more than 100 men worked for more than a week to rescue him.

Indiana Gazette

October 6th

The Lehigh Valley Coal Company Police guarded Tomashefski's home after his rescue, to keep the crowds away and allow him to get some rest.  

"Tomachefski Is Very Much Puzzled. John Tomachefski, the miner who was entombed for week in a Cen-tralia mine, has woke up to find himself famous. The motion picture men are after him, the picture houses and the county fairs are all after him as a money making feature. Tomachefski, of course, is to get his bite out of the wad. Shreck, the Mount Carmel motion picture king, who a few years ago ran a moving picture house in Tamaqua, has made him an offer of ifl5 a night and a booking for some half dozen towns. He was to have ta ken Schreck up at Mount Carmel on Wednesday night but failed to keep the appointment, saying that he did not feel up to the excitement. They are all trying to get him as a feature of the Bloomsburg fair. Tomachefski seems to be up in the air over all this notoriety and does not seem to be able to decide what he is going to do: If he was left to choose for himself he says that he would rather go back to the mines and get all that coal that he pulled down, it is said in it there is enough loose coal there to keep them busy for some months. "

Mount Carmel Item

07 Oct 1913

"BREAK DOWN OF RESCUED MINER Just four days after he had been 'rescued - from what seemed prefect death, John Tomashefski, of Centralia. who had been entombed in the Continental Colliery for eight days and nights, broke down yesterday afternoon and is now a nervous wreck. ap-Because of this fact he has been forced to cancel his vaudeville tour.

 After he was rescued he appeared to be very strong arid on Saturday and Sunday called on many of friends and told them how glad he was that he was still alive. On Sunday he attended church here and last night was to have appeared at the Majestic theatre. Yesterday afternoon his feet became sore and he claimed that his knees were weak. He was nervous and cried like a child, being unable to control himself. He is a man of uncommonly strong constitution and it is believed that the nervous attack will Boon pass away."

Pittsburg Press, October 1913