McCumber, John Frederick

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Treece Kansas, Feb 3.--The last of five miners' bodies buried under an estimated 3,800 tons of rock and dirt when the roof of a drift in the Southern Mine collapsed at 2 Tuesday afternoon, was removed at 1:10 this afternoon, almost 72 hours following the catastrophe. Working constantly since the disaster occurred, rescuer reached the body of Harry Burtrum, 32 year old Galena Kansas man, at 10 this morning but had to spend three hours freeing it from underneath an 800 ton boulder. The lower part of his body had been caught by the huge rock and it was necessary to use lift jacks to free it. Burtrum's body was found in the deepest point of the fallen slab. A crew of 25 weary miners followed the body from the mine, their work completed. The mine was closed, at least temporarily.

The body of Frank Porter, 45 years old, of Wilburton Kansas, was the fourth body to be taken from the ground. It was found at 12:10 yesterday and brought to the surface at 1:20 o'clock.

Funeral services for John Frederick McCumber, 24, were held this afternoon. Campbell's funeral was at the Galena Kansas Assembly of God church. The Rev. Mr. Hertwick officiated. Burial was in Hillcrest cemetery.

Mrs. Virginia McCumber held her only son, Johnny Wayne McCumber, 4 years old, close to her side and waited. She had been there two hours two hours that seems like days. And yet, there was no hope. Men who came to the top for brief periods of rest had said her husband, was dead, buried under several feet of rock and dirt. But Mrs. McCumber, tears streaming down her cheeks, stayed on. Johnny looked in wonderment at crowds jamming into the doghouse. They sat together on a bench, not more than a hundred yards from the top of the shaft. The husband and father, John Frederick McCumber, had started to work at the mine only last Thursday. "I heard about the accident at 3:00 o'clock this afternoon," the widow sobbed. "My father, Sam LaTurner, works at the smelter. He heard about it and called me. We came here right away."

LaTurner, who stood near a stove in the doghouse, said "Nothing like this ever happened before in my family. The boy had no business working in the mine. He didn't have to. Of course, we can always see a thousand things, too late, that could have prevented this." Mrs. McCumber looked toward the open door of the doghouse. Two sisters were nearby. Her eyes were fixed on something beyond that doghouse. Note: A "dog house" refers to the changing room of the miners.

The widow of a young man her husband was only 24 remained at the doghouse until the crushed body was hoisted to the surface. She did not break down. She held up well. Her long ordeal at the mine disaster site ended, Mrs. McCumber left. The miners remarked how brave she was.