Reavis, Tommy Dale

Two Galena Kansas brothers drowned about 5:30 Tuesday afternoon when they fell into an old mine shaft on East Third street on what is known a the old South Side Mining tract. Another of their brothers tried in vain to rescue them. Dead are Tommy Dale Reavis, 12 years old, and his brother, Eddie Reavis, 8 years old, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Chester T. Reavis, 509 East Seventh street.

Tony Reavis, twin brother of Tommy, waded into water in the shaft and attempted to save his brother, while another youth, Robin Buffalo, 8 years old, ran for help. "I had ahold of them once, but I couldn't hang onto them. I couldn't get them out," Tony told investigating officers between sobs. The boy was in shock, officers said.

The bodies were recovered by Galena volunteer firemen, who administer artificial respiration for approximately 45 minutes, but all efforts to revive the boys were futile. A resusitube was used to get the water out of their lungs, after which a resusitator with oxygen equipment was used, but all efforts to save the two lads failed. A Galena physician pronounced the boys dead at the scene.

The boys were believed to have been in the water a little over 20 minutes before help arrived and their bodies were recovered. The Cherokee county coroner Scarbrough of Columbus Kansas pronounced death due to drowning in both instances. Scarbrough was assisted in the investigation by deputy sheriff Bob Link. The shaft into which the boys fell is 33 feet deep to the water level. The water was only about six feet deep where the bodies were recovered. One of the bodies was floating and the other was on the bottom the firemen said.

In order to reach the boys, firemen descended into an old mine cave-in about 100 feet west of the shaft and followed a mine drift to the shaft. This is the story of the fatal accident as told to investigating officers by Tony Reavis and Robin Buffalo, who were with the two boys when they drowned.

The four boys had descended into the old mine cave-in and had walked long the drift until they came to the shaft where the accident occurred. They were throwing rocks into the water when Eddie and Tommy said they would, "Go up on top and kick some rocks down," to the other two boys. Suddenly, the two boys plummeted from the top of the shaft into the water. One of the boys cried out as he fell. "I think he said,"help'," Tony said. Tony said to Robin, "You go get help and I'll get them out." Robin ran to the nearest residence while Tony waded out into the water in an effort to save his brothers.

Tommy Dale Reavis was born Aug 15, 1947, in Miami Oklahoma; Eddie Reavis was born Jun 25, 1951, in Wichita Kansas. The family had lived in Galena Kansas about seven years. Tommy was in the seventh grade, and Eddie was a third grade pupil, both in the Liberty school.

Rescue workers said the older boy was knocked unconscious by the fall, but did not know whether the younger boy could swim. The Reavis boys' father is employed by the Yellow Transit Company in Baxter Springs Kansas. Surviving in addition to the parents and brother, Tony Reavis, are three other brothers, Billie K. Reavis of Springfield Missouri, George Tillman of El Centro California. and Gerald Tillman, serving in the Navy in Japan and two sisters, Mrs. Imogene McDunner of Baxter Springs Kansas and Betty Sue Reavis, of the home. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 Saturday afternoon at the Assembly of God church with the Rev. Lloyd Clements officiating. Burial will be in Baxter Springs cemetery under direction of Derfelt funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Leroy Short, Robin Hardwick, Kenneth Myers, Bobby Zimmerman, Johnny Wilkerson, Johnny Stidham, Bobby Phipps, Richard Kruse, Reece Jones, Donald Adams, Bobby Chase and Gary Clifford. Note: There are photographs of the two boys.