Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2015 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Mine Inspector's Report for Houghton County, Michigan For the Year Ending September 30, 1907 Mining Gazette Printing and Binding, 1907 =========================================================================== To aid researchers we include the following index of names of the deceased found in this report. Use your browser's Edit + Find feature to go directly from the index to the name you are interested in. NO. LAST NAME FIRST NAME NO. LAST NAME FIRST NAME ============================================================== 23 Bartell John P. 16 Lassila Paul 32 Blom Adolph 15 Buckovac Anton 8 Mechetti Thomas 17 Butorac Anton 1 Butorac Matt 39 Newman Henry 33 Nicholls John 26 Contesh John 24 Nicholls Robert 34 Coppo John 28 Novach John 36 Corbey Peter 45 Olson Richard 7 Digher James 5 Duss Matt 22 Papanen Erick 29 Pastore George 42 Elenich John 44 Pierce Frank 12 Evonkovitch George 19 Remakka Andrew 10 Franko Toney 47 Robish Albert 25 Rundell John 40 George William H. 11 Groggin Wm. 37 Sansoe Dominick 30 Saundry John 11 Hanley John 13 Schulte John R. 3 Harju Arvid 41 Servio Herman 46 Holonen Alis 4 Shea John 38 Hyvonen Victor 35 Sormin Anton 2 Stiglich Tony 20 Jackman John G. 31 Johnson Norman 21 Takanen Matt 6 Thulin Ernest 9 Karlela William 27 Tomasi Dominick 18 Kavaso Bertoven 14 Kendall Fred 39 Koskey Theodore 43 Kranjac Mike =========================================================================== [5] REPORT OF FATAL ACCIDENTS IN THE MINES OF HOUGHTON COUNTY ACCIDENT NO. 1 - October 3, 1906. MATT BUTORAC, Austriam trammer, Calumet and Hecla Red Jacket shaft. This accident occurred at the 59th level, north side of No. 4, Red Jacket shaft, by a fall of ground. It caused the death of a trammer, MATT BUTORAC by name. An inquest was held on October 4th, when the following testimony was heard. MAURICE MURPHY said: "I am a miner in the employ of the Calu- met and Hecla Mining Company. I work at the 59th level, Red Jacket shaft, north of No. 4 shaft. I know the man who was killed. He was a trammer. The accident happened between ten and fifteen minutes past 8 o'clock last evening. The trammers went in a little while before we did - five or six minutes - not much more. I was the leading one of our gang and was on my way in when I heard a fall of ground. I did not see the car and did not know it was there until I heard the ground strike it. I did not know there was a man there, but thought there must be as the car was there. I tried to look over the pile, but could see nobody. I then went in and came down on the inside and found the man lying on his back in the level. I could not swear that the ground had been examined because I did not see it done, but I am --------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] almost sure it was as they were working under there all day and the ground is always examined before work starts. We passed under there and thought it was perfectly safe. We walk back and forth under there three or four times a shift. It was mixed ground that fell - hanging and vein rock. The hanging gets broken in taking out the vein. We cannot take out the vein without breaking the hanging. ALFRED M. BOUSTROM testified: "I am employed as a miner at the 59th level, north of No. 4 shaft, at the Red Jacket shaft. I was there at the time of the accident, about forty feet away from where the rock fell. I was under it myself about five minutes before; thought it perfectly safe; had no idea of danger. I suppose the place was examined Wednesday morning. I did not look at it myself; went right in and up to the machine. I know nothing more than MURPHY has said." Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, do hereby say that the said MATT BUTORAC came to his death on the night of October 3, 1906, about 8:15 o'clock, by a fall of ground at the 59th level, north side of No. 4 shaft, Red Jacket shaft, Branch of the Calumet and Hecla Mine." ACCIDENT NO. 2 - October 6, 1906. - TONY STIGLICH, Austrian trammer, North Tamarack. Tony Stiglich was killed on this date by a fall of ground at the 15th level, north side of No. 3 shaft, North Tamarack. The place where these trammers were supposed to work seemed safe, and no dirt fell there. It appears they had received orders not to go into that mill at all, and they would have been safe had they --------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] remained where they belonged. Where they went to work, this piece of vein and cab came down. At the inquest, held before JUSTICE FISHER, WM. C. WILLS, a witness, duly sworn, testified as follows: "I am a miner working at the North Tamarack Mine. I knew the deceased by sight. He was a trammer working at the 15th level, No. 3 shaft, north side. This accident happened about 12:50 this afternoon. At the din- ner hour - about ten minutes to one o'clock - I heard a fall of rock on the side of the shaft where the trammers were working. I got up and went toward the place, and as I was going I met some men coming out, and they said there was a man killed. I went on until I came to the place where the rock fell, and I saw the man under the rock. A man who was close to my side (John Verchaw) helped remove the rock from the man's body, and we got him onto a truck and took him to the shaft and sent him to the surface." Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: "Do you know whether the trammers were supposed to go in that mill or not?" Answer: "Yes; I heard they had been ordered not to go there. The rock was trap and fell from the hanging." This testimony was corroborated by JOHN VERCHAW. Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said TONY STIGLICH came to his death on the 6th day of October, 1906, by an accidental fall of ground at the 15th level, north side, No. 3 shaft, North Tamarack, after being ordered not to go into that mill." --------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] ACCIDENT NO. 3 - October 10, 1906. - ARVID HARJU, Finnish miner, Champion Mine. Arvid Harju came to his death on this date. He was a miner working in "E" shaft, 7th level, south side. An inquest was held over his body by JUSTICE MITCHELL and the following testimonies taken. VICTOR NEIMI said HARJU was my partner. We shoveled dirt for two nights over the mill. The dirt pile was ten feet high. My other shift partners shoveled dirt for two days. I went into the stope first and my partner came a few minutes after. I got a ten-foot drill and tried to run some of the rock down the mill. I said to him: 'I guess we better put some sticks of powder on that big rock and blast it.' My partner took a bar about seven or eight feet long and went to the same place where I had been working. I went back by the side. The dirt fell down in the mill and my partner, too. I nearly fell down in the mill at the same time. I put my arm around a big rock. I saw my partner fall and lots of dirt fell down with him. I climbed down to the drift right away and got a ten-foot drill and went to take my partner out. I thought maybe he was alive. I hollered to some pickers and told them that a Finlander man got hurt. Six or seven men came to help me take down the dirt and get my partner out. He was dead. We could not do anything when that pile ran down. I thought it would not run down; that it was tight. I know better now, but I did not under- stand that time. I would not run a mill like that again." JOHN HENRY WILLIAMS testified: "We were called out of the drift. There was a man in the chute buried up with dirt. We went and gave --------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] all the assistance we could and got him out. He was dead. We took out lots of dirt, probably seven or eight cars, before he came through." Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, upon our oaths, do say that ARVID HARJU came to his death by accidentally falling into a mill on the 7th level south of "E" shaft on the 10th day of October, 1906." ACCIDENT NO. 4 - October 13, 1906. - JOHN SHEA, Irish, dryman, Quincy Mine. JOHN SHEA, one of the oldest employes of the company, came to his death on this day by falling away with ground that went down from surface into an abandoned shaft near No. 6. The cave-in was the result of the timbers which covered the shaft giving way. This shaft was once known as No. 4, Pewabic, and was formerly used as a pump shaft. Its period of usefulness ended, it was timbered over and filled in. No one saw the accident, and there was no evidence that Mr. Shea had gone down with the fall except that he was missing from the dry near by, where he was employed as dryman. His body was found the next evening, about 400 feet underground. He had probably met his death at the instant of the fall. At the inquest, held before CORONER FISHER, HENRY MICHAELSON, being duly sworn, testified as follows: "I am a watchman for the Quincy. I was working last night. I came to the dry ten minutes after 2 and MR. SHEA was there then. I went from there to the carpenter shop twenty after 2, and then to the barn at 2:30. I went back to the office twenty minutes to 3 and started to go to the shaft, and then I noticed the cave-in, and went into the --------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] shaft-house and told the lander, and told him to tell the trammers, so that they would not run into it. Aug. Trumpeter was working in the shaft-house, filling cars, and he went to get ties, and he took a plank afterward and put it across the ties, and put a lantern there, and it was then twenty-five minutes past 3 o'clock." THOMAS H. WILLIAMS, a timber boss for the Quincy, testified: "I don't know much about the accident. I was called over to look for him. The first thing we did was to cover up the hole. We went down No. 4 shaft (Pewabic Branch), climbed over the foot wall, and after looking a long time, we found the dirt that had fallen. We searched for the body there, and after running through quite a little top dirt, we found the body about fifty feet down. Verdict of the Jury: "JOHN SHEA came to his death by accidentally falling in No. 4 shaft, Pewabic Branch of the Quincy Mine, on the 13th day of October, 1906, in some manners to the jurors unknown." ACCIDENT NO. 5 - October 16, 1906. - MATT DUSS, Austrian, Isle Royale Mine. MATT DUSS came to his death on this date by falling in the shaft while engaged at his work in No. 2 shaft, Isle Royale Mine. An inquest was held by CORONER BRAND. The following verdict was rendered: Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, upon our oaths, do say that MATT DUSS came to his death by accidentally falling in the shaft --------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] whilst working at the 16th level of No. 2 shaft of the Isle Royale Mine, from which level he fell to the bottom of the shaft, October 16, 1906." ACCIDENT NO. 6 - November 2, 1906. - ERNEST THULIN, Swede, North Tamarack compressor engine house. An inquest was held before CORONER FISHER, to inquire when, in what manner, and by what means the said ERNEST THULIN came to his death. BEN DELLBRIDGE, being duly sworn, testified as follows: "I am an engineer and work at the North Tamarack compressor engine house. I was well acquainted with ERNEST THULIN. I did not see the accident. A boy came in and said that ERNEST thought there was something wrong and that a little steam was getting through from our valves, so I went in to see what the trouble was, and found nothing wrong, as they thought there was. I found ERNEST as you saw him, and went down to the machine shop and told the men." Question: "What was his work?" Answer: "He ran the condenser." Question: "Was he near the machinery where he might get caught?" Answer: "All I saw was the body, where it is now laying." Question: "Did anyone see the accident?" Answer: "No; I think he was not seen after about 11 o'clock." Question: "What time was the accident discovered?" --------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] Answer: "About ten minutes past two o'clock. He called me about five minutes after twelve o'clock and everything was all right then. He was found dead about two hours after that." ACCIDENT NO. 7 - November 16, 1906. - JAMES DIGHERA, Italian, timberman, Red Jacket shaft. A fall of rock in the 64th level, Red Jacket shaft, north of No. 4, caused the death of JAMES DIGHERA today at about 9:30 a.m. At the inquest, which was held on the same date, ANTHONY BOBBIO testified as follows: "I work for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, at the 64th level, Red Jacket shaft, north of No. 4. I am a timberman. JAMES DIGHERA worked in my gang. We were pinching down loose ground when the accident happened. We had been pinching with a short bar and then took a longer bar to pinch what we could not reach with the shorter one. DIGHERA was holding the slide staff to show light. He stepped aside to make the staff longer when the rock fell. I said: 'Look out, boy.' Then I said: 'Everyone all right?' three or four times. Then I called 'JIM,' and the miner said" 'JIM is gone.' I ran down the level, but did not see him, and then I ran up in another mill and found him. I grabbed him and brought him to the level and called for help. I was turned the other way at the time and did not see the rock strike him. We were all standing in a --------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] line against the back and JIM stepped out to lengthen the staff and the rock fell on him." Testimony of DANIEL KAMPULA: "I was working at the Red Jacket shaft today and knew the man who was killed. He was a timberman. I am a miner. I was right there when the accident happened. They were pinching with short bars, first getting the ground down from the footside. JIM had the slide staff, but it was too short, and he step- ped down a couple of feet to lengthen it when the rock came down on him. They called, "JIMMY!" I said: "JIMMY is gone." The piece that came away was about eight feet thick and about four or five feet square; it broke off about six feet from the foot. All the rest of the gang were in the back. JIM was down farther and got caught. I was working there myself only three or four minutes before it came down. I filled my lamp with 'sunshine' and stood looking at them only a minute or two when the ground came down." Verdict of the Jury: "We, the Jury, upon our oaths do say that the said JAMES DIGHERA came to his death by falling rock in the Calumet and Hecla Mine, Red Jacket shaft branch, at the 64th level, north of No. 4 shaft, November 16, 1906." ACCIDENT NO. 8 - November 16, 1906. - THOMAS MECHETTI, Italian, timberman, Red Jacket shaft. The second fatal accident to occur on the same day, at the same mine, caused the death of THOMAS MECHETTI. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER. JOHN NAVONE being duly sworn, testified as follows: "I work in Red Jacket shaft; worked --------------------------------------------------------------------- [14] there today at the 61st level, north side. I knew deceased. He was timber boss. I worked with him. He said: 'Time for dinner, boys,' and we went back to the shaft to eat our dinner, and Tom went toward the south shaft. We had only just begun eating when a trammer came and said: 'A man is killed.' We went down to the 63d level and found TOM. I suppose the truck caught him. This happened about 12 o'clock. I was about forty-feet away from the shaft. I don't know what TOM went over there for." The above testimony was corroborated by JOHN MASSOGLIO, another member of the same timber gang. Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, upon our oaths, do say that the said THOMAS MECHETTI came to his death by being struck by a truck, throwing him into the shaft at the 61st level in the Red Jacket shaft, falling 300 feet, death resulting from fall, on the 16th day of November, 1906." ACCIDENT NO. 9 - November 22, 1906 - WILLIAM KARLELA, Finnish, miner, Quincy mine. WILLIAM KARLELA, an employe of the Quincy Mining Company, at the Mesnard shaft, met death by suffocation at an early hour this morning, and his brother, MATT, had a very narrow escape from death in the same manner and from the same cause. They were partners, working at the 13th level, Mesnard shaft. They had fired seven or eight holes, and being in a hurry to finish up and get to the surface, they took a chance and started back into the drift, which was filled with smoke and gas. They did not proceed far when the deceased was overcome and dropped. His brother had sufficient --------------------------------------------------------------------- [15] strength to get out and give the alarm. The searching party found WILLIAM dead. An inquest was held before Coroner Fisher. WILLIAM PINCH, being duly sworn, testified as follows: "I work for the Quincy Mining Company at No. 8 shaft. They (KALELA brothers) blasted eight holes the same time we blasted, and we were all outside together where we generally go, and they told us they had three holes more. I went in and looked at my holes and they were making clay balls. When I came out, I said: 'Lots of gas.' and the deceased acted like he generally does when you speak to him. I told these men (other witnesses) that they (deceased and brother) were a long time to fire three holes, and that they had better go in. So they went in and found them." Question: "How many holes had they blasted?" Answer: "Eight holes, I think." Question: "How many rounds?" Answer: "One round." The testimony was corroborated by JOHN MATTALA and THOMAS MATTI, two other witnesses. Verdict of the Jury: "William KARLELA came to his death the morn- ing of the 22d day of November, 1906, by being overcome by gas and smoke by the blasting of holes at the south side of the 13th level, No. 8, Mesnard shaft, Quincy Mine." ACCIDENT NO. 10 - November 26, 1906. - TONEY FRANKO, Italian trammer, Quincy Mine. TONEY FRANKO came to his death on this day by a fall of rock. Mine Inspector Dawe: The rock was down, of course, when I arrived there, but the place looked perfectly safe. I would not have hesi- tated to work there myself. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [16] An inquest was held before CORONER FISHER and the following testi- monies taken: LOUIS PATRINI: "I work at No. 2 shaft, Quincy Mine. I have known TONEY FRANKO the two months since he worked in the mine. He was load- ing the car, tramming. I look after the men. I saw Tony when the accident happened. We tried three or four times to bar down the rock but it would not come out, and we thought it all right; we could not get it down. I work in the same place that he works. I tried before he did, but could not get it down. I thought it was safe. The rock was about seven feet high. It came out of the side of the level and fell right over. JOSEPH GRISTO testified: "I work at the 59th level. I know deceased was working there when accident happened. I got one rock on my foot too. I was picking down dirt in the road. I heard the noise and said, 'Look out,' but not in time. I thought the place was safe." Question: Was the ground barred down before that? Yes. I tried to bar it down but it would not come - too strong. HENRY JENKINS: I went through there about 3 o'clock. Where they were working at the time of the accident is where we put a piece of timber Saturday and barred down the rock. It was a place where some others were working all the day. Everything looked perfectly safe. You cannot see any cracks in the ground, but it was "drummy." Verdict: "TONY FRANKO came to his death on the 26th day of November, 1906, at the 59th level, north of No. 2 shaft, Quincy mine, --------------------------------------------------------------------- [17] by an accidental fall of rock, after everything appearing safe." ACCIDENT NO. 11 - Dec. 5, 1906 - WM. GROGGIN, JOHN HANLEY, Irish miners. Quincy mine No. 8 shaft, at the Mesnard branch of the Quincy mine, suffered a serious accident about 7 o'clock p.m. on this date, when an explosion of powder occurred underground, through careless- ness in handling. Rescuing parties were organized as soon as the accident was reported. The heat and gases from the explosion gave the party rather a hard time of it. They made a thorough search of the lower levels first, and came upon several men who were almost suffo- cated. These they brought to surface through No. 6 shaft. The fire started from the careless handling of powder by a Finnish miner who escaped uninjured. It is thought that grease and fire dropped from the lamp in the man's hat into the powder which he was cutting. Be- coming frightened, he dropped what he held and ran away. The injured men were removed to the hospital. GROGGIN was killed. HANLEY died at the hospital. An inquest was held before CORONER FISHER. MATT MATTE being duly sworn testified as follows: "My name is MATT MATTE. I work at the Mesnard shaft as a trammer. I knew these two men. We were all working at the 21st level. I saw FIRLUS SERULA take the powder out of the box and cut the paper off and something like a light fell from his lamp and that is the way the fire started. He took the powder for blasting. It was frozen a little and he want- ed to melt it out. I was about two yards away. I did not count how --------------------------------------------------------------------- [18] many sticks he took out; but all the powder that was sent down yes- terday was in the level. Question by Mine Inspector Dawe: "Was it a little box which he held?" Answer: "Yes, a little handle box." Q. When you saw the fire what did you do? A. Started to run. Q. Didn't someone put water on the fire? A. Yes. I saw JOHN SULLIVAN throw water on it. Q. Don't the miners take away that powder as soon as it is sent down? A. Yes. It is sent down in the day time. There was a tool-box close by where they keep their caps and their tools. These two men (deceased) worked on the 24th level but were killed on the 22d level. They were on their way up to the 21st level to help put out the fire when the explosion took place. They were between the 22nd and 21st levels and were knocked down the shaft. Question by DAWE: Was SERULA smoking? Did he have a pipe in his mouth? A. I am not sure. Q. Were there caps in the big box? A. Yes, but not in the little one. MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: "A certain number of boxes of powder are taken out at each level. From what I can learn, there were about six boxes of powder there. The miners are supposed to take that powder and carry it further in." --------------------------------------------------------------------- [19] DANIEL PEPPO and ABRAM SARRI corroborate MATT MATTE's testimony except that they did not see the fire fall. Verdict of the Jury: "The said WILLIAM GROGGIN and JOHN HANLEY came to their deaths as the result of the explosion of powder on the 5th day of December, 1906, at the 21st level north of No. 8 or Mes- nard shaft, Quincy mine, some of said powder being handled by FIRLUS SERULA." ACCIDENT NO. 12. - December 28, 1906. - GEORGE EVONKOVITCH, Austrian. - Isle Royale Mine. GEORGE EVONKOVITCH was accidentally killed at Section 12 shaft of the Isle Royale mine on this date. An inquest was held before CORONER BRAND and the following testimony taken. GEORGE PARRICH said: I was working with deceased at the time he was killed. We went down the shaft together at about 7:15 p.m. The deceased went to work putting in the false rails below the skip while I went into the skip and after he had told the men to ring, lower, the skip suddenly dropped down upon him, at the same time throwing me out. I called out to the men above to come down, as my partner was pinned under the skip. MATT EVONKOVITCH came down to assist me. We rang nine bells to notify the engineer of trouble, then 3-1/2 bells to hoist a little so we could take the body from under, the 1/2 bell to lower. We put the body into the skip, brought it to surface, thence to the boiler house. The deceased was standing about 15 or 20 feet away from the skip when it dropped. The deceased was in between the rails, bending forth. I did the same thing the week before, so --------------------------------------------------------------------- [20] he was taking his turn this week." JOHN ROBBINS testified: "We perform the same work as the deceased and his partner was doing, only I work on the opposite shift and we do it differently. It is not necessary to stand in between the rails as the deceased was doing. As it takes two men to lower the rails we work one on each side of the rail out of the way of the skip, in case anything goes wrong." JOHN MARTIN testified: "I am employed by said company as engineer. At about 7 p.m. the three men mentioned went down the shaft and when they reached the level they gave me signals to lower further, then 3-1/2 bells to hoist, then 1/2 bell to lower, was lowering when a bolt on the brake hand broke. I then waited for signals. Got nine bells. Knowing something was wrong, I went out to the shaft and the lander told me the skip fell upon a man and killed him. About 15 minutes later I got 3-1/2 bells to hoist, then 1/2 bell to lower then to hoist to surface. Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, find that GEORGE EVONKOVITCH came to his death at Section 12 shaft of the Isle Royale Copper Com- pany by accident, Dec. 28, A.D. 1906." ACCIDENT NO. 13 - Jan. 3, 1907 - JOHN R. SCHULTE, German. Roller fixer, Calumet mine. This accident occurred in No. 2 shaft of the Calumet Mine, at the 55th level. An inquest was held before CORONER FISHER and the follow- ing persons, being duly sworn, testified as follows: --------------------------------------------------------------------- [21] JOSEPH PETRITZ: "I work in No. 2 shaft, 55th level, Calumet Mine. I knew JOHN SCHULTE. We were working in the shaft, repairing the track. I was there at the time of the accident, about half past nine. I was standing in the track with one foot on the roller and the other in the shaft, and SCHULTE was standing by me; we were prying out the old spikes from the rail, when one of the men hollered that a piece was coming down, but the piece was there as soon as he spoke. It went over me, but struck SCHULTE. It was a piece of eight-inch flat tim- ber. It came down the shaft. Don't know where it came from. It struck him in the shoulder, killing him instantly." LOUIS DELL'ANGELICA: "I knew JOHN SCHULTE. Was working with him. I was about 50 feet above him. I heard the piece coming and called out, but do not know whether the timber was above or below me when I called. As soon as the timber came down, I went down. They were call- ing for help. I went down and felt SCHULTE to see if he was alive, but he was dead. The piece that fell was about 7 or 8 feet long, eight-inch flat timber. I did not know at the time where it came from but heard later that it came from the timber truck." JOHN BEARD testified: "I was working at the scene of the accident this morning. I have charge of a timber gang. We had a truck of 8- inch flat timber. We put the tongs on the first piece to pull it out and as the end swung around it lifted another piece which slid down and broke the bottom pin on the truck and the piece went down the shaft. This was about half past nine. I suppose this was the piece that caused the death of JOHN R. SCHULTE. It had rained the night --------------------------------------------------------------------- [22] before and the timber was all covered with ice." Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said JOHN R. SCHULTE came to his death from the evidence given, by being struck by a piece of flat timber at the 55th level, No. 2 shaft, Calumet Branch of the Calumet & Hecla Mine on Jan. 3, 1907." ACCIDENT NO. 14 - Jan. 4, 1907. - FRED KENDALL, English, trammer boss. Baltic mine. The first fatal accident of the year to occur in any of the Copper Range mines, happened Friday evening, Jan. 4. FRED KENDALL, a trammer boss, was killed by a fall of ground in No. 4 shaft, 7th level. An inquest was held before JUSTICE MITCHELL, and the following witnesses examined: JOHN TREVARROW: "My name is JOHN TREVARROW, my position at the Baltic mine is that of assistant mining captain. Yesterday afternoon I was down at the 7th level, south side of No. 4 shaft, the scene of the accident. In the afternoon, after dinner, I went through again, and while waiting for the machine to stop, to go through, I put my hand up and touched the back. I fancied I felt a motion in the ground, but as the machine was about 25 feet away from where I was, I could not tell whether it was a motion in the loose or the motion from the machine. When the machine stopped I felt there again, but I found nothing wrong, and went about my work. Last night when the night shift came along, I told FRED KENDALL about this place, and that I did not know whether the ground was loose or whether it was --------------------------------------------------------------------- [23] the motion from the machine that I felt. I gave him strict orders to be careful, and not let anyone go there until he was sure that all was right. All that it was necessary to do there was to put on two pipes for the machine to go to work, and I gave him strict orders to run no chances. I did not care whether the machine went to work or not, as there was other work they could do. He went there to examine the ground exactly as I told him to do, and of course, it came down. When I came down there, after they sent for me, he was lying under the rock. His face was toward the hanging and the rock was imbedded right in his back, right under his shoulders." Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: "What thickness was the rock?" Answer: The end that was on him was about four inches. It was a thin slab of vein. On the south side he was within 6 feet of one end of it and the other end was about 10 or 12 feet away." JURYMAN BISCOMB: "Then he must have been perfectly satisfied in his own mind that it was safe, or an experienced man like FRED KENDALL would never go in there." WM. SHEPPARD testified: "I am a miner. FRED KENDALL came down into our place and asked if we thought it was allright to put a pipe in there. I said "yes." I got the hose down and tried it and we saw we could make it allright. Then I said if we were going to put the pipe on to put it on right away. FRED said "no, there is some loose ground there, sound it first." While my partner was getting the hammer, we heard some little rocks fall. We looked up without taking notice, and --------------------------------------------------------------------- [24] she came down and I took a jump right out toward the hanging. FRED was no more than three feet away from the hanging himself. I was about three feet away from FRED. Question by INSPECTOR DAWE: "Did you think that the place was dangerous?" "No, sir. It looked allright; it looked fine." Question: "That ground was down very handy, where he could stand and sound the rock, was it?" A. "Yes, sir. There was nothing different in the appearance of the place than ordinarily. It looked good. KENDALL was dead when the rock was removed from him." Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, find the deceased, FRED KEN- DALL, met his death accidentally through a fall of vein rock in a stope on the south side of the 7th level, No. 4 shaft, Baltic Mine, January 4th, 1907, while in the discharge of his duty." ACCIDENT NO. 15 - Jan. 15, 1907 - ANTON BUCKOVAC, Austrian. Bell- ringer; Centennial Mine. A peculiar accident occurred at the 29th level, No. 1 shaft, Centennial mine, at about 5 o'clock in the morning, January 15, 1907. ANTON BUCKOVAC was so badly injured that he died shortly after being brought to the surface. An inquest was held before CORONER FISHER and the following testimonies taken: JAMES H. CHYNOWETH: "I am shift boss for the Centennial Mining Co., know the deceased and know of the accident. It occurred about 4:45 this morning, at the 29th level of No. 1 shaft. As near as I can understand, ANTON was at the bottom of the shaft, at the 30th level, --------------------------------------------------------------------- [25] and was to get onto the skip to ride to the next dump at the 29th level. When the skip arrived at the 29th he was not on it, and his partners, supposing he did not come up on it, dumped one car. Hearing a noise, the searched and found him in the skip under the dirt they had just dumped. As far as I know, no one saw him get in the skip and he certainly did not have any light, or the others would have seen it." MARTIN DRENOVIC, through JOHN SCHALTZ, an interpreter, said: "I work for the company as bell-ringer, and was at work last night with ANTON BUCKOVAC and his brother, BLASH BUCKOVAC. I was at the 29th level with BLASH where he had two full cars to dump. ANTON had gone to the 30th level on the ladder to dump a car there. When the skip came to the 29th level we dumped one car and then turned to dump the other when we heard a noise. We looked under the skip, and BLASH went down the ladder a short distance but we saw nothing. Then we looked into the skip and saw a man's legs sticking up from the dirt. He was buried so bad that we could not get him out so we rang the bell to hoist to surface at which place we got him out. He was still living. I do not know how he got into the skip." BLASH BUCKOVAC, being duly sworn, testified through the inter- preter: "I am a brother of the deceased. I last saw him before the accident at the 28th level where we had dumped a car of rock. I told him to go down to the 30th level and dump a car there and then come up to the 29th level. He climbed down and MARTIN and I went to the 29th level, also going on the ladders. When the skip came to the 29th level for us, ANTON was not on it and we dumped one car, when we --------------------------------------------------------------------- [26] heard a noise. We looked for him and at last found him in the skip." Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said ANTON BUCKOVAC came to his death on the 15th day of January, 1907, by falling into the skip in some manner unknown, and being stunned, and a car of dirt being dumped around him, at the 29th level of No. 1 shaft of the Centennial Mine, from the injuries from which he died shortly after." ACCIDENT NO. 16 - Jan. 24, 1907 - PAUL LASSILA, Finnish, roller- fixer. Osceola mine. An accident at No. 6 shaft, of the Osceola mine, caused the death of PAUL LASSILA, a roller-fixer. An inquest was held before CORONER FISHER and the following testimony given: MATT VIDOSH, a witness produced, sworn and examined, upon his oath says: "I work in No. 6 shaft, Osceola mine, and was working with PAUL LASSILA today when the accident occurred. It was 8:30 this morning and we were fixing rollers in the shaft at the third level about four hundred feet from surface. He was on the south side nearest the ladderway and I was on the other side. We saw the skip rope move and thought the south skip was coming down. In a little while LASSILA yelled, "Look out!" I jumped to the north track. I laid there for two minutes and did not know anything. I got up and looked around but never saw anything. The south skip had passed up. I thought LASSILA was standing down in the level, but he was not there. I looked up the --------------------------------------------------------------------- [27] shaft and saw his "shiner" about twenty-five feet away. I climbed up to where he was and he was dead." Verdict of the Jury: "We, the jury, upon our oaths, do say, that the said PAUL LASSILA came to his death on the 24th day of January, 1907, by being accidentally struck by the skip at the third level No. 6 shaft, Osceola Mine." ACCIDENT NO. 17 - Feb. 4, 1907 - ANTON BUTORAC, Austrian, trammer, Red Jacket shaft. This accident, which cost ANTON BUTORAC his life occurred at the 65th level north, at the Red Jacket shaft. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER on Feb. 5, 1907, at which time the following witnesses testified. HENRY EPLETT said: "I was working last night at the 65th level north. I knew the deceased by sight. He was a trammer and was working just under where we were working. He was running dirt to fill the car. We were drill- ing uppers and could look down the mill. We saw the trammers come in and saw this man up in the mill. He was standing about half way up the mill; standing against the timber. He wanted to get more dirt to fill the car. I suppose the rock broke away sooner than he expected, and before he could get either up or down, the rock caught him against the timber. We did our best to free him, but he died before we could get the rock away. The rock was against his stomach. The rock was very heavy, from half a ton to a ton, very fine copper rock. If the man had been up a little further or down a little further he could have gotten away. The accident happened about 11 o'clock last night. If he had been up a little further he would have been in a safe place." --------------------------------------------------------------------- [28] WILLIAM ANSTERS: "I work at the Red Jacket shaft; am a partner of MR. EPLETT; we were drilling uppers and saw the trammers come in to fill the car. The deceased came up the mill a little ways to get more dirt and it came away and jammed him against the timber. There was plenty room for a man to run the mill, but I think the dirt came away before he expected it and caught him against the timber." Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that ANTON BUTORAC came to his death on the 4th of February, 1907, by being caught be- tween the rock and timber while running a mill, at the 65th level north, Red Jacket shaft, Calumet and Hecla mine. ACCIDENT NO. 18 - February 14, 1907 - BERTOVEN KAVASO, Italian trammer, Franklin Junior mine. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER, upon the body of BERTOVEN KAVASO who was killed on this date. STEVE REGO, the first witness produced, and sworn, upon his oath said: "I work for the Franklin Junior mine. I am a trammer, was work- ing at the 12th level No. 2 shaft, south side. Today my partner stay- ed at home, so I was working with BERTOVEN KAVASO, when he got killed. He stood on the level looking up and I went to pinch some rock down and just stayed on the timber. I hollered to look out and instead he clung to the timber and the rock came down and crushed his head between the rock and timber." WILLIAM JOHN BONDS, the next witness produced, sworn and examined upon his oath says: "As soon as the accident happened I was notified --------------------------------------------------------------------- [29] and came up, and went in and found results as the above witness just related. I am shift boss for the Franklin Junior." Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said BERTOVEN KAVASO came to his death on the 14th day of February, A.D. 1907, at the Franklin Junior mine, No. 2 shaft, south side, 12th level, by his head being accidentally crushed between the rock and timber. ACCIDENT NO. 19. - Feb. 19, 1907 - ANDREW REMAKKA, Finnish trammer, Winona mine. This accident occurred on Feb. 19. ANDREW REMAKKA was badly injured in the Winona mine, at the 5th level, south stope of No. 3 shaft by a fall of rock. He died from the injuries on Feb. 22. An inquest was held on this same day before JUSTICE BRAND when the following testimony was taken: DR. A. D. ALDRICH, being duly sworn, testified as follows: "I am a physician to the Winona Copper Co. About five o'clock in the after- noon of Tuesday, Feb. 19, I was called to the dry at the Winona mine, and found the deceased with his head cut and a slight fracture of the skull, which would not be sufficient to cause death. His back was also injured, but I did not have the proper means of examining his back at the time. I dressed the wound on his head, and noticed that he had paralysis of the limbs. After placing him in bed, I found upon examination that his back was broken, and the following day had him taken to the hospital at Hancock, where he was operated upon, and I found that the spinal cord was severed in the dorsal region, between the shoulder blades. He was then dressed, and placed in bed. I saw him the next day. He was failing, and I attribute the immediate --------------------------------------------------------------------- [30] cause of his death to edema of the lungs, caused by fracture of the spine and severing of the spinal cord." CAPT. BROWN testified: "In my opinion the accident was unavoid- able. The hangings were examined before the men went down. We examine the ground and trim the back, and when safe, the men are allowed to proceed to work." MATT BUNN, through an interpreter said: "I am a trammer and was about four feet distant from the deceased when the rock fell down and struck him. We were partners. RAMAKKA started off to work in the mid- dle of the stope, and stood on the foot side. Just as he moved, the rock struck him on the head. ANDREW NIEMI testified: "I was working about 15 feet away from REMAKKA. The place was the best place I ever worked in, and I thought it perfectly safe. I was not afraid to work in that place." Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said ANDREW RAMAKKA, died on Feb. 22, 1907, from injuries received on Feb. 19, 1907, by a fall of rock at the 5th level, No. 3 Shaft of the Winona mine. ACCIDENT No. 20 - March 1, 1907 - JOHN G. JACKMAN, English miner, Red Jacket shaft. This accident, causing the death of a miner, JOHN G. JACKMAN, occurred at the 58th level of the Red Jacket shaft, north of No. 4. An inquest was held and the following testimony taken: ALFRED GILES, being duly sworn, testified as follows: "I work at the Red Jacket shaft for the C. & H. Mining Co., at the 58th level --------------------------------------------------------------------- [31] north of No. 4. I worked there this morning. I did not see the acci- dent. Got out of the cage the first trip down this morning. Sat down for a few minutes and then went in; on my way in I took a load of drills. As I was going in I saw JACKMAN coming out looking for a crowbar. I got in and had just taken off my coat when I heard rock fall and then heard some one yell. Went out and found a trammer and JACKMAN under the rock. We took them out as quickly as we could. It was a piece of vein rock up against the hanging. I picked up his watch. It had stopped 22 minutes to 8 o'clock. I heard one of the other men say that he had heard JOHN say that "things looked pretty good this morning, but a little piece there will have to come down." JOHN was alive when we took him out. He died in the hospital. He was a miner. The miners go in to pinch down the loose rock and make it safe for the trammers and JACKMAN was doing this when the rock fell on him. The place looked safe enough. It was a good place to work. JOHN PALAGGI: "I am a trammer. I was filling a car four or five feet from JACKMAN. He had a bar pinching rock. I turned to put a rock in the car, when the rock he was pinching fell and caught him. We got them out as quick as we could. He was standing on the hanging side. He said it looked pretty solid and I thought myself it was solid. The rock struck him on the head." Verdict: We find the said JOHN G. JACKMAN came to his death by an accident on March 1, 1907, at the 58th level of Red Jacket shaft, north of No. 4, while in the act of pinching a vein rock; and we --------------------------------------------------------------------- [32] exonerate the company from all blame. ACCIDENT NO. 21 - March 5, 1907 - MATT TAKANEN, Finnish miner, Champion mine. An accident at "E" shaft, Champion mine, on this date caused the death of MATT TAKANEN. An inquest was held on the following day, be- fore JUSTICE MITCHELL, and the following witnesses were examined: ISAAC MOILANEN: "I know about the accident that happened last evening to MATT TAKANEN. I was working at the 5th level and I climbed down to the 6th level to come up from there. MATT came from inside and stood by the shaft and started to lean on the guard rail. There were two others standing by him. MATT was loking (sic) in the shaft. I stood by him and put my hand on the guard rail. I started to look down the saft (sic) and then OSCAR KRAATINEN came and stood back of me and he put one hand on the bell-lever and the other around me. I heard something like a scratch and I saw one end of the guard rail go swing down the shaft. I had my hand there and I saw the end of the rail swing. I catch hold of the rail. I thought I was pretty near falling down too and I caught hold of the rail. I saw MATT go down and bump against the foot and bed planks." Question by Mine Inspector - Were there many men on the level? Answer - I think there was around ten men on the level. Q. Did these men, crowding in, raise that rail up? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [33] A. I did not see. I was on the foot side of the guard rail. Q. Were you leaning on it? A. I just put my hand on the rail. OSCAR KRATINEN: Q. Did you go down the shaft to look for the body of MATT? A. I climbed down first and after me started some men from the 10th level. I find the body in the skip pit, 11th level. Q. Is that guard rail put there for men to lean on? A. I do not know what it is there for. Q. Are guard rails usually put for men to lean on or to keep men away from the shaft? A. I think it is put there for men to keep back from the shaft. Q. Is it wrong then for men waiting for the skip to lean on it at all? A. Yes, sir. NICK KLOBUCHER testified: "I saw them fooling around that way and of course the guard rail came out of place and he fell in. Many even- ings they were fooling by the shaft like that, and I do not see how it didn't happen before." Question by Inspector: You are sure that the end of the rail raised up? A. Yes, sir. LUCAN BEONDICH said: I was at the level when the accident happened. I can testify the same as NICK KLOBUCHER. There were three miners (deceased included) fooling around and moving about. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [35] Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that MATT TAKANEN came to his death through his own carelessness by falling from the 6th to the 11th level at "E" shaft, Champion mine, Painesdale, on March 5th, 1907, about 5 o'clock p.m. ACCIDENT NO. 22 - March 6, 1907 - ERICK PAPANEN, Finnish miner, Tamarack mine. This accident occurred at the 32nd level, No. 5 shaft of the Tamarack mine, about 5 o'clock p.m. ISAAC WANAPAH, a witness produced, sworn and examined, on his oath, testified as follows: "I work at No. 5 Tamarack, was at the 32nd level. Was on the plat at the time the man fell away. I was at the gate with my shoulder braced so that I would not be shoved into the cage too quick. ERICK PAPANEN was right behind me. The cage came to the 32nd level and it seemed as though it had been rung there to let the men get in. It was held there and three men went into the cage. The cage was stopping just as I jumped into it and it began to move as soon as I got in. I looked around and saw ERICK PAPANEN on the strap and when the cage got up to the timbers I saw his leg strike the tim- bers, then saw him roll off the cage. The cage went as far as the 31st level and stopped there and the men rushed to get into the cage. I told them a man had fallen into the shaft. Then the plat man came into the cage and went down, taking another man with him, and I was left on the 31st level." MATT HANTIJA testified as follows: "When the cage came to the 32nd level I was in the crowd waiting to go up. I saw a man go into the cage, but I did not know his name. As the cage went up the crowed fell ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [35] back. When the cage got up as far as the timbers I saw a man fall off. It was the deceased. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said ERICK PAPANEN came to his death by falling off the cage at the 32nd level, No. 5 shaft, Tamarack mine, On the 6th day of March, A.D. 1907. ACCIDENT NO. 23 - March 14, 1907 - JOHN P. BARTELL, English miner, Calumet & Hecla mine. JOHN B. BARTELL (see note following) came to his death in No. 14 shaft, 8th level, of the Osceola lode, Calumet & Hecla mine, on this date, late in the afternoon. The following day an in- quest was conducted before JUSTICE FISHER and the following testimony taken from NELS PETERSON, a witness duly sworn, who said: "I know JOHN BARTELL, he was my partner. We were working together at the 8th level at the time of the accident. We had two rounds to blast (6 holes). When we had the first three holes charged, I told BARTELL to go to the level above to give the men up there warning. He went, and sent a man from the north side in to help me, and after he got up there, he gave me a signal which I answered and then fired the three holes. I went down and heard the holes go off. I waited about ten minutes and then picked up powder for the other three holes and went up to charge them. After a little while he came up. I had two holes charged up by this time. We started to charge the third hole and by that time I got dizzy on account of the bad air and I said we had better go out and BARTELL helped me out. I got a little fresh air and went back on the other side of the raise and laid on the foot wall side. BARTELL said he ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [36] would go and charge the third hole and blast. I said, "leave it for the night crew," but he said he would do it so I gave him the candle and told him to be careful. In a minute or two I heard him tamping the powder in the third hole, and then the first thing I knew I heard two reports. I knew right away that something was wrong and got the men on the other side to go in. I spit the fuse for the three holes I fired. The hole he charged when he went up alone did not go off. The two charged first went off. I did not light the fuse to these two. There was 6 or seven minutes between the time the first two were charged and when he went up to charge the third one. He must have fired the holes himself. I can't say of course, whether he spit the fuse or used snoffs. We sometimes spit the fuse and sometimes use snoffs. There are candles provided for that purpose. I do not think it dangerous to spit the fuse if we use a long enough piece." Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said JOHN P. BARTELL was killed in No. 14 shaft, 8th level, Osceola lode of the Calumet & Hecla mine, about 4:30 p.m., March 14, 1907. No blame can be attached to anyone. (NOTE: the middle initial "B" is not a typo and is as it appears in the report.) ACCIDENT NO. 24 - March 15, 1907 - ROBERT NICHOLLS, English miner, Champion mine. An inquest was held before JUSTICE MITCHELL upon this date to in- quire in what manner and by what means ROBERT NICHOLLS came to his death. The following testimony was taken. WM. T. SNELL: I am a miner working for the Champion mine. The ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [37] deceased was my partner this morning. We were climbing down. We went down to the 3rd level, "E" shaft. We went in the crosscut where the timber men were working to get some moils. Coming back, NICHOLLS went in front and he fell in the shaft. I was six or seven feet behind him. We both had lights. I did not see him fall. All I heard was the cradel coming back and heard him rushing through the shaft. He appeared to be in usual health this morning. Q. Could you not have gotten moiles from surface and had them taken down in the regular way? A. Yes, sir, it was not absolutely necessary to get moils down there. EDWIN MITCHELL: I was on the 9th level picking out the drills and we heard something go through the shaft and we thought it was a man. We heard a dinner-pail fall after him and we were almost sure it was a man. I climbed from the 9th to the 11th with JOSHUA HOCKING and we got a ladder and went to the skip pit and brought the body up between us. He was dead when we found him. Verdict: We, the undersigned jurors, find that ROBERT NICHOLLS came to his death by accidentally falling down "E" shaft of the Champion mine about 7 o'clock a.m. on March 15, 1907, from the 3rd to the 11th level. ACCIDENT NO. 25 - March 18, 1907 - JOHN RUNDELL, English miner, Hecla Branch, C & H. An accident at No. 2 shaft of the C. & H. mine, on this date, caused the death of JOHN RUNDELL. An inquest was held on March 19th, when the following testimony was taken. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [38] DON PRICCO testified: I work for the C. & H. at No. 2 shaft. I knew JOHN RUNDELL, was present at the time of the accident, about ten minutes to 12 o'clock last night. I was coming from the 35th level, he was coming up and was just a little below the 36th level. The skip started to come up and I saw RUNDELL coming up through the shaft and called to him to look out, but the skip caught him right at the 36th level. He tried to grab the rope. He was coming up to get his dinner. PASCOE HOSKIN testified: I work at Hecla No. 2 shaft. Knew the deceased, he was my partner. We got through just a little before 12 and started to go to eat. I filled my lamp and went into the shaft and went up to the next level. We were working about twenty-five feet be- low the 36th level. I had just got to the 36th when the first witness said "there is someone in the shaft." I looked, and saw my partner just ready to step out of the shaft when the skip came up and caught him. PRICCO immediately rang the bell and the skip stopped. I ran up and took RUNDELL in my arms and took him out to the level. He just made a little move. The skip passed over him. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said JOHN RUNDELL came to his death on the 18th day of March by being caught by the skip at the 36th level in No. 2 shaft, Hecla Branch of the Calumet & Hecla mine, while coming up the shaft, the skip passing over him. ACCIDENT NO. 26 - March 29, 1907 - JOHN CONTESH, Austrian, trammer. South Kearsarge mine. JOHN CONTESH came to his death on this date. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [39] PETER OSMAK, a witness, testified as follows: "I work in No. 1 shaft of the South Kearsarge mine. I am a trammer. I saw the accident last night. JOHN was sitting down on the ladder with one hand on the bell, the skip struck the gate piece at the 11th level, and the de- ceased was at the 13th level in the ladder-way, and the deceased said "somebody broke the gate-piece just now," and in about a half minute after, a piece of the gate-piece came down and struck him on the head, and knocked him down on the plat. The piece came down the ladder way. This was about 20 minutes to five." GEORGE KLOBUCHER testified as follows: "I work at No. 1 shaft. Was working there last night at the 11th level. I know the deceased, know of him getting killed just before 5 o'clock this morning. He was struck by a piece of the gate-piece. It came from the 11th level, after dumping the last car. We forgot to pull up the gate-piece. It was a part of my duty to pull up the gate-piece, after dumping the car. The skip was going down at the time." MIKE KIPAN corroborated the testimony of the last witness. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said JOHN CONTESH came to his death on the 29th day of March, 1907, by being struck by a broken gate-piece coming down the ladder-way of No. 1 shaft, South Kearsarge mine, from the 11th to the 13th level, the gate being left in the way of the skip by mistake of the 11th level trammers. ACCIDENT NO. 27 - April 4, 1907 - DOMINICK TOMASI, Italian roller- fixer, Calumet mine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [40] An inquest was held on this date over the body of DOMINICK TOMASI. The following witnesses were duly sworn and examined. ANTONY MIGLIO testified as follows: "I am a sprinkler in No. 5 shaft, Calumet, from the 49th to the 42nd levels. I was there at the time of the accident this morning. I was at the 49th level when the cage was coming down. When it got to the 48th I pulled the bell to stop at the 49th. When the cage got to the 49th it checked up and two or three men jumped in and then the cage started down the shaft. As soon as it started down I rang four or five times but it did not stop. When it got to the 50th it smashed the bridge and went on down and stopped a little below the 51st level. This was the second cage and the second cage never goes below the 49th level. When I rang for the cage to stop at the 49th, I gave it a good pull and when it did not stop, I gave four or five more good strong pulls." WILLIAM JENKINS testified: "I am a bell-ringer at No. 6 Calumet, on surface. I was working there this morning and know of an accident happening there. I got one straight bell to stop and I gave that to the engine house and then they rang four or five bells and I said to a man who was near me, 'I don't know what they mean.' I got only one straight bell and I gave that to the engine house. After that they rang four or five bells but I did not send those in as I did not understand them. The bell works all right if it is pulled right. I have been working as bell ringer for four years and have watched the bell lots of times when it was supposed to ring and it has hardly raised enough to put a pin under." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [41] CHARLES SUNDBERG: I was night shift and got in the cage to come up. When it got to the 50th level it struck the bridge that was across the shaft. That bridge was smashed and the cage was smashed. The fellow that got killed was sitting in the cage behind me and I don't know what struck him. I got struck with something, too." Verdict: We find that the said DOMINICK TOMASI came to his death on the 4th day of April, 1907, by the man-car coming in contact with a bridge at the 50th level, No. 5 shaft, Calumet Branch, Calumet & Hecla mine. ACCIDENT NO. 28 - April 11, 1907 - JOHN NOVACH Austrian timberman, Tamarack mine. This accident, which cost the life of JOHN NOVACK (see note following), occurred at the 36th level of No. 5 shaft, Tamarack mine. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER. JOSEPH GRAHEK, a witness produced, sworn and examined, on his oath testified as follows: "I am a timberman at No. 5 Tamarack. JOHN NOVACK worked with me in my gang. He was the second man. We were working in the 36th level. I was there at the time of the accident, about 9:30 this morning. We were turning a timber and JOHN went there to swing it around and the rope broke. Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: What kind of rope was it? Answer: It was a one-inch manilla rope. Q. Did you notice any flaw in the rope? A. No, it was looking all right. He was about 4 or 5 feet away from the timber; he was using a crow-bar to help swing it around. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [42] The above testimony was corroborated by PETER SCHULTZ, another witness examined on his oath. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths, do say that the said JOHN NOVACK came to his death on the 11th day of April, A.D. 1907, at the 36th level of No. 5 shaft, Tamarack mine, by the accidental breaking of a rope used in putting timber in place - the timber falling upon him. (NOTE: The surname NOVACH and NOVACK are transcribed exactly as written and are not transcription errors.] ACCIDENT NO. 29 - April 11, 1907 - GEORGE PASTORE, Italian laborer, Quincy mine. An accident at the 20th level, No. 8 shaft, Quincy mine, where there was a fall of ground, caused the death of GEORGE PASTORE. An inquest was conducted by JUSTICE FISHER. DAN BROWN, being duly sworn, testified: "I work at the Mesnard No. 8 shaft, twentieth level, south side. I knew the deceased. I saw him throwing dirt. I was drilling a hole with my partner and the deceased was down 15 or 20 feet below us and our backs were toward him. I was turning the handle when the ground came down and caught him. There was something less than a carfull of dirt came down and it fell about 30 or 35 feet. I worked there yesterday and I barred the ground there and I was not afraid of it. The man (PAT SULLIVAN) whose duty it is, went around this week and looked the ground all over and he said the ground was allright. Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: Did you examine the ground this morning? Answer: No, sir, I did not. Q. Was it your place to do so? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [43] A. Yes, but I did not expect there was anything wrong there. After we put in the hole and were ready we were going down to the same place. MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: It is alway's a miner's place to look around when he first goes down, and if he sees anything loose, to take it down. A man is supposed to look around every morning. The place looked perfectly safe; it was right between four pillars, one pillar within fifteen feet. A man would think it was a good place, but this piece of ground came out on a slip. The blasting might have shaken it a little. PAT S. SULLIVAN testified as follows: "My business is looking after ground. I don't know about the accident, but I do know about the ground. I got orders some time ago to trim that stope and I went over it to the best of my ability. I took down everything I thought was bad. The foot of this ground was straight and I had no footing. I could not bar the ground nohow at the time. It may have been a month ago. I tried gads; and today when I saw it I was surprised. Last Mon- day it looked perfectly safe. I told the miners to work along the foot to get a bench and I would go up and blast it out. I brought a ladder for that purpose. I have been there since the man was killed and the piece that came down had a flaw on one side of it. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said GEORGE PASTORE came to his death on the eleventh day of April, A. D. 1907, at the 20th level, No. 8 shaft, Quincy, by an accidental fall of ground. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [44] ACCIDENT NO. 30 - April 12, 1907 - JOHN SAUNDRY, English miner, Champion mine. JOHN SAUNDRY came to his death on this date. An inquest was held before JUSTICE MITCHELL and the following witnesses examined. NICK WERN testified: "I do not know very much about the accident. We were going down in the skip and stopped at the 6th level and the deceased was the first one to get out. Nobody saw him. He put his pail there between the stuttle and the dividing and he must have got out under the chain and went down the north side. We heard some kind of cry. When I saw his pail there I looked around and could not see him so I said he must have gone down the shaft." RICHARD PARSONS testified: "We were eight of us riding down in the skip. SAUNDRY was the first one on the back of the skip and the first to get out. We were getting out and he put his pail between the stuttle and the center post of the shaft. He must have gone over in the other shaft. We heard a groan as he fell. Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: Do you think he got out under the chain? Answer: Yes, it looks that way. We did not know who it was who fell in the shaft and groaned until we looked around and his partner said SAUNDRY was gone. HENRY IVEY said, "I saw SAUNDRY this morning in the dry. He appeared to be all right. I helped take him out. He was dead." Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said JOHN SAUNDRY was killed at "C" shaft, by falling from the 6th level to the 9th level accidentally. We exonerate the company from all blame. He ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [45] fell down the shaft about 10 minutes past seven o'clock a.m., April 12, 1907. ACCIDENT NO. 31 - May 4, 1907 - NORMAN JOHNSON, Norwegian, drill boy, Tamarack mine. An inquest was held at the mining captain's office, No. 5 Tamarack, to inquire when, in what manner, and by what means NORMAN JOHNSON came to his death. CORONER FISHER conducted the inquest. JOHN STEPHENS testified: I am timber boss. We were at the 38th level landing timber; finishing, we got ready to move to the 37th to start work there. The boy came in the cage with us where we had our tools, etc. When we got out I ran one bell for the cage to go up. The boy came and asked if the cage was going to surface. I told him yes, and he said, "all right, that is where I want to go." That was at the 38th level. We came to the 37th. After getting out I rang the usual signal and away the cage went. Shortly after that a piece of the body fell on the plat. It happened somewhere between 10 and 11 o'clock a.m. WILLIAM PETERS testified: We were down at the 39th level working when we heard something fall. My partner, WM. BLACKNEY, went over and looked to see what it was and said: "It is a man." We went up to the brow of the plat and found another piece. We waited for a blanket to come down and we gathered the pieces and rode up to the 38th level. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said NORMAN JOHNSON came to his death on the 4th day of May, A. D. 1907, by fall- ing out of a cage in No. 5 shaft, Tamarack, in some manner unknown to us all. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [46] ACCIDENT NO. 32 - May 9, 1907 - ADOLPH BLOM, Norwegian roller- fixer, Calumet Branch, C. & H.. This accident occurred at No. 5 shaft, resulting in the death of ADOLPH BLOM who was employed as a roller- fixer. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER and the following testimony taken. ANTON VINCENT testified: I am a roller-fixer. I knew the deceased, ADOLPH BLOM. He was my partner. Just two minutes before the accident we were both in the ladder-way between the sixth and seventh levels. The north side truck started to come up and after it passed I went into the shaft to fix a roller. I left him in the ladder-way and I went down the shaft about ten feet and was only there about two minutes and when I looked back I could see no light. I skipped out from the shaft when the north truck passed, going up about this time. I could not find BLOM so I went down the shaft to the 11th level and asked the watchman there if anything had fallen down the shaft. He said "No." We then went up the shaft and found BLOM was near the 4th level in the south shaft. I don't know why he went there. Our work was in the north shaft. He was lying on top of a roller, dead, part of his body was on the rail. The south-side truck going up must have run over him. JACOB GRAHEK testified: I am a watchman in No. 6 shaft. I was at the sixth level and saw VINCENT and BLOM together in the ladder-way. I went about my work and knew of nothing wrong until VINCENT came out and asked if I had seen his partner. I told him "no." VINCENT then started down the shaft, and I up to look for BLOM. Found him on the ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [47] roller right across the shaft near the fourth level. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said ADOLPH BLOM came to his death at No. 5 shaft, Calumet Branch of the Calumet and Hecla mine, by being accidentally struck by a timber car, on the 9th day of May, 1907. ACCIDENT NO. 33 - May 9, 1907 - JOHN NICHOLLS, English miner, Trimountain mine. An inquest was held before JUSTICE MITCHELL on this date to inquire in what manner and by what means JOHN NICHOLLS came to his death. The following witnesses were examined. FRED BROEMER: The accident occurred at the bottom of No. 4 shaft, between the 8th and 9th levels. There was a report from the right shaft that they had holed through and we were instructed to go down and see how big a hole was there and if we could, to work our way through and blast it and make it bigger. We went down and I tried with a drill and JACK NICHOLLS stepped in the hole there and started to sound with a pick. We heard a sound from down under, whether it was a sound to blast or not I do not know. JOHN NICHOLLS was standing in the hole taking out some rock and the hole went off. It put us all in the dark. After we got a light we went to JOHN and saw that he was blast- ed. We brought him to surface. Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: Did they sound to you first? Answer: They were down there working or rapping. We sounded with a pick and hammer and they might have misunderstood us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [48] Q. Did you warn JOHN NICHOLLS when he was hammering with the pick that it might be misunderstood for sounding? A. Yes. I told him I would not rap much on account that they might think that we were sounding to them, so JACK put away the pick then. Sounding is a signal that it is allright to blast. JOHN was living when we got to surface but when I returned from telephoning for the ambulance, he was dead. This was between 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning. The above testimony was corroborated by REUBEN DYER and STEPHEN CHAPMAN. ISAAC TARO testified: I work in No. 3 shaft, under No. 4. In the morning when we went down the foreman said to blast the missed holes. There were none of them missed holes but we blasted some that did not break all through. We sounded in the regular way and got an answer back, that sounded like the regular answer. Verdict: That JOHN NICHOLLS came to his death at No. 4 shaft, between the 8th and 9th levels, at 8 o'clock a.m. on May 9th, 1907, by a blast which was purely accidental. ACCIDENT NO. 34 - May 15, 1907 - JOHN COPPO, Italian, timber-boss, Calumet Branch C. & H.. This accident caused the death of JOHN COPPO. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER and the following witnesses duly sworn and examined. CHARLES AHLSTROM: I work at the 46th level, No. 6 shaft, Calumet, north side. I am a miner. I knew JOHN COPPO. He was timber-boss. I was working there at the time of the accident. I saw the rock fall but was ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [49] so far away that I could not see whether it fell on anyone or not. COPPO examined the ground all over with bar and staff. FRED LANE testified: I know of the accident to JOHN COPPO. They came to put in a battery right after dinner. COPPO had a light on the staff and looked at the ground and thought it was allright. He went up the back to roll down a rock and a piece of gravel came away on him. It was vein and hanging that fell. I was working right there with the machine. I sounded the ground in the morning and made the remark that it looked pretty solid. It was as good a piece of ground as I ever saw. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said JOHN COPPO came to his death, from the evidence given, at the 46th level, No. 6 shaft, north side, Calumet Branch of Calumet and Hecla mine, by hanging and vein rock falling on him, May 15, 1907. ACCIDENT NO. 35 - May 29, 1907 - ANTON SORMIN, trammer Osceala mine. Neglect in ringing the bell caused the death of ANTON SORMIN at the 28th level, No. 6 shaft, Osceola. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER. OLE PIETELA, the first witness, upon his oath says through GEORGE KOIMLA, interpreter: "I am a trammer working in 28th level, Osceola mine, No. 6 shaft. It was in the morning and the skip had dumped and was coming down. We forgot to pull out the gate-piece. The skip com- ing down broke the gate-piece. At the time we were waiting to go up. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [50] In the meantime he went over to the shaft to fix the gate-piece. I told him to hurry up. We didn't ring the bell, thinking he had time to take out the broken pieces. But the skip struck him before he was able to get away. This happened at 4 o'clock this morning. This accident would not have happened if he had rung the bell to stop the skip." The above testimony was corroborated by JOHN MART, and other wit- nesses. Verdict by jury: "We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said ANTON SORMIN came to his death on the 29th day of May, 1907, at the 28th level, No. 6 shaft, Osceola mine, by being struck by the skip while taking out gate-piece, through not ringing the bell to stop the skip before going into the shaft. ACCIDENT NO. 36 - June 12, 1907 - PETER CORBEY, Finnish miner, Tamarack mine. PETER CORBEY lost his life from injuries received a few minutes after eight o'clock on this date, at the 27th level, No. 2 shaft, Tamarack. At the inquest held before CORONER FISHER, GEORGE STRIKOSKEY, a witness, testified as follows: "I am a track man, employed at No. 2 shaft, 27th level. I saw PETER go inside. Saw him on the track when I went to work. I asked if everything was allright and someone answered that it was. Then I heard someone shout and when I looked I saw PETER was hurt. He was about three or four feet away from where I was working. I did not see him get hit, but there was a piece of rock came down and fell close to me. There was some small rock on his breast and legs." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [51] JOHN WARREN testified: About eight o'clock PETER CORBEY passed me, going in. He had just put his feet on the solar when a piece of hang- ing rock fell and hit him and he fell on his back. The rock probably fell about sixteen feet. JOHN CHECKROCK testified as follows: I had just taken out my tools; the block holers were inside and as soon as they came out, PETER CORBEY went in. We waited for the smoke to clear away and as we went in, we met them bringing him out. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said PETER CORBEY came to his death on the 13th day of June, 1907, from purely accidental injuries received on the 12th day of June, 1907, at the 27th level, No. 2 shaft, Tamarack mine. ACCIDENT NO. 37 - July 5, 1907 - DOMINICK SANSOE, Italian, Champion mine. This accident occurred in "E" shaft, at the Champion mine, causing the death of DOMINICK SANSOE. An inquest was held before JUSTICE MITCHELL. PHILIP VINCENT, being duly sworn, testified as follows: I was at work at the 6th level, "E" shaft, last evening. I was inside the chain and the bell ringer was outside and he had the bell in his hand. I could see a man at the bell but I could not see who it was, but heard after that it was the man at the bell who fell in the shaft. Question: Are you allowed to get inside the chain? Answer: No, sir. There were quite a few inside the chain as well as I was. It was about nine minutes to 5 o'clock, and we were getting ready to go to surface. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [52] Q. When the bell is rung, can you hear it? A. Yes, sir, you can hear the balance go up. Q. Did you hear it? A. No, sir. There was a rumpus there. There was a man outside of me again and I could not see who held the bell. Question by Mine Inspector: Was the skip stopped when you got in? A. Yes, sir, it was standing still. The skip came to a standstill and we got on and up she goes. We did not know that a man fell in the shaft until a man came up and told us. I went down to pick up the body, which we found at the 11th level in the skip-pit. He was dead when we found him. MR. ORCHARD testified: The skip was coming from the bottom and SANSOE took hold of the bell and pulled twice. He got his legs over the side of the skip and the skip went up and that threw his legs out and his head went down. When the skip went up it broke his hold on the guard rail and he went down the shaft. It was not many seconds from the time the skip stopped before it went off again. Q. Under the circumstances, would you have made an attempt to get in the skip as SANSOE did? A. No, sir. I hung back myself. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the deceased, DOMINICK SANSOE, accidentally met his death by falling from the 5th level to the 11th level at "E" shaft on July 5th, 1907, about 10 minutes to 5 o'clock, at the Champion mine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [53] ACCIDENT NO. 38 - July 6, 1907 - VICTOR HYVONEN, Finnish, Trimountain mine. VICTOR HYVONEN came to his death by falling down the shaft, on this date. An inquest was held over his body by JUSTICE MITCHELL and the following witnesses were duly sworn and examined. JOHN OZANICH said: I worked last night at the 5th level, No. 4 shaft, with VICTOR HYVONEN. I push one car back shaft. I went to swing car on the turn table. We swing too much on the table and I went a little bit back. He take back car and foot catch some place and he slipped and went down the shaft. Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: Did he take down the chain? A. He take the chain down himself. Q. What is the chain there for? A. To keep men from falling in shaft. Q. Why did VICTOR HYVONEN take down that chain when the skip was not there? A. So as to dump quicker. Q. Is it not a rule of the mine that the chain be left up in place until the skip gets there, to keep men and cars from falling in the shaft? A. I know it is against the rule but that man who fell down the shaft took down the chain. GEORGE PARLEVITCH testified: I am a trammer. I was at the 5th level last night when VICTOR HYVONEN fell in the shaft. There were two fellows swinging the car. I was at the bell and the fellow that went in the shaft, he was in front of the car. He took the chain off and ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [54] the two of them swung the car. As soon as they turned the car happened to be going ahead a little bit and that fellow went down the shaft. Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that VICTOR HYVONEN came to his death by falling down No. 4 shaft, Trimountain mine, from the 5th to the 7th level, through his own neglect, July 6. 1907. ACCIDENT NO. 39 - July 11, 1907 - HENRY NEWMAN, THEODORE KOSKEY, Tamarack mine. This accident resulting in the death of two men, occurred in the 27th level, No. 2 shaft, Tamarack. An inquest was taken by CORONER FISHER and the following testi- monies heard. JOHN ROM: I worked at the 27th level, No. 2 shaft, Tamarack. I saw these two men this morning and was present at the time of the accident. This morning when we came we started to bar down, and just got through at about ten o'clock and went to fix a battery. We went down and got a pole to pull up the batteries. We had stopped the machine to put in a new drill and as soon as the machine stopped down came the piece of vein rock. Question: "Had you barred anything down?" Answer: "Yes, we barred down quite a bit. We tried the piece of ground, blasted it yesterday and could not get it down. We were around there all day." Question by Jury: "Did you know the rock was loose?" Answer: "Yes, but it was too big for us to get it down." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [55] Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: "Was there no chance to get powder in the crack to blast?" Answer: "No, sir." Q. Did you hear the miners say anything about this rock? A. Nothing, except they would drill three holes and blast. CAPT. EDW. WATTERS: I made my call at the 27th level, north side, where these two men were working and got up on the solar to speak to them about this piece of ground. We were on the last breast straight- ening up the end of the stope and this piece of vein - half circular in shape - was to be taken down. I told them yesterday to take it down and get in a battery to get the row of timber in line. When I got down there this forenoon I found it had not been done and I inquired about it. They said they were going to blast three holes and I said that would do exactly. I then told the timber boss to put the timber in tomorrow. I left there and later the engine boy came down in a hurry and told me to come straight-way to the 27th level. I went and found the piece of vein had come down and killed both men. I would like to say that HENRY NEWMAN was a good miner - a practical man who had been a miner for 10 or 15 years, working at No. 5 and North Tamarack was well as No. 2. THEODORE KOSKEY was a young man raised up in the mine, he had worked as drill boy and later as engine boy, and for the past five or six weeks had worked with MR. NEWMAN. These men would not be careless about getting into danger." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [56] Verdict: We, the Jury, upon our oaths do say that the said HENRY NEWMAN and THEODORE KOSKEY came to their deaths on the 11th day of July, 1907, at the 27th level, North side, No. 2 shaft, Tamarack mine, by an accidental fall of vein rock. ACCIDENT NO. 40 - July 26, 1907 - WILLIAM H. GEORGE, English, Tamarack No. 5. An inquest was held at the mining captain's office at No. 5 Tamarack, July 26, 1907, before Justice of the Peace DAVID ARMIT, to inquire in what manner and by what means the said WM. H. GEORGE came to his death. PETER KALLUNKI, being duly sworn, said: "I work at No. 5 Tamarack Mine, 31st level. MR. GEORGE was going to take his shovel up to the 30th level. After he had gone a little I heard something drop. I went up to the 30th level and looked around a bit, but could see nothing of the man so came a little way down and then I saw him lying dead. Question: Did you see the rock fall? Answer: "No, but I heard it fall and when I went up and found the man I saw the rock. It was about three feet long and perhaps eight inches wide. It was a piece of vein rock." EDWARD OLADA testified as follows: "I saw MR. GEORGE going up to the 30th level and after he had gone I heard a noise and saw a flash of light, which I think must have been when his lamp went out. MR. GEORGE'S partner went to the next level and looked around and then hollered that he could not find him. Then in coming down they found him dead." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [57] LOUIS CHYNOSKI corroborated the testimony of the previous witnesses. JOHN JOHNSON testified: "I heard the rock fall and saw the man after he was dead. I thought the place was safe. I have gone under there a good many times today after water. MR. GEORGE did not work there. He sometimes brought his shovel with him up to the 30th level, where he perhaps put it behind a battery." Verdict of the Jury: "We, the Jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said WM. H. GEORGE came to his death on the 26th day of July, 1907, by an accidental fall of rock at the 31st level, No. 5 shaft, Tamarack mine." ACCIDENT NO. 41 - August 3, 1907 - HERMAN SERVIO, Finnish trammer, Champion mine. This accident caused the death of HERMAN SERVIO. An inquest was held over his body before JUSTICE MITCHELL when the fol- lowing witnesses were examined, and their testimonies taken. VICTOR KUISINEN: I work in "B" shaft, 2nd level, north side, up in the stope. HERMAN SERVIO was my partner. We were picking copper rock. We dumped two cars of dirt in the chute and we pushed the car by the dirt pile and we did not have time to do anything. We just took our shovels in our hands and we bent ourselves to start to shovel when the loose ground fell down on HERMAN'S head. I thought it did not touch him. I only saw his light go out. I was on the other side and I went to see what happened to HERMAN and I saw him lying down and blood was coming from his mouth and ears and nose. I went over to the other pickers to tell them what happened and they went to tell the miners. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [58] One came over with me and we went to where the rock fell down. He just moved a few times, that is all. He did not speak at all." JOHN MAKI: My job in the mine is pit boss. I went into the stope where HERMAN SERVIO and VICTOR KUISINEN were working picking rock. I examined it all over, and it did not look bad. When I went back after the accident, I saw the piece of rock which had fallen. It was about 25 or 30 pounds. It had come down from a slip. Question: Would you have been afraid to go to work there this morning? Answer: No, sir. Verdict: We, the Jurors, find that HERMAN SERVIO came to his death accidentally by loose ground falling on him in the Champion mine, second level, north of "B" shaft, on Saturday, August 3, 1907, about 9 o'clock a.m. The ground had been examined and was considered perfectly safe. ACCIDENT NO. 42 - Aug. 13, 1907 - JOHN ELENICH, Austrian, track- fixer, North Tamarack. JOHN ELENICH came to his death in the morning of this day. An inquest was held before JUSTICE FISHER at the mining captain's office, North Tamarack. JOHN BLACKNEY, a witness produced, sworn and examined, on his oath, testified as follows: "I work at the North Tamarack, and was one of the party who brought up the body. We went from the surface this morn- ing to the 16th level where we took out our tools that we had in the cage and then dropped down to the 18th level with the shaft men. After ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [59] they got out the tools we rang to raise to the 17th level, where JOHN ELENICH said he had a pail of spikes to take to the 16th level. He got the spikes and we got off at the 16th. Then JOHN said he wanted to go to the 12th level to get his spike bar. I said, "We have a spike-bar, but he insisted on getting his own, and rang away from the 16th level, then he rang one bell at the 12th level. One bell means to go to sur- face. I was at the 16th level and after I got my clothes, ANDREW NICHOLLS came in and wanted me to go back to the shaft. When I got there I saw CAPT. BILL and he said someone had fallen in the shaft. We went down to the 18th level and found him (JOHN ELENICH) there. Question: Do you know if he fell off the skip? Answer: I do not know; the last I saw of him was at the 16th he said he had to go to the 12th for his spike bar. He rang the cage away and went to the 12th level and that is the last I saw of him alive. CAPT. WM. ROSEVEARE testified: We left surface at 8:30, calling at every level to deliver water. When we got to the 14th level, I got out the cage and saw a hat right inside the gate, and some scattered spots of blood. I said, "Boys, there's something wrong here, someone has fallen in the shaft." At the next level we saw more spots here and there, and at the 18th level I found this man (deceased) in the shaft. I came up and got ropes and blankets, sent for the shaft-boys and we went down and got him out." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [60] Verdict: We, the jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said JOHN ELENICH came to his death on the 13th day of August, 1907, at North Tamarack Mine, by accidentally falling away in No. 3 shaft from the 12th to the 18th level. ACCIDENT NO. 43 - Aug. 13, 1907 - MIKE KRANJAC, Austrian, timber- man, Hecla, C. & H. A fall of rock at the 35th level, No. 2 shaft, caused the death of MIKE KRANJAC upon this day. An inquest was held and the following testimonies taken. PETER ZUNICH: I am employed at No. 2 Hecla shaft, by the C. & H. Company, as boss of a timber gang. I knew the deceased. He worked in my gang. Was with me at the time of the accident. We were working at the 35th level, north, about 3 o'clock this afternoon; we had exam- ined the ground carefully. I went over it myself and then the boys went over it. They pried down a few loose pieces and we all thought it was all right and were preparing to go to work when the piece fell and struck MIKE. He was throwing dirt at the time. The piece that fell was about twenty inches in width and weighed probably three or four hun- dred pounds. These men, FELIX DEFILLIPPI and MIKE STAJIMER were right near him at the time. The vein is small there, only about eight feet, and I consider it a safe place to work. FELIX DEFILLIPPI said: I thought the place was all right. I was not afraid to go under it myself but I had other work to do. MIKE STAJMIER and I were putting up a pole, and I was looking for a hammer when I heard a sound and looking around saw that the rock had fallen. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [61] STAJMIER left go the pole and ran to pull out KRANJAC. I held on to the pole so that it would not fall on anyone and then I threw it on the back and went down and helped pull deceased out. The rock that fell was all hanging rock, blue trap; the ground there is full of heads. MIKE STAJMIER corroborated the above testimony. Verdict: That the said MIKE KRANJAC came to his death on the 13th day of August, 1907, at No. 2 Hecla Shaft, Calumet & Hecla mine, 35th level, north side, by an accidental fall of rock. [Transcriber's Note: The name Stajimer/Stajmier is spelled both ways in the report and is not a transcription error.] ACCIDENT NO. 44 - Aug. 21, 1907 - FRANK PIERCE, English miner, Centennial. This accident, causing the death of FRANK PIERCE, occurred at the 25th level, No. 2 shaft, of the Centennial mine. An inquest was held over the body and the following witnesses examined. WILLIAM LARSON testified as follows: "I am a miner employed by the Centennial Mining Co., in the stope at the 25th level, north of No. 2 shaft. Was working with the deceased as a partner. We were trying to drill our top hole but were in a tight place and couldn't get a start. We then thought we would shift the machine to the end of the arm and chip the ground a little from the other side of the post until we could get a start. I took the weight of the machine on my shoulder and FRANK loosened the clamp but the machine was lying straight against the post and the chuck was caught. I told him we couldn't move it in that way and said we had better lower the arm so we would have more room. He tightened the clamp again and when he got through I asked him ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [62] if it was tight enough and he said 'yes.' I dropped my hold of the machine then and pushed the chuck away from the post where it was caught. As soon as it was loose the clamp proved not tight enough, and as the machine was run all the way back, the weight was all on one end and the machine swung down and struck FRANK, jamming him against the rock. I lifted the machine off him and told the trammers to get help and he was taken to surface. The accident happened about three o'clock. Verdict: We, the jurors, on our oaths do way, that the said FRANK PIERCE came to his death on the 21st day of August, 1907, at the 25th level, north of No. 2 shaft of the Centennial mine, by being accident- ally caught by the falling of a drilling machine. ACCIDENT NO. 45. - Sept. 6, 1907 - RICHARD OLSON, Swede, lander and bell ringer, Calumet & Hecla. This accident occurred in No. 19 shaft-house at the collar of the shaft. The deceased was struck by the descending skip. He stepped across the shaft unnecessarily. An inquest was conducted by JUSTICE FISHER and the following testimonies taken. CHARLES JUOPPERI, a witness produced, sworn and examined said: "I work at No. 19 shaft for the Calumet & Hecla Mining Co., on the Kear- sarge lode. I know the deceased. He was lander and bell ringer at No. 19. I was an eye witness to the accident which happened him. I think it was shortly after two o'clock this afternoon. We (deceased) and I were both outside of the shaft house, the first skip of dirt came up and he went to land it on the north side of the shaft. When the skip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [63] was coming down RICHARD stepped across the shaft and the skip hit him." Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: Was it necessary for him to step across the shaft? Answer: No, he don't need to step across the shaft. I have seen him step across the shaft once in a while before, when landing. Q. Do you know why he stepped across the shaft? A. No, I do not know. Q. How long has deceased been landing there? A. A little over a year. Q. Was the deceased at the brace when this happened? A. Yes. Q. He was supposed to have been on top was he not? A. Yes, he should have been. Q. Are there any other ways to cross the shaft besides that? A. Yes, there are two other ways. Q. Did he ring the bell for the skip to land? A. Yes, sir. Verdict: We, the Jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said RICHARD OLSON came to his death accidentally by being hit with a skip in No. 19 shaft, Kearsarge lode of the C. & H. mine, at 2 o'clock p.m., Sept. 6, 1907. ACCIDENT NO. 46. - Sept. 18, 1907. - ALIS HOLONEN, Finnish, Quincy mine. This very unusual accident occurred at the 49th level, No. 6 shaft of the Quincy mine, costing the life of ALIS HOLONEN. An inquest was conducted by CORONER FISHER. It was necessary to swear in an inter- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [64] preter. JACOB TYNISMA acted as such. JOHN HOLONEN (brother of de- ceased) being duly sworn, testified as follows: "I work for the Quincy Mining Co., at No. 6 shaft. My brother and I were a little way inside - about thirty feet. I never knew anything about it until I heard ALIS holler. I turned back and he fell down. I tried to get him up. Question: Did you ever hear ALIS complaining of any trouble he had? A. No, I never heard anything. He just came here last April. Q. Was he ever troubled with any heart trouble or anyting of that kind? A. I never heard him say anything. He was to work every day since he came to this country. He would be 20 years old next month. Q. Was there anything there that could kill him? A. I don't know. I only heard him holler a little, but he did not speak at all after. He lived a little while after. A sling of drills was lying beside him. Q. Do you know if he was knocked down by the electric wire? A. I don't know, but I think so. Q. How high above the man's head was the electric wire? A. The wire runs along between two timbers. Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: Could a man's head touch the wire between the two timbers? A. The sling of drills over his shoulder might have touched the wire. His shoulder was colored slightly. JOHN MAY testified: When I came down I saw ALIS lying across JOHN'S lap. I thought the deceased had been knocked out in the drift. I asked ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [65] what was the matter with ALIS and JOHN said he was carrying in some drills and was knocked down with the wire. ALIS was dead in about five minutes after I came. Question by MINE INSPECTOR DAWE: Could a man get his head up be- tween these timbers? A. It may be possible, I don't know. JACOB TYNISMA testified: The only thing I know is that the deceased picked up the sling of drills and I think he touched the wire some way and was knocked down. I think the drills touched the wire and he got a shock. Q. How high is that wire? A. Under the sollar is about 4 feet 4 inches to the railroad. Can't put the wire any higher, so put the timber to protect the heads of the men. Q. How long has ALIS worked in that level? A. He started there the 3rd of last month. Verdict: We, the Jury, upon our oaths do say, that the said ALIS HOLONEN came to his death on the 18th day of September, 1907, at the 49th level, No. 6, Quincy mine, through some means unknown to us. ACCIDENT NO. 47. - Sept. 23, 1907 - ALBERT ROBISH, miner, Osceola mine. Examination and testimony of witnesses taken on the body of ALBERT ROBISH. JOE TROJE, first witness produced, sworn and examined, said: "I work for the Osceola Consolidated Mining Co. in No. 6 shaft. I know ALBERT ROBISH and was working with him and MIKE HARVAJACK, and MATT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [66] DRYZYAK at the time of the accident. It happened about ten minutes to ten Sunday night. We were hoisting water at the 44th level, and had given the signal to hoist. ALBERT sat on the box at the top of the tank and we sat on the bail. I told him not to sit there but he said it was all right. When the skip went up we tried to pull him back but it was too late and he fell down the shaft. We stopped at the 43rd level and telephoned the engineer that a man was hurt. We went up and then came down in the skip and picked him up. He was badly crushed and we took him up and telephoned to the doctor. This morning about 9 o'clock, I heard he was dead." MIKE HARVAJACK, second witness, says: "I work for the Osceola Con- solidated Company at No. 6 shaft. I was with the party at the time of the accident. We were just filling the tank and were going to start up. ALBERT was going to ride on the box at the top of the tank and I told him that he should not ride there. When the skip went up I tried to pull him down but I was too late. He was struck and he fell down the shaft about 80 feet. This happened about 10 minutes to 10 o'clock Sunday night. This morning, I heard he had died last night about 9 o'clock. MAT BRYZYAK, the third witness, corroborated the testimony of the other two witnesses. Verdict of Jury: We, the undersigned jury, agree that ALBERT ROBISH met his death on the 23rd day of Sept. 1907. by an accident received on the 22nd, between the 43rd and 44th levels, No. 6 shaft, Osceola Mine, by being squeezed between the water tank and top of the shaft ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [67] after being repeatedly warned by his co-workers that it was dangerous to ride in that position. We, the jury, exonerate the Osceola Mining Company from any and all blame. =========================================================================== https://books.google.com/books?id=CgTOAAAAMAAJ&printsec= frontcover&dq=Michigan+Mine+Inspectors+Report&hl=en&sa=X&ved= 0ahUKEwjf0OqJ85vKAhVL1RoKHVcADVEQ6AEIMjAA#v=onepage&q&f=true