Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-08-22
Fatal Accident on Trinity River.
SNYDER's BAR. TRINITY RIVER, CAL. |
AUGUST 10th. 1851.

VINO appreciate the liberal ana enlightened tone
of your popular journal by giving publicity in
your next issue to the following communication.
in the hope that it may reach those more deeply
concerned.
| was informed this morning by a neighboring
miner that a fatal accident had happened yester-
day evening, about four miles lower down the
river, on the trail near the steep prccpitous cliff
about half mile this side Of Don Juan's F"
Flat, and Immediately proceeded thther. On
arriving there the neighboring miners were om-
ployed in digging q grave beneath the wide
spreading boughs of green shady oak, and
few PAGES farther on in the cool shade Of some
lofty pines reposed, in rude coffin, covered
with clean. white domectic shroud, the inani-
mate tenant for whose reception the narrow bed
was being prepared lifted the rustic viel, and,
Oh God what an awful spectacle presented it.
self to view, and to the contemplative ocular
and mental past, present, and future. The face
of the deceased was sadly disfgured ; the skull
apparently fractured about the eyebrows the
lower jaw and chin gashed and crushed the
neck broken and discolored and blood ooZing
out through both ears. Evidently deceased had
been percptatcd from high cliff. and had fall
len OH some pointed rocks upon his face and
bead for these were the only parts Of the body
which seemed injured or discolored-alas. they
were sufficient to cause immediate death.
The deceased evidently had been a sailor. for
on the right arm there is " the Star Spanglcd
Banner" and the letters T. t., and on the left
arm the Representation Of n Woman. with the
letters Il. A. underneath. On going into Don
Juan's " store, n considerable number Of the
neighboriDg miners were assembled. discussing
as to the proprety of holding Coroners Inquest
but it was urged that there was no Coroner with
in days journey, nor Justice of the sPeace
nearer than North Fork, some % miles distant,
and the decomposition of the corpse would not
admit of delay, particularly in this hot weather.
Under these circumstances it was deemed expe
dient to hold miners inquest and accordingly
it was resolved, unanimously, that p. Hennessy
do act rs Coroner. pro- tenn, and jury of nine
citizens was selected who appointed Jno Watson
their foreman
Thos. Salmon, VIM. McGcary, Frank Gnyer
(partners Of the deccascd) Don Juan and James
McGrcgor gave their testimony Of Which the fol-
lowing is II summary:
The jury proceeded to view the body which
was Unidentified to be that of Thomas Thomson,
who, in company with his partners and other mi
ncrs had returned from theatrical performance
given at Burnt Ranch on Tuesday night last
that on their return up they had called and drank
at the trading posts on the way; that they arriv
cd at Don Juan's store about o'clock on We'd
ensday afternoon, where they stayed two or three
hours, and drunk three or four bottles of wine
that deceased and one or more of the party were
advised by some of their friends to stay with
them that night, as they 0e,e rather hgM - to
get home safe, and the trail ,caS rery dangerous par
ticularly along the Bluf;" that T. Salmon rise
ly adopted the advice. but that the deceased I'M
wtsey declined, saying he was able to walk
steady enough 10 the camp i" that about half
an hour before sundown VIM. McGeary, Frank
Guycr (both Of whom were quite sobcr) and
Thos. Thomson left "Don Juans" and after
passing the steep bluff. about half mile or less
from the old Spaniard's McGeary being three or
fOur in od abe tl,o
distance in the rear Of Thomson that at de-
scent in the trail about 10 or so yards from the
bluff, the deceased Thomson, stumbled, staggcr.
ed or fell off the trail, and rolled head down
wards along the smooth steep clay deciyity :;
that lis companions cried out TO him TO lay hold
on something and save himself, but alas there was
neither tree, root, nor shrub TO hold on TO- and
that from the moment he fell off the trail and
slid or rolled downwards, he was beyond their
reach or power to help or to save him that after
pol4inf about 100 feet down the bank he was
hurled off precepitous cliff 100 feet below on
some projecting rocks, and thence into the river
beneath 4; that immediate search was made then
and that night for the body, but in vain, and
that it was discovered about clock next morn
ing lying in three or four feet Of water in the
river, dead. 1t was then taken from the water
and carried on rude bier to " Don Juan's'
about half mile distant that deceased was sup
posed to be a native of Perth. Scotland. which
place be left in his infancy. and went with his
father and relations to Quebec, Canada East,
where his father is now. or has been recently
residing that he was about 2S years of age,
sandy complexion, about five feet eleven inches
in height. l75 TO $50 lbs weight could speak
French nuently, had been sailor came to Cal
iforna in 1853. and has been mining on the Trim
ity river since 1854
The following verdict was rendered by the Ju-
ry -" We find the deceased, Thomas Thomson
came to his death by falling from prccepicc on
Wednesday evening, August 5th, about sun set =,
and that he was at the time of the accident under
the influence of liquor that he was accompanied
at the time by his partners, VIM McGcary and
Fsank Guyer, both Of whom were quite sober
but utterly powerless to render him any assist
ance after he fen from tile trail and iumbled
down the precepco into the siver some hundreds
of feet underneath, and that deceased was found
about o'clock this morning (Aug 6th.) in the
Trinity river a few feet under water that the
skull was fractured, the lower jaw crushed and
broken, and the neck fractured, proving mani
festly the cause OF death to be from rolling off
high precepice and falling on his head and face
on the sharp rocks below"
Signed, JOHN WATSON, Foreman
The coffin was then borne By a very dccorous
procession Of miners to TIE grave, few short
prayers were read, and thus in the bloom and
vigor Of youthful manhood, another of our com.
mnhity. has been suddenly and premaurcly cut
off and consigned TO mother carth-a warning
for some of the inpruaent miners on Trinity riv-
er, and also in many other sections Of California
There, on gentle hill side, with his face towards
the Sun of Heaven, he keeps hit watch until the
trumpet Of the Resurrection calls him from his
post, and summons him to the final judgment.
The following epitaph was suggested by a
friendly spectator:
Though stormy winds and raging seas
Have tossed me to and fro,
Yet by the word of Gods decree,
| harbor here below
Where now my barque at anchor moorcd
A beacon for the fleet,
Is waiting orders to set sail,
Our Commodore to meet
Kind friends lament for me no more.
I'm keeping watch on Trinity shore.
am, gentlemen,
Norv FILL