Columbia gazette and the southern mines advertiser. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne County, Calif.) 1855-1858, 1858-05-27
A "Black Day" in Tuolumne.
Five Men Drowned In Tunne1;
Death from Exposure; and a Suicide

A BLACK Day" in Tuolumne.
Five Men Drowned In Tunnel;
Death from Exposure; and a Suicide.
Last Saturday will be long remember
ed BY many in this county, as gloomy
day. Of itself, it was bleak, dreary
and cherries day-such an one, if any,
as would bring emnui and distaste for
life-and when the above distressing
news was brought to us, we received it
as matter of course, and to be expec-
ted.
The DRowNED.-On the afternoon
of the 22nd inst, five men were working
in the tunnel known as ssMann's'', on
Table Mountain near Shaw's Flat, when
suddenly, the water broke through upon
them, killing. them, as is supposed, in
stantly. An immense boly Of water
flowed through the aperture, and did
not abate sufficiently to allow the recov-
cry Of the bodies until the next day.
The names of the unfortunatcs are as
follows:
g. B. Plummer, formerly of N. H.
Albert Gleason, J, Maine
JOS OSBORNE, ), Cornwall
John Syncox, ), ;,
John Caylyon, >, ;,
Mr.. Plummer's body was brought to
Columbia by the Masonic fraternity, and
followed to their cemetery by very
large procession Of our citizens
The tunnel in question, is one among
several, lying below the water that has
accumulated on Shaw's Flat, and prepa-
rations have been in progress for sever
al weeks past to tap this water and dram
the fiat through one Of them. The par
ties owning "Mann' 50, thought that they
we're over thirty feet from'the water, on
Saturday; bat the accident shows they
were much deceived in regard to the
distance. 1t is now supposed that the
workmen were so near it, that pick or
bar was driven through the partition let
ting the whole body Of water upon them
in an instant.
Several of the tunnels are connected,
by side drifts, and as matter of course,
all were flooded. Luckily for other lives
however, the owners in them had cea-
sed working, in consequence of being as
near the water as prudence would allow.
The tunnels in that district are not
formed, as is ordinarily the case, on a
regular grade but have a steep incline,
for two or three hundred feet, and then
run into the mountain, nearly on level.
Some idea of the amount Of water
may be formed from the fact, that it
reached height of over ten feet in the
incline, a distance of more than 600 feet
from the place where it entered, and
filed the other tunnels contiguous, at
the same time.
Our space forbids a more extended
notice Of the catastrophe We hope
that hereafter, the owners of such claims
will have proper surveys made, and then
endeavor to be on the safe side in their
calculations.
The SUIcIDE.-On the same day, and
but few moments after the reception of
the above news, a German named Gee
Tim, committed suicide, by shooting
himself in the mouth with a revolver.
He was native Of Hamburg, and was
employed as cook by Msrs. Baker and
Whitman at the Colombo Saloon on
Main St. The Coroner held an exami-
nation and found on the body, box of
poison and razor. The inference is
therefore, that the act was deliberate,
and several different means were consid.
cred. 1t is supposed that pecuniary
embarrassment was the cause.
THE DEATH.-A man, whose name
is unknown to us, was taken from the
roadside and carried to Charnaux's Hos
pital, where he died in few hours from
the time of his reception. The imme-
date cause of his death, VIC are unac-
quainted with.
CIvILITY.-Ciyility pleases all, pre-
JUDGES none, adorns wit, renders humor
agreeable, augments friendship, redou-
bles love, and, complying with justice
and generosity, becomes the sacred
charm Of the society of MANKIND
eff civil word or two will render a
man happy" said French king, che