The Placer herald., 1861-03-02
Fatal Mining Accident at the Dardanelles
Tunnel

On Monday our community was panied to
learn of the sudden death from accident, of
Mr.. D. ]. Baker one Of the proprietors of
the widely known Dardanelles claim, situa-
ted between Todds Valley and Forest Hill.
An extra from the office OF the Placer
Courier gives the following particulars of
the fatality:
"This morning. at eight o'clock, Daniel j. Ba-
ker one of the owners of the Dardanelles claim
accompanied by Bowers, Frazer and Shaw, en-
tered a tunnel to inspect the works, preparatory
! to commencing operations Bowers had gone to
the top of the work on the outside, and turned
on the water some two hundred inches; but OBJ
serving that the shaft was "clogged" apparently
by sliding or caving in of the sides, he hasten
ed down into the tunnel to warn the others o the
impending danger. He had scarcely reached
them, they being then within perhaps twenty
feet of the overhanging mouth of the narrow
shaft that contained hundred of tons of water,
rock and earth. and which was, just then, by the
force of gravitation, ready to burst through its
| confinement into the channel below. But mo-
ment or two before Bowers had given the alarm,
the party were almost Immediately under the shaft
removing stump. ora cluster of roots. which
had been washed down on Saturday. The one
nearest the danger, Frazer, being then perhaps
ten feet off and Baker Immediately behind him,
hearing the crash coming. turned and said: 'Ba-
ker we are lost" and before they could turn
around, the mass fell. Frazer grabbed an up
ight timber on the side of the tunnel, where he
sustained himself from being washed away into
the gulf OF destruction which was yawning to
receive them but few feet off. Shaw and Bow
ers hastily retreatcd before death and destruction
into Il side drift, close at hand. while the rocks,
! earth and water was at least four feet in depth
around the lower limbs of Frazer whose only
safety was to cling to his hold. The rush and
| fall lasted perhaps two minutes. and when the
persons who survived recovered from the shock,
and realized the narrow escape from death which
they had made they found that poor Baker was
mssing On the first rush or fall, he seems to
have been picked up by the earth and water and
carried into the perpendicular shaft OF forty
| feet, down which he was dashed. amid the power
and weight of many tons to rocky tunnel of six
hundred feet through which his body was again
carried, and then dashed from this mouth of a
fume to another fall of fifty feet perpendicular
! hight. Here his body lodged but life was eX-
tinct. and the soul OF the poor mortal had waited
| its way into the presence OF its Maker, His re-
mains were brough to his residence near ut hand.
where his grief. f.stricken wife. and large number
of his friends in sorrow and tears received
them, and are preparing them for their long, last
resting place. On examination it was found
that the head was almost entirely crushed, and
one arm broken'
Mr.. Baker was a native of Riga, Wyoming
county, New York, and aged "a years. The
funeral took place at Todd's Valley, on
Wednesday, and was attended by nearly one
hundred Masons, (of which fraternity de.
ceased was an henored member,) and two
hundred other citizens.