, 1864-12-23
AN EXTRAssRDINA ACEk-
DENT,


from the Sacramento Union, Nor. II,
e. T. Holmea arrived In this city by last
evenings trim from Newcastle, bringing tho
body Of Edward A. Miles, whose life was lost
in the shaft Of the Home copper mine, in FL
Dorado county. We learn f.om Holmes the
following particulars Of this extraordinary
and melancholy disaster. The ahnft Of the
mine is about two hundred and seventy-d7e
feet deep. It runs smoll portion Of the DIS.
tance perpenticulariy. but further down in
piled with ladders which run the entire depth.
It has been worked day and night. The last
gang Of workmen left it at 4 O'Clock on SUM-
day morning.
!, 1t halfpast eleven o'clock on Sunday fore
noon, Miles and one OF the workmen named
the ladder. Over the mouth Of the shaft
stood frame building, erected for the con-
yenience o. the workmen. Some time after
Miles and Davidson had gone down the shaft,
this building was discovered By those who re-
sided In The vicinity to be on fire. It was
supposed that one Of them, in lighting can
dies to take down, had thrown doWna lighted
alarm wns ut once experienced fur the. safety
Of the two men,. No means we're available
for extingufshing the fire, and nothing could
be done until the timbers were consumed.
Not until nearly midnight on Sunday night
conld On effort be made to enter the shaft.
workman named Stein, started down. Abby
bad a rope tied around bis waist, by which,
In case Of necessity, he could be drawn up.
He went ahead and Stein followed. When
he had attaincd tie depth Of about fifty feet
he told Stein to 20 back-that he could not
breathe where he vas, and gave the necessary
greatly exhausted, but soon revived. In a
short time Stein resolved to make another
attempt to 20 down, saying that Miles mud
Davidson were probably suffering for want Of
assistance, and that he believed he could help
them. His friends urged him to, tie a, rope
around his waist, By means Of which he could
be drawn up, if necessary, bit he refused to
comply. Starting down Without taking that
p1ecautton, be was followed BY q fellow-work-
Wien sixty feet deep Stein told Smith to
20 back, and added that he must have some
assistance to get up. Smith hastened down
length Of him Stein dropped from the ladder
and fell down the shaft. The sound of his
body striking on the sides Of the shaft could
be heard until it reached the bottom. After
the occurrence Of this terrible accident, oil
efforts to descend vas suspended until Mon
day morning. At that tino Cornishman,
named McGrnger, resolved to enter the shaft.
Having fastened rope around his body, be
descended by the ladders about two hundred
feet. At that point the men above discover
ed TINT his weight rested On the rope, aud
the rope was drawn up US rapidly as possible.
McGruser vas found to be entirely uncon-
scious and nearly dead. He Ind almost sui;
! located for want OF breath, anG had been to
some extent injured In being drawn rapidly
| up the SHIFT. No further effort to descend
| was made that day. On Tuesday morning,
Smith and Abby again determined to de-
| scend. At depth Of 105 feet from the sur
| face, q tunnel had been started from the
! shaft running some thirty feet in distance. In
| this tunnel abby found the dead bodies Of
Miles and Davidson. They had evidently ut
tempted to escape on discovering the build
! ing overhead to be on fire, aud after ascend
| ing portion OF the distance, had sought
refuge in the tunnel. Both men were lying
| on the floor of the tunnel, with thei7 faces
down.
| AS curly as possible on Sunday evening, a
! large canvass hose was introduced into the
t means Of several large bellows, fresh mir was
! forced down. The work was kept up steadily
| day and night, by the volunteer labor Of fifty
| or sixty men who had assembled from the
| vicinity. Smith and Ably were nearly ex-
hausted when they came up, but they managed
t to introduce the hose into the tunnel beyond
| the 1acation OF the two bodies. After pump
| ing down large quantity OF fresh mir, one Of
thu m descended again, and the bodies were
| brought up The remains Of Stein have not
| get been recovered. The precise cause Of
death in this instance Is, Of course, matter
| Of scientific investigation. THOSE who have
| descended The shaft represent that th.rc was
bnt little smoke discernible In the nir, so that
| that alone could not have produced the fatal
result.