Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-11-01
Fatal MINING ACCIDENT
ONE MAN KILLED AND An.
OTHER TERRIBLY MUTT.
LATED.

About z o'clock this morning, when
the Suits at the old works Of the
Belcher mine were changing, q dread
full accident occurred, whereby Andrew
Wilson was instantly killed, and John
Berkeley was SO badly injured that he
may not recover. Coroner Symons
held an inquest In the matter, at IL
O'Clock to-day. and from the evidence
taken We condense the following par
ticulars:
The two unfortunate men were en-
gagged retimbering the shaft, and were
working at a point some fifteen or
twenty feet below the 335-foot level.
They were on the night shift, and with
the Others were being relieved by the
shift just coming to work. The cage
had been lowered with men to levels
below, and was sent mp to the 335-foOt
level, which being above them, q third
man working with them, Mr.. White
hair, rang the signal to have It lower
ed. When ut the proper point for them
he rang for it to stop and it stopped.
While the two men were crawling out
between the sets OF timbers and getting
upon tho cage he stepped back to get
his candlestick, which was sticking
near by, and directly heard one Of
them scream. He sprang back to the
bell wire and found the cage had
started up. He rang for 1t to be low
cred, which was done, and getting
upon the cage he found Beckcley
lying helpless between two of the side
plates or timbers Of the shaft, and that
Wilson had fallen to the bottom, about
500 feet. He took Beckeley upon the
cage, procured assistance, and as soon
rs possible took him to the surface,
and subsequently, he was taken to his
residence in Lower Gold Hill. The
body of Wilson was taken from the
shaft to Hamlin's undertaking estab-
lishment. He was a native of Cron-
stadt, Russia, aged about IS years,
single. with no relatives In this coun-
try, and was an old miner and resident
Of Gold Hill.
Beckeley Is q young Cornishman,
about "a years Of age, also unmarried.
DR.. Hall Of Gold Hill, together with
Drs. Weber, Bronson and Green Of
Virginia. were summoned to his assist
ance. His right knee was fearfully
crushed, so that the bones protruded
through the flesh, and they were
obliged to amputate the leg q few
inches above the knee. His right
shoulder was ~dlslocated, his nose torn
partially of, and he received a severe
wound or confusion across his fore
head, above the eyes, besides other
injuries, so that his recovery is by no
means certain. He had got partially
upon the cage when It so suddenly and
Unexpectedly started up, and was
thrown over against the side Of the
shaft. The cage crowded him between
the tlmbers, inflicting his terrible in
juries as 1t dragged and tore past him,
while his companion Is supposed to
have been killed in q similar way even
before he fell to the bottom Of the
shaft, rs he never even spoke.
Charles Leverentz, the brakeman
ut the surface, says the cage was at
the point specified four or five mill
utes, plenty long enough tor them to
have got safely upon it, and no hoisted
only when the proper signal was given.
MI. Whitehair, on the contrary, says
the cage was not there over half a
minute, otherwise he too might have
been killed, as after ringing the bell to
stop he merely had time to step back
for his candlestlck, as before stated,
when the cage started without any
signal having been given. He says
neither Of the two men could have
rung the bell even by accident In get
ting upon the cage. The bell was
evidently rung by some II else at
some other station Of the shaft, or
there was culpable laundering or mis-
understanding somewhere, although
the Coroner's jury were unable to de-
eide upon whom to fix the blame.