Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-12-21

Four Men are Precipitated Down n
Shaft at the PeWabie Mine and In
stantIy kilIed-Miraeulous Escape OF
one Other.

Shaft at the PeWabfe Mine and In
stantIy killed-Miraculous Escape OF
one Other.
From the Houghton Q.ake supecior) Gazette, Nov.
| Last Monday afternoon an accident
occurred IN the skip-skaft at the Pewa-
| bic Mine, which was more dreadful in
its effect than any which has before
happened in the Lake Superior coun-
/ try. Sometime late in the afternoon of
that day, the captain of the Pewabic
placed in one of the rock cars, or skips,
| three sticks of timber which were to be
used in the 100 fm. level of the mine,
and which was let down the shaft, the
car arriving at it's point of destination
/ in a satisfactory manner, but minus one
of the pieces of timber. The timber
man of The mine, who had sent after
the material, thought it little singu-
lar that his order had not
been filed but he supposed
the full complement of sticks at the
time, and so dismissed the matter from
his mind. Subsequent events, how
ever, proved what had become of the
missing piece of wood, rs it was the
cause of most direful calamity. The
car containing the timber before al
luded to, passed down the shaft all
right until it reached, it is thought,
the 60 I'm. level, where one of the
! sticks, by some unaccountable means,
was lifted from the skip, and, instead
| of falling TO the bottom of the shaft,
lodged in it III the immediate vicinity
J 6 10 II,
arriving at 1870 fm. level, (about 1900
/ feet from the surface), was allowed to
remain, and was there when the miners
employed in that level were leaving
their work. The timberman, Mr.
/ VIM. Reed, together with four miners,
had no inclination to crawl up to the
100 I'm. level, (where the "man-en-
CINE" used for taking the employees of
the mine to the surface, was), SO they
all got into the empty skip
at hand-the four miners crouch
ing into the body of it, and
Mr.. Reed seated on what it called the
bale, and hanging on to the rope used
in pulling the car up-when the signal
was given for "hoisting. The car
started and went as usual until it
reached the point where the missing
stick of timber had stuck, when 1t tip
ped in such manner as to pitch all of
the men out, four of whom were cast
headlong down the shaft to death and
destruction, at distances varying from
100 to 700 feet, the timbermen escaping
similar fate most marvelously. 1t
was found that the four unfortunate
men killed were terribly niangled and
crushed; every one of them had an arm
and leg broken and skull smashed.
One poor fellow was caught in the shaft
about 100 feet from where the mishap
befel the car, and the others lodged at
different points below, the farthest one
discovered down the shaft having fallen
700 feet. Mr. Reed, being on the bale
OF the car, was thrown forward and
slightly stunned but not sufficiently
to destroy all sense, and he succeeded
in catching hold of the rope, or some
part of the skip, thus saving himself
from going down the shaft. At the
time of the accident, the light which
the men had with them, was put out,
and all was total darkness; bnt owing
to the timberman's superior knowledge
OF the mine, he WIS Uble 40 ItdCu lllt
surface, whichhe succeeded in doing III
a short time, and gave an alarm, when
willing hands carried the remains of the
dead miners to the surface. The men
killed were all married, and natives Of
Cornwall, England. The following are
their names
John Jones Qeaves wife and five chill
dreu).
Thomas Basewarren Oeaves wife and
three children.
Samuel Hooper Qeaves wife and two
children).
William Bellemy Qeayes wife but no
children).
No particular blame can be attached
to any one in connection with this Scar
full calamity The fact is well under
stood in all mines in the country that
men employed therein are not to at
tempt to ride in skips or kibbles under
ground, and if they do so it is at the
imminent risk of their lives and limbs.