Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-12-09
A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.
One Miner Killed and Several Others
More or Less ~lnjured-The DAN
gers, Seen and Unseen, ola
Miners Life,

unusually eventful period in the way
Of mining accidents. and which Is not
likely soon to be forgotten BY those
who participated therein.
Accident First.
Occurred at the Belcher mine about s
o'clock Saturday evening. 1t was at
the main incline. A new shute for let
ting timbers down from the $50 down
to the l000-foot level had been con-
structed within tho last week or so at
the side OF the incline, and the method
adopted was to fasten a stout rope to
an iron dog driven into the first timber
inserted Into the shute, which Is only
Is inches square inside, and this being
gradually lowered, others were slid In
resting against IL and the ends OF
each other till the first had reached
its destination, or at any rate until on
this occasion there were sixty or sew
enty OF these timbers, about seven feet
In length, In the shute. D. Moore,
underground foreman, with Daniel
Casey, q miner, were attending the
bottom Of the shute at the l00O-toot
station. By some unexplained ma
nouyre or other when the lowest tim
Der arrived at or near the bottom 1t
tilted up aud allowed all the others to
slide past IL with the velocity OF
creased lightning. and a terrible crash
and racket filling the station and fly
ing In all possible shapes and direc-
tions. Moore did some very lively
dancing, jumping, lodging and climb
ing, and managed to escape with o
whole skin, but his companion Jared
worse. He was knocked down aud
buried among the tlmberS. Assistance
came directly and he was rescued and
taken to the surface and to his home,
where DR.. Hall attended him. His
right ear was torn half OH, and his head
and face more or less cut and bruised.
The palm of his LEFT hand received Il
severe cut, and he was considerably
bruised all over. yet, fortunately, not
seriously injured.
Aeeident Second
Occurred In the main incline Of the
Crown Point mine. Three miners
were blasting at the bottom, using
giant powder. They put In a blast,
and before firing it, took the candle
box, in which were two or three extra
cartridges of the explosive, up out OF
the way, placing It half a dosen sets Of
timbers ZIP the Incline, behind a post,
where 1t would be perfectly safe from
ignition. One Of the cartridges, how
ever, had one Of the peculiar caps
required to explode 1t wrapped up In
the paper with 1t. After the bfSst
went Off they waited a short time Tor
the smoke to subside q little and then
went down to work. They had sent
up one carload Of rock and were
about loading another, when, looking
I'D, they saw the candle-box smoking,
from n piece of burning fuse from the
blast having accidentally been thrown
directly up into 1t, setting the paper
envelops of the cartridges on fire.
Full we'll approaching the danger
Of the situation, all OF them started
running up the steps Of the Incline as
fast as they could 60. The first two
got past safe, but the last man. William
Ellis, was nearly abreast Of 1t when the
burning paper ignitinS the cap, all
three cartridges exploded with terrible
force. Ellis was not killed outright,
and was able to hold on till his conf
panions could assist him, which they
did Immediately. Arrived at the sur-
face he presented a horrible appear
ance, his clothes being almost torn
from him in shreds, and his face and
exposed portions Of his body torn,
burned aud blackened by the explo-
sion. DR.. Hall found the right leg be.
low the knee very badly lacerated, and
driven full of pieces Of the candle box
which had contained the cartridges.
The little finger Of the left hand was
torn open It's whole length, and the
next finger to it had a nail from the
box driven completely through 1t. The
whole hand In fact was badly lacerat.
ed. His face was considerably burned
vet not deeply, and his eyes were for
tunately not destroyed. Ills Injuries,
although terrible, are not necessarily
fatal.
Accident Third-Faial.
This occurred about 7 o'clock last
evening, and at the same shute already
described in accident first, at the Boil
cher mine, and In precisely the same
manner. The accident Of the evening
before had. however, Induced more
cautious proceeding, and there were
only ten or a dozen timbers being LET
down at a time. William B. Stephens,
| Frank Econla and another miner were
In the station near the bottom OF the
shute, when the lower timber tilted or
| slipped ~ before, and the rest all came
sliding down at q fearful rate. There
was no chance for getting out Of the
way, they came so quick. Stephens
was knocked over against the side OF
the station, when another flying tim.
Der struck him, crushing bis head ter.
ribly and causing instant death. He
was a young man 20 years Of age, ain.
| gle, and a native Of Wisconsin. HIS
funeral will take place Tomorrow at :
o'clock p. NJ, under the auspices o.
Parker Lodge, No. IL. !. o. o. F.,
Gold Hill, Of which he was q member
Frank Econia, n Portuguese, was badly
bruised and confused by . timoei
striking him about the right hip as he
was trying to escape. DIR. Hall doei
not consider his injuries serious.
Accident Fifth.
Just about the same time that this las
accident occurred there was another
in the Crown Point mine, calling 10,
DIR. Halls services again. william
Bradley had let of a blast, and ate
waiting an adequate length Of time, M
went back Just In time to have q goo'
sized piece of rock drop down frotI
the roof of the drift upon his head
emitting a deep cash In the summit o
his scalp. A few stitches, however.
fixed 1t all right, and the wound Will
soon heal.
REMAINS BRouaHr IN.-The remain
of E. A. Smith, an old resident OF Wiz
. In.aph q Smith