Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-09-11
LIN DEF N.
Sad Accidents in the Mines.
A Man sufocated by the Damp.

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death Of a Mr.. Sleeves. We are IN
der obligations to correspondent for
the following full account Of the acct
dent and the attending circumstances!
Near the middle shaft of the main
mine and former pump shafts of the
Linden mines the present company
have erected an engine house and sta4
toned an engine, during the past few
weeks, for the purpose Of working the
pumps in the shafts. Some time has
been consumed by breakages of the
gearing and cleaning up and otherwise
getting the shaft ready for use. Dura
ing this period the men found the air
to be very poor and in order to rid it
of the foul gases, they placed stove
at the bottom and come cted it with
the surface by means of about one huns
dred feet of stove pipes This was found
to answer tolerably well, and was al
lowed to remain for Use as part Of the
regular appurtenances Of the shaft.
For week or two, only three or four
men, sinceit has been in readiness, work
ed regularly, but at the commence
ment Of the present week three pair Of
men, six or eight to the pair, have been
working in the shafts. Save that the
powder smoke chung" nothing was
experienced Of particular moment until
Tuesday night, when the men discov-
cred the stove did not draw well, and
that instead Of Kidding the shaft of poor
air, it was adding thereto by it's smoke
and the heat which it emitted. How
yer, they worked, and the watches of
the night wore away without anything
Of positively serious character trans
piring, Wednesday it was BETTER and
at three o'clock p. NJ. the men who had
experienced the discomforts of the pre-
ceding night again turned in,
At about eight O'Clock two young
men went below, to view the things
to be seer, as visitors, and found all the
party with the exception Of two sitting
about the bottom Of the shaft swearing
at things generally, and telling the re-
naming two to hurry and fire, that all
might 60 up in body. The air was
very poor. The temperature was blood
heat or more. The whole interior was
so dark with smoke that one conld not
see another with candle fifteen feet
distant. Soon all hands came up,
and the sight-scers commenced the req
turn journey to town.
While they We're going to the village
the engine whistle blew, and they met
Capt. Stephens going down. He ask.
ed what was the matter. They replied
the air is poor and the men can't work.
lie went down. talked with the men,
advised them not to try to work under
such circumstances and returned to
his house, short distance away, and |
went to bed. Three men only remained
the engineer, and a Mr.. Shelves and |
his son, a young man Of eighteen or /
twenty years.
About twelve o'clock Mr.. Sleeves,
who it seems acted in the capacity of
underground boss" accompanied by
his son went down. Stopped short
time-realized that death lurked |
in the shaft, and commenced to climb
for life, with his son in advance. One
platform after another was success
sively passed by boths They arrived
at the third one from the top. The
father could 60 no further, the son
noticing it ot,arrived at the Top and
awaited the coming of his father. He
heard him call feeblys ran in to the
engineer, and told him to come and
help him. Together they got a rope
the engineer descended and fastened
the rope about the then insensible man.
He lifted and the son pulled. Therope
broke. The body bearing heavily on
the engineer, forced him to loose his
hold from the ladder and he fell sever
al feet. He himself was nearly dead,
He commenced to climb for his own
life, successfully arrived at the top,
went Immediately to the engine house,
blew the whistle three times,as signal
of distress, and tainted.
A few minutes, and Capt Stephens
was on the ground. Comprehe hiding the
situation alta glance he went down a few
steps in the shaft and turned the wat
er from the pump back into the shaft
and came up. By this time
several others were gathered. A short
consultatio was held, and Capt
Stephens thinking that possibly that
the man might be alive, resolved to go
down and see. A rope was tied about
him and he commenced his descent,
at the same time telling the others
to be sure and keep enc stage behind
him. One, two, three ladders he pass
ed safely. Soon he bugun to grow
deadly faint. lie felt consciousness de-
parting, realizing that his efforts
would only involve the needless sacri-
fee Of his own life, yet so weak as to
be unable to climb the ladders, he
babe them hoist.-With difficulty
those above pulled him up. Taey
thou CHIT him deadfor time, but he slow
ly revived and was saved.
By this time a crowd had gathered.
The water was kept running back into
the shaft-anG after the lapse OF an hour
or SO generous-hearted, impulsve Mark |
Sheppard went into the shaft for the pur- |
pose Of recovering the body. Soon his |
voice was heard calling for rope and
assistance Both were afforded him and
he gave the order to pull.
We shall never forget the sight. About |
the entrance large party of men stood |
with hated breath. No sound save the
rubbing of the rope on the edge of the |