Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-08-03
DISASTROUS CAVE IN THE 5th,
9Th AND 9TH LEVELS OF THE
EUREKA CON. MINE AT
RUBY HILL.
FIVE MEN KILLED-TWO BOD
les EXHUMED - THREE
STILL REMAINING In
THE MINE.
from the Eureka Sentinel, July 81 ]

Yesterday morning one OF those
shocking casualties incidental to ex-
tensive mining operations occurred at
the Eureka Consolidated mine at
Ruby Hill. Early in the morning it
was reported in Eureka that a fear
full accident had occurred at the mine
and later in the day the rumor was
confirmed, but the various reports
were so conflicting that it was impos-
sible to arrive at any definite conclu
sion concerning the magnitude of the
| disaster. About noon the ''Sentinep
reporter visited Ruby Hill, and the
following accounts compiled from,the
evidence adduced before the Coron-
er's Jury and from information gath
cred from persons who were in the
mine at the time of the accident:
FIRST INDICATIONS OF THE CAVE.
About two o'clock in the morning
Reane Atkins, who was acting tenn
porarily as shift boss, noticed slight
crumbling of earth overhead near the
end of the drift which opens into the
seventh level. While the occurrence
did not cause him any serious appre-
tensions his habitual caution, the nat
ural result of a mining experience of
many years, caused him to watch the
place closely, and in about an hour
afterward, he discovered that piece
of ground about twenty feet square
was gradually settling. He imme-
diately called the men who were
working in the level-twenty-seven in
number-to come inside the drift
while he went up in the cage to call
Mr.. Congdon, the foreman. Mr.. At
kins at that time did not anticipate
an extensive cave, as the rest of the
ground seemed secure, and only called
the men from the chamber for fear
that they would be shut in from the
closing up of the end of the drift.
Upon being called, Mr.. Congdon came
down into the mine and Immediately
made preparations for placing extra
supports under the settling ground;
but before the timbers could be pro-
cured
THE CRASH CAME.
Extending from the fifth down to the
seventh level and completely closing
up their entrances. The lights were
blown out in the drift where the men
had collected and scene of hides
cribable confusion and panic ensued.
Several were knocked down by con-
cussion of the air, and we understand
a number were slightly injured in the
rush which was made for the station
at the other end of the tunnel. Find
ing, however, that the drift was Sc
cure, in short time light was struck
and order restored, when it was found
that
FIVE MEN WERE MISSING:
G. R. Gates, Patrick Leary, Edward
Duffy, Timothy Leahy and Henry
Becksteak- These unfortunate men
were working in a chamber between
the sixth and seventh levels, and were
warned by Wm- JOHN and David
Foote, who urged them to come down
into the drift as the ground was
caving below; but everything ap-
pearing so secure in their vicinity the
men, four of whom at least were eX-
perienced miners, ridiculed the idea
of danger and continued their work
until the grand crash came, when it
was too late to escape, and they were
buried beneath the overwhelming
mass of earth and ore which came
down upon them from the upper lev
els.
THE SEARCH FOR THE DEAD.
As soon as the men in the drift had
recovered from their panic, they set
to work with a will to recover the
bodies of their dead comrades, and in
course of an hour the remains of
Gates and Leary were exhumed.
They were found in chamber below
the one in which they had been work
ing and near man-hole which con-
nected the two compartments. There
was but a small amount Of earth on
their bodies, which were scarcely
bruised, and it is supposed that they
were either thrown or jumped
through the aperture and were killed
by the conclusion of the air. The
search has since been continued with
out intermission for the other bodies,
but up to the present writing without
result. We have just been informed
that wheelbarrow with which the
men were working has been discov-
cred, which leads to the presumption
that the bodies are not far distant.
We did not hear suggestion of the
possibility of the escape of any Of
them from death.