Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-09-19
TRAGEDY in THE SAVAGE
UNJUST CRITICISM.


cident that has just occurred in the
Savage mine, or as showing favor
iteism to. one class or another. The
accident is certainly one that needs
the fullest investigation, that the re-
sponsibility may rest where it be-
longs, and to the end that our miners
may be afforded the fullest protec-
ton in their ever-perilous avocation.
Admitting that carelessness has
again been permitted to enact a
crime, and that it deserves the fullest
condemnation from both press and
people, we still fail to see the justice
of singing out Joseph Lukey, the in
competent engineer, as a target for
the entire blame to strike. 1t is not
at all likely that this man had
thought of the disaster that was to
follow the motion of his hand on the
throttle of his engine, and it is
highly probable that he feels to-
day more real sympathy for the be-
reaved family of Thomas Sullivan
than do those who in windy edito-
rails so severely condemn him to the
title of murderer, and cry the preju-
dice of an excitable community
against him. An editor who will
thus seek to inf1ame one portion OF
our miners against another, is no
friend to either, and lacks that judg-
ment, if not principle, that should
characterize the press of commu-
nifty which needs, more than any
other, the harmonizing influence of
both press and people. This charg-
ing the death of Thomas Sullivan
directly to the hands Of Joseph
Lukey, the engineer, is taking an
unwarrantable and unjust advantage
of circumstances, and should receive
a rebuke from all right-thinking and
fair. mi nded men. The evidence in
the examination goes plainly to show
that up to the time of this accident
Lukey had carefully and faithfully
performed his duties; that he was
sober at the time, and that he had
been reinstated, after having once
been discharged by the foreman
through the influence of the Super
intendent of the mine. There are
great many men who are employed
as engineers on the Comstock who
are not regularly schooled in the
trade. These men are considered
competent, and so represent them
selves. They accept situation and
do the best they can, because they
need work. 1t is the business of
those who employ them to know
how far they are responsible and
trustworthy. If we are correctly in
formed, on taking charge of the
hosting engine Mr.. Lukey insisted
that tho regular signals should be
given by the miners below. These
signals, q mining Superintendent
(uninterested in the matter save for
humanity's sake), informs us, are
thus put down as the known signal
system of the mines of the Comstock,
and are almost without exception,
strictly adhered to by the miners
working below and the engineer
above. They are-1 bell, "stop" the
cage or bucket, and also bell to
"hoist rock;" 2 bells, slower" and
bells, "man on the cage" or
bucket. With such a system strictly
adhered to, it would seem that acct
dents Of the kind that killed poor
Sullivan would be very sell
dom. From what we can learn,
some of the miners in the
Savage have refused to give these
proper signals, though requested
time and again to do so by the en-
gineer Lukey. The man who was
hoisted just previous to Sullivan
struck but one bell of warning, and
Sullivan rang but once. One bell
- 4 n co,,, ~, ;,,uroo haf< M bnac runu
for dirt. The proper warning was
not given to Lukey, and he was CON-
PEELED to "guess" if there was man,
or dirt, coming up. In the three
hoistings just previous and inclusive
with that which killed Sullivan, but
one bell had been sounded. The
first hoist proved to be dirt, the next
a man; and, would it not be reason.
able that Lukey, without other init.
nation, should "guess" that the
third would be dirtf We repeat
again that we do not seek to cover
up the gross carelessness which re.
suited IN the accident. We simply
enter our protest, a. friend of all
miners, whatever be their class OF
condition, against such unwarrant'
able and unjust criticism as has been
used by Q hot-headed contemporary
In treating of the affair. We have
never seen Mr.. Lukey, and there.
fore no part of favoriteism can enter
into these comments. We have
written them with the motive of al.
laying the excitement which has in