Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-09-06
THE DEATH OF DERBY.
Evidence at the Coroner's Inquest
.--C0nilicting Statements.


killing of Charles Derby at the Day
ton mine last Saturday. The jury
commenced the investigation with
manifest determination to get at all
the facts. They began at half past
two o'clock, and pursued their labors
late into the evening. The follow
ing is some of the most important
testimony taken:
Charles L. Whipple, sworn-l am
employed as engineer at the Dayton
mine. On the occasion of the death
of Derby | felt the cable snap at the
time of the accident. l could plainly
feel it ON the reel near where l stood.
l then hoisted up the cage in the
other compartment to see what was
the matter, when Mitchell came up
seriously injured The cage which
fell on and killed Derby was broken
IN many pieces. l should think it
fell 400 feet. Itappeared to me that
the cage was stuck in the shaft be-
fore it fell The cage was an old one
and had no safety appliances. 1t
had long runners, or guides, on it,
for sinking. The cable was fastened
to the cage with clevis in the usual
way. When the cable was hauled
up il was found that the clevis had
pulled off. l am not certain that safe
ties on the cage would have saved
Derby's life. The clevis seemed to
me to be of suifi eient strength and of
proper construction. l am not EN-
ployed at the Dayton mine now.
Have worked there about seven
months.
Juror-Have you used the cage be-
forel
Witness-We used it once or twice
believe.
Juror-Did it ever catch ia the
guides when you used lti
Witness Yes. Several times.
When the jerk occurred that l spoke
of there had been payed out about
500 feet OF cable. The cage had been
in the habit of sticking somewhere
between 300 and 500 feet from the
surface. We never used this cage
excep, when we were repairing some
of the other ones. When we used it
last 1t was about six weeks or two
months ago. 1t has always been
Gust, mary where | have worked to
send man down with cage when
it WAS first put on. to see ii ii would
go through the guides properly. On
this occasion no man was sent down
to at end to this matter. The fore
man uf the mine was present when
the cage WAS put on. When Derby
went down, he went in the other
compartment.
Juror-Do you think ii any one
haa gone dowa with the cage the
accident would have occurrcdi
Witucss--i think not.
Juror would that have pre-
yentei the acciiea,f
Nituess-The man would have
suug the bell when the cage stuck, to
stop tue paying out of caoIe. The
cage vas being lowered, during the
process OF tarring, by the brakeman.
/ had orders To watch the brakeman
and not let the cage so below the
I00-toot level.
Jack Harris sworn-l am a miner
employed at the Dayton as shaft
man. | was in the shaft when Mr..
Derby was killed. | was on cage
in the north compartment, about ten
feet from the bottom. at the time. 1t
required block and tackle TO lit
the cage of Of Derby. l examined
the shaft on the night ON which VIII
son WAS killed. and found it in per-
feet order. The cage that fell on
Derby had been used in the mine a
long time. l never knew that It
stuck in the shaft. Inever heard of
any of the cages sticking in the shaft
about 800 or 400 feet from the sur
face.
Juror-Is it not customary to send
a man down with cage when 1t is
first put ont
Witness-It is customary in case
Of new cage, but never that | know
of in the case of cage that has been
used before in the same shaft.
NJ. Williams sworn--I am tim
herman employed in the Dayton
mine. was in the shaft when Mr..
Derby was killed. l was holding
the lantern for him at the time. The
falling cage just scraped my hand.
and took the lantern from it. l never
knew that the cage caught in in the
shaft. l never heard Derby or any
other man say that they feared the
cage. l never heard that the cage
or any Of them caught between 800
and 500 feet from the surface. If
safeties had been on the cage l think
the accident would not have hap
pened.
Robert Thomas sworn-I am chief
engineer at the Dayton. The morn
ing after Wilson was killed the shaft
was examined and pronounced in
good order. The rivets that fastened
the clevis to the cable were of ample
size. II satellites had been attached