The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-11-20
DEATH IN THE COAL SHAFT.

L Hugh kiouI6cF St1clses the ScaGold-
in: On which Are Two Workmen-
The ScnasIdfng Goes DoEn-One OF
the Hen Literally Dashed 10 Pieces
The Other Eiracuicasiy saved.
One OF the M st sickening accidents that
| has occurred in this vicinity for years hap
pened yesterday morning at the LeRven-
worth coal shaft, by which one man was
| literslly dashed TO pieces AMI another sns-
lained iDjuries OF a very severe nature and
! was only saved from the fate OF his compai-
| ION by ore OF those interposltions which
| happen SO rarely that they are called
miraculous.
HOW IT HAPPLSED.
The coal shaft company is utilizing tie
| time given Il while the miners are out on a
| strIAe bynskins repairs around the shaft and
enIsrsing it. The accident happened about
na!f-past three yesterday mcraing- The
| vcrkme were rIing blasts in the shaft for
the purpose Of widening che aperture, There
| being iour persons soemployed. They were
working ABOUT forty feet below the suiface,
and would put in a "shot'' and then
| De l.Guied up 10 tie surface
tie "sho." being then fired by
| means OF an electric w!re connecting there
with. 4 blast hadiust been nred, the men
| having been hauled to the suEfsee IL the
| cage Hhileit was being done. They were
| then sent down again and Enoch DeshxE
and William EapP, the two victims Of tie
disaster, were standing upon The scatio.ding
| which had been -erected, upon wnIsh the
| work OF putting In the "Sho's" vas being
| done
| While they were so standing. mass OF
| rock, only about eight fee: above them,
| which had been lo2ssret in some way,
| either as the result oi the L.asiing Gv from
! the s.eal:hy iEroPds made b. water slowly
dripping through the rocEs, gave way en-
| tirely and came crashing down uIol them.
| There was no warning; but with a sudder-
| ness that was appalling the space between
| the un!Crtunates On me Ecaio.cinS and
| those who were looking down upon them
from above was suddenly O5scuTed by the
| falling mass, Whether ii struck lie one
| wno WAS KILLED, " illian Eapp. and csr-
| riej instant death vii il. and also gave his
] companion, Encca Dcshak, The Injuries
| which now confne him 20 his bed and VIII
| keep him q prisoner for many day.; or,
! the death Of the one and injuries 10 the other
| WAS a subsea GeIt event can oily be matter
| of conf -cture, for the voice OF pne Is Io-eyeE
s,il!ed and the other seems 20 be lille able 10
; give a clear account OF how his injuries were
| sustained. Certain i Is that the scafiolding
Was torn away and the men EsaS GCEn--
| with almost seven hundred feet be!og tEeIn
to The bottom and cruel stringers and beams
| for them 10 strike against as they vent down,
| and the dark waters Of the stump to receive
| them at the bottom. Fer VII lam Espp,
| there was no hope. He went Gown the entire
| distance, aud his body was tern end nians!ed
| into piece after piece, until no semb!ance of
| a human form Te;nained-ouly a fragment
here ard there being Afterwards drawn
| OUT of the wafer. Strong men. used IL scenes
Of horror, shuddered when, graphing in the
iuky waters for the remains, as WIS after
ward done. sn arm would be drawn up then
a leg then the font part OF the head; with
| mansIed shr-Gs Of flesh, brains ard sinews
| Of wha. hrd bpt so short a tine before oeen
the nealthtul. vigorous, manly form OF poor
william kspr-
Wner-, all This time, was the com raniop,
| Eloch ID shaS? About fifteen feet from the
ialirH scaioiding another affodiug
way located. When he found himself
bruised ~ the falling rock he in
siiDC-iEciy plunged his only useful hand cut
born o. despair for something 10 check the !
lmp-tres - lch was so rapidly increasing. |
liIs iIrt q grasped "A timber and cheek ed him |
ipT a rnCGi-:It; bat just a, he was pgaiu huTl |
e,i downward his hand grasped a rope. His |
EaseIS ughlepes; and his hold was retained |
Unti,s . supeThuman .noIt, he landed him. |
eli upon the second scaiiodinc, where, i'm. |
mediate danger being over, he ssnkdow u IN. |
lu!s-Tius heap, neTveie>s and streDg hless /
Those nom Rbove who had witnessed the /
SCea", = i;G sick ned hearts, csZed down into 1
thu ya~ ming spdr,ure and called loudly thu |
Ea..IeS ~ Tie missing; but Only the echoes l
OF their 90. calls came Iainty back for
al ma. - 81 :. faFf
ID t,.C s4O->, said 81 am here ASST tnca
was imm, diately rendered and !, ioch /
cXs..G>t.G Words cannot paint The agony
IA I.c>- ii-v. undergone in those few NOM
enis. vi. Ell ~ ulul had been life time
A CDTc:s'I'> Jury was iinpanel!ed by Can
tain ~ icn. Coroner of Leaven worth county,
aud Ins ie=i riJny taken before II is given
below. The jay were unable TO entirely agree
a. 10 WI, in-r the Coal SHAFT Company was
respoa It'll ''.T I3e accident, 50 that only four
u me- - rEr 10 Tie verdict, the other two
w..tIs-g .- -vmPauy cleared OF all blame.
kR;B :, oxen Of al the h!ghest manner hy .
hi- ga Iiuy aid had their confidence 10 the
iulIe-r -X:eEt He WAS frugal and saving,
MADE -s'nG ~aE"s, and leaves q vile ana sew
cf;.I gs.Gt.'T-... uCI.I MS care VIII not leave
p.iiniit-s
STATE OF KANSAS,
iEAyESwO .rH Co.
bGGy OF Nsn- i>spP. ri he coal shaft IN the
cit. o: Leave HDrth, November IL, 1879:
sNDCH DEsHAK,
DeiUs Guy sworn, deposes as follows:
knew VA deceased, his name was
William kaEp, and Lis aye was about |
- years. 4 Eiu lass alive this morning
about "A quartz 10 three O'Clock. We were
working ~ The coal snan. It was necessary
10 tT. ,hCI, which was done Dy electricity.
These OILS were a. for blasting and widen
ing IT, hai. =. TIRE deceased and John
Haler, Ie iOrenal ard Pat CapeIs, went
Into L.. cage u - own and clean up the
Loose ,.Jues rnsu- 8 the biast. We were
slwaYs IA Ine habit ot noiBg so. Ihe de-
ce-seu aud l attsrnl ID when below 10 di.
engage The Two cons ;tlng wires tor the men
above To mold .:=t4t up. While We were to-
seth.I, about = i'.vs low the surface, the
deceased anc sec cit p sGaifold:ng, Esv-
IN Ste ppsd 81, AZ "a. = ltaSIIs The foreman
and CapS!s Ia cHS= The deceased ard
were, when "a accident occaEred, looking
up when the ne csut ht IL TIE s,d- OF the
wall. Then :Iiie so eng ged the scafioid-
ing gave 8way, and ! eau mt hold OF some
timber and M .sIc sa.' say and L sgain
caught rope I'D saV.G EIs .cif. The other
man, ILe decCSsrG, vas can iet. 10 the bottom
OF lue SHAFT.
JyHS II LER,
being duly SwGTr, sr.I-s IS follows:
Knew the deces"ed; -aE him last alive at
3 O'Clock this mpT;.lu: o. the Scaffoding in
the coal shaft, alb ut .,1rIy feet from the sur
face was there WORKING With the de-
cea ed there VIA big water seam s
on iLe SIDE The rhHi', caused by water I,
oZing in f4otI4 -" surface, causing a loOse-
ness of the ro.k- er The gccIdent observ- I
ed this. We fired = s:spi, - a. blast. when We =
had laid il. we game up TO the surface tn Y
avoid beirg burnt 10y the explosion. We \
deceased, Pat CAP els, Enoch Deshak c
and Invent down Immediately on our al.
rival below We stepped oil the cage on the
scaffolG and IN AN instant a rock rolled from
the side ia on the sc.fo.d. | did not see the
rock, but am sure IL was a rock i saw IL a
neer u, before the accident, and after miss d
ed IL from where IL was This rock was
about eight feet In the wall above us. The q
witness coIrecjs his statement that they four
stepped on the SCI Hold oil the stage when Z
CaPels remained on the bank along Side the h
deceased and Eioch Deshak got on the o
scs fold &
VIM. kapp, the deceased, and made this y
last evening nj o'clock, by order 4
Df VIM. Csr., superintendent OF the coal y
shaft, and The numb employed for L
that purpOs. of substantial
kind, have experience in the building OF
such and II was blt 10 b safe and lasIiog. /
there was no necessity for lining
his wall. The water, II seems, cause q rot
tenness unob,erved in the wall.
PATRICK CAPELs,
being SWORD, depo>es.as follows: Iknew the | a
deceased; he WORKED with me in the .
shaft. This morning, about two O'Clock, we | q
made blast in the shaft about - or 4, feet !.
rom the surface and came mp and awaited N
the explosion. After tie same, Mr.. Enoch Il
Deshak, ire decesse Jonn Haler and myself e
went be ow, and on arriving We got OF The | A
.age and got on the band. John Haler and a
n self got on To see how the blast went. The N
wire WAS fast and the deceased h,
and Deshsk attempted To extrica.e IL. At n
hat moment got glimps Of he rock fall &
ng and heard the timber breaking and saw /.
he sides Of the scsffoid turning w. The N
blast was MADE about eight feet from the e
can I'D am OF the opinion that the eXpIn e
ion &! the blast not ne eausa al DAM