Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-12-06
noaE SAFETY REQUIRED.

lQo Lccout tokAASso
Union shaft, whereby seventeen men on
q cage we're sent whirling up to the
sheavs or top Of the hosting frame
through the temporary laundering inca
pscity Of the engineer. again calls up
the frequently discussed problem Of how
to prevent this "ovsrwindius." En-
einssrs will still. Of course intsrsstsdly
argue and insist that the only trust
worthy preventive In this matter lies in
the employment Of perfectly Trustworthy
and iniallibls engineers, yet here IL .
case whore Just that very requisite utter
ly and disastrously failed. Mr. Coriiss
wa considered one Of the most oomps-
tsut, ex~psrsncsd and absolutely reliable
sne.nssrs on the Comstock. running Tor
years without any serious accident yet
his momsn. Of failure came. He was
not . drinkins man. but ONE OF strictly
temperate habits. and had just come
frssh and properly rested to his regular
"shif." His physical and mental CON-
dition was all right, but Q sudden dis.
traction or embarrassment OF mind on
his part 1t . critical moment caused tho
aesidsnt. He might be employed In tho
sams position for the next forty ysars
and the same thing never happen to him
again. yet that 1t has so happened sim-
ply proves that even the best OF human
brains and the most intense watchful-
ness and care will not always do to de-
pend upon. Perhaps IL wss the very
overweight intensity Of watchfulnsss
in this case that induced the accident.
Il Vas morally impossible for the
Coronsr's Jury in the case Of the victims
70 az the blame wholly upon the en-
ginssr. and they very properly concluded
their verdict with . Recommendation to
mining companies generally to adopt
some mechanical appliance to prevent
such ovsrwinding Of the cable. and the
consequent recurrence Of accidents OF
this kind. This recommendation is .
good one. and il Ia high time that 1t VA
practically acted upon. The News has
given it, opinion and suggestions on the
same subject before. and made mention
Of devices which have been successfully
adopted. It il . simple matter TO ar.
range some appliance whereby the cable
can instantly become disconnected the
moment the cage comes too near the
shsavs; sven . straight iron bar which
would break or become disjointed in the
middle In passing over the shsave
would do this. and lest the safety
clutches Of the cage might not then oct
promptly and ~sffectuslly. chairs. or .
small hinged platform opening In the
center - the cage passed up through.
and automatically closing Immediately.
would answer all purposes. In the
present instance. however. It would
have required an opening for the cage
up through Q second floor. or roof Of the
building to have saved the unfortunate
miners who were hurled upward and
overheard by the force Of the collision.
By all means. let some mechanical de-
vice which shall automatically operate
to prevent ovsrwindins be adopted ;
something that will not fail when the
human brain and strictsst watchfulnsss
does Altogether too many miners are
hsing killed from lack Of such contriv.
ancs. The life Of the miner II entirely
in the hands Of the mechanic while he
10 ON the cage. Now show rs the mas
ter mechanic who can and will thus in
sure safety to the miner. and let the
nsIt Legislature mako . law obliging all
mining companies to adopt some device
TO this effect. The nero matter Of cost
or expense 10 nothing Is compared with
the loss Of human life.