Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-07-07
coRoHrR's INQUEST.
The Aeeidsus ~ the Usiss SHAFT
New 10 0eeurrsd-vsrdies 81 sns
CoroaeF's Jury.

The Aeeidsns ~ the Ustea Shsfs-
Hsv 20 0eeurrsd-vsrdies 81 sns
CoreseF's Jary.
Coroner Brodsk last evening held an
inques. q to the death Of John Abbott
and Duncan Bsthuns. killed at the
Union shaft last Friday morning. The
chief interest csntsrsd In the testimony
- TO the manner in which the stick
which fell escaped from the workmeu.
superintendent Patton said the men
ware cutting out the fourth compartment
Al the 900 station. They exoavated
behind the old timbers, cut them out
and put In new. The men are not hur.
Red In their work. and they have oil the
material they require. . There Is no one
to blame fof this accident except Ii Be
the fault Of the men working 81 the
point msntioned. A timber could easily
alp away from them on account OF Ito
being vet. No ons had told him any.
thing to CAUSE him to lay the blame on
any particular person.
Joseph Warren Wa working ct the
900 station when the accident occurred.
BE said half the wallplsts that was sawed
In two got away through striking . small
post that happened to 30 mislaid and
wss In Q standing position slsntins
toward the west side Of the shaft. The
witness said 1--WE were standing two
OF M ct the one end Of the wallplate.
while the other two men were at the
other end and dropping the end . little
to allow them to saw Il easily. and the
piece dropped OF . little quicker than
any Of us expected and bounded on the
post spoksn Of. which threw II into the
shaft. Il pretty nearly pulled my I'm.
gers Of. The stick was - slippsry ss
ios. Four men could not carry IL. Five
men we're engaged In cutting and land.
ing the wallplste and that was plenty.
The cage was used a. Q platform and
VA about Ave feet below. About six
inches Of space was all between the cage
and the wallplats. The post above.
mentioned carried the falling stick be-
yond the cage"
John Thomas, timberman In the shaft,
described the position Of the men on.
gagged In saving the wallplste about a.
above, then said al wa on the north
side OF the compartment watching the
saving. The man who was saving said:
Look out, boys, II IL pretty nearly of.'
or something to that effect. About that
time I heard Q noise and ran around 70
the south compartment. when i said {:
For Christ's sake. you don't mean to
say you lot that piece 60 into the shsft?'
Yes they Said, we couldn't help IT,
One OF the men who was at the south
end OF the stick said : We had II all
riRht II Il bad not been for that little
post there The stick was removed In
the usual way"
W. D. Mscksy said az am the mar
Who sawed the stick Of; I think that all
precautions were taken TO insure the
safety Of the men In tbs shaft and I
don't think any n was to blame Tor
the accident. I gave the men notice
before I completed the saving and they
said: We have got her, saw away I
don't know anything at all about the
standing stick couldn't see II from
whore I was. I have been at work OF
the Ophir for nine months at the same
kind OF work-it 10 the customary way
OF getting out these sticks"
The verdict was that the death OF the
mon was through ian accident ct the
Union shaft. caused BY . portion Of .
wall plate falling down said shaft, and
va further ind that the same was the
result OF want OF the use Of the proper
precautionary measures provided BY the
company, on the part Of ths men en-.
ployed In the shaft"