Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-09-21

aObGy otth kh0A0 ASa
pumpmen were on at the time OF the
accident; they 60 up and down ct least
twice q night aud examine the pumps;
these are slow trips; / had been down
the day OF the accident twice; II 10 rope
mans duty to report to me the condition
of ropes; after Bsckman overhauled the
rope We put ii on q reel in the rope
house; it was there when he lett and be
reported il in good condition; l saw no
defect in the rope at any time; no one
complained OF the rope; would not have
gone on IL or sent men on 1t for any
money IL l had know It to be unsafe.
The witness here explained the situa-
ton OF the reel. shsave, cage. etc., and the
action OF each when the engine was run.
Re.dirsct-The object OF s~afeties 10 to
prevent the cage falling when the rope
breaks; II the rope had broken in the
shsft the safeties would have acted at
oncs ; the break occurring above the
sheave was why the safsties refused to
act there would be enough friction
caused by the rope passing over tho
shesve to offer sufficient resistance to
prevent the s~afeties from acting; q rope
OF the size Of that broken ought to bear
from 40. 900 to Q 1000 pounds.
To juror-Ws have brass-wire springs
on the safeties; they are taken care OF
and II relaxed are taken off;if one breaks
any one can see II; the water In our shaft
rusts iron and steel but not brass; when
the springs relax they are taken of and
changed; the guides are not worn down
80 as to prevent the safeties from acting;
ropes are changed at any time the rope
man deems It advisable; 30 arc the
springs to the s~aieties when the black.
smith wishes. Thirty minutes recess.
Fred. La Chance testified: Am EN-.
ployed as shift boss in the Imperial;
was under ground when the accident oc.
Cured; my duty 10 to see to the work
and to attend to everything under
ground when on shift; have nothing to
do with the s~afeties or cables; / got the
bodies out aud saw the cable wound here
aud there; do not know the cause OF the
accident; always thought I was safe
when on that cage; 1t was only n trip
after I went down; looked at the cage
after the bodies were out; 1t wal In the
stump, all bent to pieces.
Arthur L. Wilson testified: Am black.
smith at the Imperial; have been en-
ployed twenty months; my duty 10 to
look e everything pertaining to cages.
The witness here explained the safe
ties and how they work.
The springs OF the safeties are com.
posed OF the best OF brass wire manufac.
tured for the purpose /; when the bolt Is
drawn up and the cage 10 hanging on
the rope the springs are tight: when the
strain is OF the springs q the dogs
and they catch the guides /; the springs
are round, about one-fourth OF an inch
in diameter ; four are in use In each set
Of satellites; its contracting power 10 each
enough to almost carry the cage never
worked In o mine before /; have made
hundreds OF steel springs for safeties
which are intended TO perform the same
office ; these steel springs are three.si1-
tsenths OF an inch thick, sometimes two
inches wide. sometimes q and three
quarters inches wide these are coiled
like o watch spring; these would not
have greater contracting power than
the brass springs the springs must
have failed to act In this instance;
do not think they had o chance; too
much drag on them, for some cause; IL
the cable had broken beneath the surface
they would have acted; the jars Of throw.
ing the cable on the square timbers and
around must have prevented the slack
necessary to allow the s~afetits 10 act; II
the rope broke between the reel and the
shsave IL would not give any slack;
there was too much weight on the cable;
the cable must have struck the timbsrs
and the sheave. and 1t had no chance to
slack; nm sure the safetiss would have
caught II they had had a chance; some.
| thing prevented them from acting; have
examined the s~afeties every day less or
more; rather more than less; examined
this safety the day before the night OF
the accident; the springs were tight and
everythingin order; the four wire springs
would have more contracting force than
two steel springs such as / have de-
scribed.
Cross. examined-Have been % years
q blacksmith; found the brass springs in
use whom / went there; should not have
continued their use had / not tested
them and found them sufficient; the test
was by $50 to 500 pounds and 1t stretched
a spring three or four inches; made the
springs on the cage at the time OF the
accident; springs are adjusted to almost
carry the cage; the springs used ct the
tune OF the accident were 30 adjusted;
the cage was In good condition and bon
neted; bonnet OF iron q inch thick.
Re-direct-Did not examine the tim.
bers to see II injured by the cable; same
safety springs are used In the Julia and
elsewhere; Con. Virginia. California.
| Ophir and Union use steel springs; have
known safeties to catch when the cable
did not break; knew the giraffe In
the mine to slip cable Of the pullies and
give 10 feet slack. aud these Same sale
ties and springs caught Ave times In one
night.
To juryman-The safeties will catch
when the cage sets on the chair; tested
these springs In the shop by swinging
the cage up and cutting 1t down; It
caught In thres-fourths Of an inch; moth.
ing can prevent q safety catching except
the resistance Of the cable; when work
was busy in the mine. oiled the safsties
every day; other times. two or three
times u week; did not oil them the day
before the accident. but did two or three
days before that.
Louis Bsckman testified: Am q rope
man: have been such for seven years In
this county; in former days was such
here; have been ropeman for at least
nine years In oil; was employed in Con.
Imperial Eve months before the acci.
| dent; had been there 2T years; Hugh
Jones took my place at the Imperial;
know the rope which broke; repaired It
fourteen days before I left 1t left
Imperial April II, or about that
time; had never repaired 1t before
II has been in use nearly three
years In all; It Is an English cable;
the breaking strength Of the rope when
..-i. eS coma. fonnd A defective and