Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-06-09
TNE ANDES ACCIDENT.
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Following 10 the tsstimopy given at
the Goronsr's inquest BY the supsrip:
tsndents Of the Andes and Con. Virginia
mines, together with the doctors svi.
dsnos and the verdict:
JOHN EoAN.
AN Superintendent Of the Andes
mine and VA acquainted with the men
who lost their lives; I do not know q
any connection between the Andes and
Con. Virginia; have heard there Wa one
but never could and II; the ground II %
oavsd that Il would b impossible to
trace Il out; the men were working In
new ground. but W have passed through
old drifts and crosseufs and have run
some drifts into the old WORKING; !
think the gas came from the Consoli-
dated Virginia and came through some
Of the old works; whom the opening Of
the top Of the Consolidated Virginia
shalt was enlarged Il seemed to diminish
the gas; the only gas I ever nav before
In the mine vas when We cut into old
drifts and openings. when the men would
b driven out for an hour or two; the
old drifts belong TO the old California,
Central and Ophir Companies. and were
made many years ago; have sometimes
run for old drifts, thinking TO get air
connections; ! think the gas came from
the north end OF the mine. near where
the men were working; the drift the
men were In runs southwest, and u In
new ground.
". II. PATTON.
am Superintendent Of the 0onsol-
dated Virginia; I have been Supsrin-
tsndsnt four years. and have been
acquainted With the mine about i've
years. There are no connections to my
knowledge between the Andes and the
Con. Virginia; In the last week Of April
the gas became % bad In the slopes ~
to make Il necessary to remove The men
that were working there; to protect the
men working 10 other parts OF the mine
and the adjoining Ones, I gave instruo.
lions to close up all communications
with the slopes; this b~ulkheadipa wa
completed BY the 4th Of May, and shut
Of all communication from the place
where the gas vas and from the lower
levels OF the Con. Virginia and Cslfor.
mia mines. the 0phir on the north, the
Andes on the west and the Best d Bel.
cher on the south. To ascertain the
pressure Of the gas In the slopes, pipes
we're built in the bulkhsads at the 1850
and 1850 levels. connecting with the
O. 4 @. shaft; about two weeks ago the
top Of the Con. Virginia shaft was COW
cred with planks; before that was done
the pressure Was In through the
pipes@I have spoken OF, but three
days after the shaft was covered the
gas would escape out Of the pipes.
showing apressure Of gas inside; there
was . great deal Of gas still coming out
through the planks not being covered
air tight; at the time the alarm was
given BY Mr.. Eean, q compartment Of
the shait was uncovered. and men we're
sent down into the Latrobs tunnel to
ascertain the condition Of that opening;
they went into said tunnel . 4 distance Of
l400 feet and encountered gas coming
from the west; the point they reached 10
west OF the Con. Virginia shaft; the
point they reached when they met the
gas was In some 400 feet when they
met the gas they rstraoed their steps.
and, on passing the Con. Virginia shaft.
they removed = plank from the bulkhead
between the tunnel and shaft, which
enabled tho gas to escape and allowed OF
their passing out OF the tunnel without
being overwhelmed BY the gas; the La
trobs tunnel starts from Q point about
800 feet east OF the O. i O. shalt, runs
in Q westerly direction and connects with
the Andes shaft by means OF drifts; the
gas continued to escape through the La.
trobe tunnel till the next morning. and
made IL necessary to bulkhead Oh the
@. & O. shaft; the Latrobs 10 . very old
tunnel; there 10 no connection By winze
with the Latrobs tunnel In Con. Virginia
ground.
Question by Mr.. Whitmsn-whst re-
lisvsd the Andesf Wa Il the pulling Oh
Of the planks at the top OF the shaftf A.
No; the gas settling into the Latrobe
tunnel relieved the Andes; Il lowed ont
that way.
Ajuror here asksd Mr.. Egan what
msdd him think that gas came In at the
north end OF the mine. Answer - Be-
cause the old drifts are situated there;
the old 500 level connection 10 sealed mp
BY caves.
Mr.. Patton said be had tried bu. never
could get through. Thought the gas
might have bssn In Q small chamber and
been forced out BY . cave a. 1t was very
soon gone.
DE-. p. .. AIKEN.
On the 9Th instant, about ! o'clock
p. NJ. I was called to 60 to the Andes
mine; ON reaching the works I found
Hunter lying ON the hoor Of the ONCE.
found be was dead. there being no pul.
sation Of the heart; tried to revive him
BY artificial respiration; failed In that,
and then tried . strong current Of cleo
tricity from . battery. which also failed;
I used the same means on Malone. who
Gas the next man brought up, and after
wards on Lsnders, bot got NO response;
I think the men might then have bsen
dead an hour OF two; everything went to
ahow that the men had been asphyxia-
ted.
TEE vxRproT.
The verdict Of the jury was that the
men "cams to their death In the Andes
mine BY being suffocstsd BY gases COM
ing from some unknown source; and We
attach no blame to either the officers or
employees Of the Andes mime"
tn. lively boys Of Liberty Hose Com.