The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-05-28
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT,
Three Men at Park City Meet In
slant and Frightful Death.
GREENLEAF, SMELL AND WHEELER
Are the Victims, and the DAILY Mine the
Scene of the Shocking
Accident.

PARK CITY, Utah. May 27.-[Special telegram
to THE HERALD. 1.-The most horrible and
1rlghtful accident that ever happened in Park
City, occurred to-day at the DAILY mine Three
men, IN almost as many seconds, were dropped
down TO instant and horrible DEATH Timothy
l. Greenleaf, Isaac Smell and James Wheeler
were the victims OF the terrible accident. and
thelr death has cast gloom over the entire
community At the time of the accident the
following particulars were learned:
About 10 o'clock this morning the three men
above named started down the shaft to attend
10 their usual duties. Grcenleaf was engineer in
charge of the machinery at the mine, and was
going to The bottom of the shaft to see if the
pumps were working properly. The Others were
TIMBER men engaged in setting timbers as sink
ing ~ tne Shalt progressed. They had attached
d l-Xi2 inch stick of timber, tWcuty-four feet
long, 10 the bottom of the cage to be lowered IN
the bottom of the shaft. The men were in the
cage above the timber. which, in descendlnr
nlorSteo ~ the shaft at the 800 foot level ana
caught on the edge of the station. stopping the
cage ABOVE. The engineer, net being able to
discern that the cage had stopped continued to
lower Until he got a stop bell from the station
lenoer at the 3OO level, TO whom Greenleaf had
called out The engineer had no sooner stopped
tne cage than il became disengaped and
suddenly dropped, and with such lightning
rapQlty and momentum that as soon as it
on top, the clamp holding the cable to the
cage broke IN pieces, letting the cage
urop 10 the bottom, a distance of over three
hundred feet, with the three men, killing them
instantly. A number of men were working at
Inc Dolto but hearing the noise in the Shaft
stepped aside. thus saving their lives They at
once notlhed Foreman Judge, who descended
with others. and extricated the bodies from the
mass OF Splintered timbers and twisted iron
ana brought them TO The surface A more hor-
rlDle sight than their remains presented could
not De imagined, strong, hearty men turning
away unable to view them. Mangied and bleed
ing, Torn ana crushed out OF all shape they
coulu scarcely be recognized The head of
Greenleaf was entirely gone except the flesh of
the face, and that OF Smell hung to the body by
Only thread OF flesh and all the bodies we're
equally and horribly mutilated
The news Of the accident brought a number
OF people TO the mine, and Commissioner ]. M.
Coher, acting coroner, inpaneled a Jury con-
slstng Of a. G. Reese, W. E. Wiseman ana w
~ i mt, Whlen examined the bodies and ma
chlnery and adjourned, TO meet at the civ hall
death '''''0 "a
Timothy T. Greenleaf was about forty years of
age ana leaves q wife and two children. who are
at present residing in Salt Lake He has been
in the Park for number of Years. and for three
years past N the employ of the DAILY COMPANY
as assistant chief engineer and enioyed the
n!gheSt confidence and respect of oil who knew
nm. James Wheeler and Isaac Smell were
eacn ABOUT Iorty-t1Ye years of age and old en-
ployeeS of the DAILY company. The only
known relative of the former is
ms mother living in West Virginia The latter
leaves two daughters, one of whom resides in
the Park
Nothing of the kind that has ever hapuened
IN Park City has caused such universal SYM
pathy as IS extended toward the relatives OF the
victims C.. OF this shocking accident.
The remains of GreeEleaf wiz be taken TO Salt
I1aSe tomol row for burial. Those Of smell and
w neeler viii be buried here.