The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-25
ALMOST A FATALITY
]. B. Knight has a Wonderfully Mar
row Escape From Death.
THE BRAKE WOULDN'T WORK
For q Short Time Things Looked
Very Blue, But He Still Lives
II Happened on a Rarus
Ore Tramway.
THE BRAKE WOULDN'T WORK

j. B. Knight had a wonderfully mar
row escape from instant death at the
Rarus mine Saturday evening, and he
is congratulating himself that the in
juries which he received. while very
painful, are not of a serious nature.
Mr.. Knight is one Of the top force at
the mine, and his work consisted Of
running the ore from the ore bins at
the mine to the ore house farther down
the hill The ore house Is about 300
feet from the mine. and is connected
with IT by a double tramway, which is
built on a steep incline of about 40 de-
grees. The cars dump themselves au-
tomatically and are so arranged that
the loaded cars going down haul the
empty car back up to the mine. The
cars are connected by a cable which
passes around two wheels at the top,
the rope going around each wheel three
times. The brake is operated by lever
between the wheels which presses two
blocks on the inside rims of each
wheel. The brake was out OF order on
Saturday morning, but had been re-
paired and was supposed to be In a
perfectly safe condition.
About 4:30 o'clock Mr.. knight started
to lower some first-class ore to the ore
house, and the instant he attempted to
apply the brake after starting the load
ed car down he discovered that some
thing was wrong with II. A chip or
stone had found its way into the slot
in which the lever moved and blocked
1t so that 1t was impossible to force the
lever down. With nothing to check Its
speed the loaded car went tearing down
the steep incline at terrific speed. and
the light car on the other side came
up like a shot out of a gun. Mr..
Knight pluckily stayed with the lever,
and redoubled his efforts to force II
down and apply the brake. When he
finally became convinced that he could
not move 1t IL was too late for escape.
He was standing on a narrow board
between the wheels on which the flying
cable was wound and the only way OF
escape was to run back along the
plank. He concluded that the car was
coming up with awful velocity and
would overtake him If he attempted to
run along the plank, so he remained
at the lever and leaned out over the
side opposite the rapidly approaching
car as far as possible. He could not
get entirely out of its way, however.
and 1t struck him on the left side and
knocked him senseless and to all APP
pearances lifeless. Several men who
had heard the roar Of the cars ran to
his assistance and carried him into the
hoisting works. where he soon regained
consciousness.
Murray & Freund's ambulance was
telephoned for and he was removed to
their hospital, where his injuries were
given prompt attention. 1t was found
that his principal injuries were severe
Commissions of the left side and left hip
which, while of an exceedingly painful
nature, are not considered serious
The little finger OF his left hand was SO
badly lacerated that 1t had to be am
putated. He also sustained numerous
painful bruises and will be confined to
the hospital for some time. The force
of the car was greatly broken by two
wooden uprights which 1t encountered
at the top of the tramway. but for
which Mr.. Knight would undoubtedly
have met instant death in a most ter
rible form.