The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-13
LARGELY TO BLAME
Luther Jaeger Entrusted His Engine
to a Stranger.
WITNESSES AT THE INQUEST
The Jury Finds That His Death,
Was the Result Of HE Own
Neslisenoe-The Funeral
This Afternoon.
WITNESSES AT THE INQUEST

| 1t was shown at the inquest held last
evening on the body of Luther F. Yae-
ger. the underground engineer, who
was fatally injured In the Gagnon
mine Tuesday. evening, that the dead
man himself was largely to blame for
the accident. and a verdict was re-
turned to that effect. The inquest was
held before Coroner Richards and q
jury composed Of Chance Harris, b. c.
w. Evans. j. d. Richards. G. C.
Rhoades. George w. Newkirk and Will
liam Fezzy. The two most important
witnesses were James w. Dalrymple,
who hoisted Jaeger into the sheaves
while attempting to lower him to the
sinking pump 10 feet below the 1900
foot station, and Thomas Gill, the night
shirt boss, who was an eye witness to
the accident.
Mr.. Gill's testimony was substantial
ly as follows: II was at the 300 foot
station on Tuesday night when the
accident occurred. Jaeger had left q
STATESMAN down to the bottom of the
shaft which is about rs feet below the
1900 and hoisted the bucket back to the
station. He then stepped onto the
bucket and said to Dalrymple, Jim,
want you to lower me; / want to Oil
the pump He had his oil can in one
hand and took hold of the rope with
the other. AS soon as Dalrymple took
hold of the engine Yaeger went into
the sheaves. / told Dalrymple not to
touch the air and started to run
around to the other side when Dalrym-
pie lowered the bucket and helped him
out. said to him, This is a bad job,'
and he replied speaking to Dalrymple,
Jim, you told me you could run the
engine The reverse lever was up on
hrr
or not Yaeger left 1t that way. He
could easily have taken hold Of the
pipe and gone down the incline to the
pump. Dalrymple has been in our en-
ploy Tor about year. He is not an
engineer and 1 never heard him say he
was. I consider that the accident was
due to absolute carelessness on Yae-
gers part. 1 guess that was to blame
for allowing Jaeger to allow Dalrymple
TO touch the engine. but / did not
think anything about 1t at the time. /
never knew the men to have had any
quarrel"
]. w. Dalrymple testified as follows:
Il had run an engine for two weeks at
the Star West mine. The engineer was
sick and they allowed me to run the
engine because / could. I am not a
licensed engineer. On the night before
the accident Yaeger and I were talk
ing about running engines and said
that could run engines, as run the
one at the Star West. / never told
Yaegear that I was an engineer and
never pretended to be one and never
said could run this engine. / under |
stood the motion of the engine and |
when Yaeger stepped onto the bucket |
and asked me to lower him down to |
the pump i threw the brake off |
did not notice how the engine was set |
or that II was set in the forward mo- |
ton. When it did not lower / thought /
Yaeger said Give her air. and / did |
so and he shot into the sheaves. |
thought the engine had been left by |
him as he wanted IL and therefore paid |
no attention to 1t. Before he stepped
into the bucket he said: Lower me
down. Jim. I want to oil the pump
Our relations were always pleasant"
Andrew Jacobs, George w. Evarts,
John Hewitt. William H. Chellew and
John H. Miles. deputy state mine in
spector. also testified.
After reciting the facts in the case
the verdict stated: This jury finds
hat the deceased. Luther F. Jaeger.
the spirit of his duty by en-
trusting the engine to a stranger. 1t
s also shown that he could easily
nave gone to the pump without using
he bucket. Therefore IL is the opinion
If this jury. after listening carefully
10 all the evidence, that Luther r.
Yaeger's death was the result of neg
igence on his own part and that none
others should be held responsible" Il
Yaeger will be buried from the Butte
rooms at 2 o'clock this |
afternoon in accordance with instruc-
ions from his sister. Mrs. Dana Tay-
or. of Rolla. Mo. Service will be con-
iucted by Rev. E. ]. Groeneveld.