The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-10-30
Fatal Accidental Tam
arack Junior Last
Night.
Coroner Holds Two Inquests.
One Over the Remains Of Paul Kobi.
Killed Yesterday Morning-The
visit OF Booth-Tueker.

which Peter Ripa, or Riippa, met hi
death IN the Tamarack Junior mine
Riipa was a timberman, OF Finnish birth
was 32 years OF age and leaves wifi
and nine children to mourn his loss.
The accident occurred south OF No.
shaft. at the 9th level, and Ripa was not
killed instantly, but died shortly after
being removed to the dry. The coroner's
jury examined the remains at his home
this morning and then heard the ap-
pended testimony which gives the partic-
ulars OF the sad affair. The widow and
children are in destitute circumstances
and the jury turned oyer their lees to
them.
James III. Chynoweth testified as fol-
lows-We were cutting hitch getting
ready to put in piece OF timber in the
9th level, south OF No. ?. Deceased was
holding a MOL. had been striking up
TO within few minutes OF the time OF the
accident and l then gave the hammer
over to another man and stepped TO one
side and in a very few minutes heard a
rock fall and several pieces fell around
me. | got hit in two or three places.
Rock came from the hanging and they
were timbering the stope at the same
time. The timber was about FIVE or six
feet from where the rock fell. We were
under the top battery cutting hitch
under the ground that fell and nobody
had any idea that the ground WAS weak.
The vein was ahor. eighteen feet WIDE.
l don't belong with the tlmbermen and
was only there couple oidays this week.
The deceased was sitting down on the
timber and the rocK came down and
struck the foot wall and glanced. Ii was
about fourteen or fifteen inches SQUARE
and i've or six inches thick. 1t struck
him under the shoulder, but did not kill
him instantly, de walked being sup
ported TO the dry. The rock did not fall
directly over him. / think when the rock
fell he heard il strike the foot wall and
he Jumped to get out OF the way and
jumped in the way. On the back OF the
VEN between there and the main hang
ing there is a cab OF the vein and that j.
where the rock came from.
John Morcom, the next witness, said
am timberman and have charge OF
the gang of timbermen south of No. 2
shaft, 9th level, and was working there
yesterday when the accident occurre d
Started to work there Wednesday. We
examined the ground there when We
started to work and made sure every
thing was safe. We put in three pieces
OF timber yesterday morning. We went
there again and the first thing | did was
to go up and examine the stope and
found everything all right as il was the
day before. DID not notice any rock that
would be likely to fall. Examined the
place this afternoon. There was no
blasting done between the time | exam.
lned the stope and the accident occurred.
No blasting had been done there for two
weeks. We put in three more pieces OF
timber yesterday and had taken the
length OF another piece and went down
IN the level TO cut in and when down in
the level heard crash in the stopa. /
called up in the stope and asked IL every
thing was all riyht. Then the reply was
every body is all right" Then someone
says, "No-Peter is hurled" | ran up
the slope and found the deceased on his
knees between the two pieces of timber
we put in first yesterday. So we took
him down to the leyel and brought him
to surface. The accident occurred between
2:3O and 3 o'clock and he died shortly
after 3. l could not tell how much
ground did come down. The top battery
s up about twenty feet from the level
and we put in the top battery first.
What we call battery is three or four
pieces OF timber from the foot to the
banging. We had our bearing pole nm
close TO the vein and the top timber /
should not think was more than four feet
from the vein.
John Connolly testified az folllow+I
orked down No. 2, 9th level. south of
he shalt with the timber gang. Our
'tope was about two weeks Idle: we did
lot work in it. | have been working
here three days with the timber gang
md every day l worked | looked over |
ny head to see what was over. could |
zee nothing | was afraid OF and felt az
'afe there as here. The rock came from
our or i've feet south OF the battery. I |
vas on the south side near where the
'ock came down and Peter was on ton of |
ne battery cutting hitch. There was |
battery over him and another under |
Inn: was working IN the mills; Peter
worked between the two batteries aud ! /
nough he was In safe place. The 70 ok
ell on the foot wall south Of Peter; il |
vas about fourteen or fifteen inches wide /
md Tour or five inches thick. looked /
around almost every day and could see |
lothing that would be likely to fall
Iowp. Somebody called from down the
nili IL Everything was all right and | L
aid: Yes, everything ~ all right, After
minute l saw Peter and heard him
'roan and said, Peter il hurried. was
tanding away about six feet from where
he rock struck him and think be must
ave run from where be was working 70
where the rock came down. belned
hem take Peter TO surface.
John Chygwidden testified as foIIows-I
was working in No. 2 shaft. south az
he 9th level with the timberman and
RED the ground yesterday with a bar
here the ground fell away and all over
felt perfectly safe and had no more fear
nan II was on surface. Peter and
'ere cutting hitch at the time: I was
triking, he was holding the nail and cut.
Ing the hitch. When I heard the rocL
all ! jumped in under a battery we put
D tnat morning, and Peter jumped mn
the mill. on the south side; jumped In
ne north side. Peter laid under the bat.
cry and started to groan. We took him
Town and to surface.
John Maroon (re-called) said-Tbere
vas a crack IN the main banging and that |
vas the reason the timberinq was st a rted
% make It secure. The hi nging was very
.mooth, but at times SCALES came away
Lne crack was up close to the vein and
an right away over the foot.
The jury was out a short time. who,
.hny eoluen<.d fho l<.ll<,.-s<- "ntu