The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-03
Joseph Salotto Rolls
to the Bottom of
No. 9.
And Meets a Horrible Death.
Deceased Was Employed OfIing Roi-
Iers-supposed TO Have Missed
His Footing.

The accident at the Tamarack mine
was followed by one at the South Hecla
yesterday afternoon by which Joseph
Salottc, a young man in the prime OF life.
met horrible death. Salotto was bare
ly 20 years OF age and was employed as
oiler in the shaft. having charge OF the
rollers. He was stepping on platform
at the Sth level, when, by some means,
hp fell backward into thes shaft and rolled
to the bottom, a distance OF LOO feet.
HIS body was horribly mangled. almost
beyond recognition. He was taken to
the hospital and the mine inspector mott
fed. A jury viewed the remains at the
hospital and then adjourned to Justice
Fishers Office, when the only witness was
examined. He was the partner OF the de-
ceased and gave the details OF the sad
affairs as follows:
II work in the South Hecla mine fixing
rollers and was with the deceased yester-
day when the accident happened. which
was about $40 o'clock, at the 9Th level
OF No. 8 shaft, South Hecla. There is a
roller about four or FIVE feet below the
Sth level and l was at work about fifteen
feet above that on another roller, chang
ing end for end. While was changing
the roller around nv partner stood on a
ladder near me. Then he asked me II we
should go down farther this afternoon or
not. | said we had better wait and 90
through tomorrow morning. He said,
All right, | will look after that roller at
the 9Th level He then went down to
the level and went into the shaft to look
at that roller. The roller was all right
and not out OF place enough to take it
out. | was up on my roller yet when l
saw him come up on the south side OF the |
shaft and get on the platform and it |
seemed to me that he had lost his bal |
aDce and fell back into the shaft. The |
roller was four or five feet below the |
level and he had to get up this four or
five feet to reach the platform.
IL stood there and listened, TO near
how far he fell, for awhile. When he
was down about 100 feet heard him
veil. The skip was up to thesurface load
ing timber and the skip came down about |
five minutes after he fell. When / heard |
the skip coming took the bell line and
stopped it at the 9Th level. After | |
stopped it went up the shaft and called
to a Waterman, after which l went down
as lar as the 18th level to look for the de-
ceased, The Waterman went down on the
ladders.
IL met a man, coming up, at the 10th
level and asked him il be saw a man fall
ing down the shaft; he said there was a
mt fell down the shaft az far as the 25th
level. / went out OF the shaft and on the
ladder down to the 23d level. when |
found they had already taken him over
to No. shaft. | went over TO No. s
shaft, thinking TO catch the cage and 90
up with the body. The cage had already
gone up with the body, so | waited until
D O'Clock and then went up"
The jury returned the following verdict:
1--WE find that Joseph Salotto came to
his death by falling backward into No. Q
shalt, at the Sth level. South Hecla mine,
and we consider 1t purely accidental"
JOHN SODDY,
MARC CURTo,
JAMES LISA,
JOIN JosEY.
JAMES REYNOLDS,
THEODORE RAIDER.
The deceased will be buried tomorrow
morning, the procession leaving the
house for church at 8 O'Clock prompt.