The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-03
Met Instant Death.
Two Men Blasted in
No. 4 Shaft, Gal
umet.
with Thirty Sticks Of Powder
Other Items OF InteTest Picked up
Around the Metropolis OF ihe
Great Copper country.


Great Copper country.
Another fatal accident occurred lat
yesterday afternoon by With two mil
ers named Erie Neimi and John DAlvir
saari, met an instant death in the Calu
met branch of the Calumet and Heel
mine. The accident happened at IN
fIty-third level in drift north of No
shaft
According to the account OF the acci
dent as told by the different witnesses a
the coroner's inquest, the two men ha(
finished drilling five holes IN the drift anC
were preparing the powder for blasting
them out when the accident occurred
Before blasting the holes it was neces
ssry TO blast the bottom out OF a hole
which had been left by the night-shiit
men and it is probable that they were
dong this when the powder in some
manner exploded and killed them,
The report OF the blasting was heard
by othe- men in different parts oil the
mine and they knew by the sound that
something was wrong. When they went
into the drift they found the bodies of
the two men terribly manglei aad barely
able To be recognized.
The rema rs were taken 70 the Calu-
met hospital, and Nine Inspector Hall
informed. He went underground this
IN ruing and examined the drift where
the unfortunate affaic happened. An in
quest was held at the hospital this morn
ing.
Three witnesses were examined.
George Hoatson and Erie Walgren,
miners, who work on the opposite shift,
stated that FIVE holes had been blasted
on their shift aud hole eighteen inches
in length had been left 1t would be nee
essary to blast this before they blasted
any other holes. They must haze taken
about thirty sticks of powder into the
DRIFT with them The miners are not
supposed to do any blasting bat very
often do II as the blasters are not el-
ways near by when wanted. The miners
however, are violating rules when they
do their own blasting.
Both Mr.. Hoatson and his partner
said that the two dead men had done
what any other miner would have done
in similar circumstances and they think
the pow der must have exploded in some
unknown way while putting it in to
blast out the bottom of the hole left
from the night before. None OF the other
holes adj heen blasted.
Samuel Pascoe, who was drill boy for
the two men, said that he saw the two
men go into the drift with the powder
and that the distance from the drift to
the shaft wac 800 feet. He was at the
shaft. He heard the blast and turned on
the air to blow out the smoke. He knew
something was wrong when he heard the
report as il seemed like several holes go
ing off at once. Some miners from the
south side went in and found the bodies.
Captain Hall showed the jury what
was left OF watch which one of the men
carried and the stick used to prsh the
powder in the hole was also shown. He
said that no drill could be found and
there was no evidence to show that they
had used anything but the wooden stick.
The jury was composed OF Henry Kitti,
Andrew Simpson, d. McClelland, Dan
Mcleod, Martin Etfiuger and Samuel
Thomas, and they returned the following
verdict:
"We, the jury, find that the deceased
came to his death by the accidental dis
charge Of explosives in their possession in
discharge Of their duties as miners on the
I'd day OF April, 1897, north OF No.
shaft IN the Calumet mine"
Both men are married and resided in
Yellow Jacket.
The funeral OF the late John ID Ilvinaari
will be held tomorrow afternoon. Ser
vices at Pine street Finnish church. To-
terment at Lake View.
The funeral OF the late Eric Neimi will
be held tomorrow afternoon in charge of
the 4. o. L. w. society. Services at
Trinity Lutheran church on Mine street.
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