The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-14
H0iStiDg Accidents.
Something Should Be
Done to Prevent
Them.
Several Very Good Patents
which May Re Used 20 Good Adj
vantage at Several or Our
Mines.

Wines.
A short time ago when writing about
;, an accident at a mine when the cage had
] been hoisted through the shaft house.
D The NEWS mentioned that once when
j with Captain Daniels at the North Tam
arack, that gentleman in explaining the
new hosting machinery stated that it
would be impossible to pull the bucket
through the shaft house owing to some
automatic attachment.
Since the late accident at the Tama-
rack mine, when the cage was pulled up
into the roof timbers, the News has
been asked why the automatic attach
ment was not used there-as the News
understands it there is such an attach
ment but owing TO the fact that the
hosting is done at such rapid rate, in
addition to the fact that at the No. 2
shaft, where the accident happened,
there is descending as we'll as an as
cending cage and that the weight OF the
descending cage with its thousands OF
feet OF rope prevents this automatic
attachment acting.
The News does not wish to be pessi-
mistic but seeing this is the second acct
dent at this same No. shaft. but tortu-
nately the timbers in the shaft house
were strong enough to bear the cage
when it got jammed in the roof on both
occasions-at the first accident there
were several men in the cage but there
were none in at the last accident, and as
history has been known to repeat itself
it is quite possible it may do so in this
case, and therefore is 1t not the duty of
the mining inspector, unless he is wholly
Tor ornament, to insist that something
should be done, il there is any POSSIBLE
ity OF such thing, to prevent similar
accident as that which occurred at the
Red Jacket shaft some years ago when
80 many men lost their lives.
The editor OF the NEWS IS not a ma.
chinist, neither is he mechanical engi- !
neer, but from enquiries he has made 10
informed that there are attachments in
use at the pits in England by which such |
accidents are rendered impossible and
that Capt. Daniels was and Assist ant
Superintendent Watson, of the Osceola.
is well aware OF the fact; indeed after
Capt. Daniels trip to England some
years agoto study hosting machinery |
he came back 80 fully impressed with
the value OF Walkers patent detaching
hooks that he had one made on that or
some similar principle, but for some reas-
on 1t has never been used at the mine.
Persons who have worked at mines in
the old country where these detachable |
hooks are IN use tell us they have seen
cages pulled up into the roof, but as soon
as the cage reached certain point the
hosting rope left the cage, which was
held by self-acting grip in the timbers
and that in such cases it only required |
from twenty TO thirty minutes to nut
things to right before hosting was re-.
sumed.
1t would look as il this matter sbould
be enquired into by the mine manage.
ments and that if Walkers patent de.
taching hooks do all that is claimed for
them they should, in the interest of not
only those working underground but OF
the hosting engineer, be Immediately
adopted.
By some strange coincidence when an
accident OF this kind happens 1t is gener.
ally during the shift OF one who ia looked
upon as the most careful engineer of the |
crowd; these men must have an awful
care on their minds knowing the safety |
OF 80 many men depends upon their strict /
and continued watchiuDness-it tells on
many OF them, we can recall the case Of |
one man who when he started to run q |
hosting engine was hale and hearty and |
weighed considerable, but when he left |
oil was 30 reduced in weight from his con.
slant fear OF something dreadful happen |
ing that those friends who had not seen
him for some time scarcely knew him.
lt would look to an outsider that these |
hosting engineers should be a BODY Of
picked men and should receive the best
wages OF any mechanic on mine.
->-S-s
Partridge Season Opens Tomorr.v
The partridge season in the Upper Pen. |
insula opens tomorrow and, Judging