The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-08
TRAGEDIES OF THE MINES.
That Have Happened to
Delivers After Hidden Treasure.

Butte (Mont) Miner.
In this line of work we come across
some curious accidents and narrow es-
capes," said Deputy Mine Inspector Frank
Hunter. the other night. "One thing struck
me long ago, and that is how much it takes
to kill a man sometimes, and how easily
the thread of life is often snapped.
Down in Colorado | knew a fellow who
plunged down eight hundred feet in a sin
gle compartment shaft. He went to the
bottom, but did not break a bone. or
course, he was pretty badly Jared and a.
good deal frightened, but he was all right
again in a day or two. When he fell he
went down feet first, and a big oilskin that
he wore opened out at the bottom and act
ed as a parachute. He SAID the last part OF
his descent was so much slower than the
first that he hardly thought he was drop
ping at all, and half expected to remain
suspended in the shaft. like M~ohammed's
coffin.
Nearly always when a man falls any
distance he turns over If he starts feet
downward, and finishes his plunge head
first. / have seen a number of cases where
the mar fell with his boots on and was
found barefooted when he was picked Up
| suppose this is because the blood goes
to the head. making the feet smaller. am,
besides, the pressure of the air upon the
heel and counter acts as a bootjack.
That was rather a singular accident up
at the Diamond the other day." Mr.. Hunter
weQt on r~efectively. II mean the death OF
Matt O'Hara in the waste hole of the 400.
1t is my belief that If O'Hara had been two
feet further in he would have escaped seri-
Gus injury, as the rock only fell "A few
inches. 1t just happened TO catch him in
such a way as TO break his neck. | know
of a parallel instance where a rock weigh
ing six or seven hundred pounds fell from
a heigh of eight feet upon al man, and he
is alive to-day, though badly crippled.
II had to go over to Sand Coulee last
week to investigate an accident in which
one man was killed and another had three
ribs broken. At the funeral of tie dead
man a request was received from his in
jured partner. who was confined TO his bed.
that the remains might be brought to his
haAgf1n CO hn rOIi6 fltn nna last lOnk ar
them. Well, after the services the process
sion stopped at the house of the injured
man and waited while the coffin was taken
inside, where the lid was unscreWed IN Or
der to give the invalid a view of the dead
mans face. Then the march TO the ceme-
terry was resumed.
Speaking of Sand Coulee. it struck me
while | was there that if | wanted to com
nit suicide j would go there to do IL. 1
in the coal country that the ties that bind
are more easily severed than elsewhere,
but that it affords unsurpassed facilities
for a cheap and happy dispatch. It's a
wonder to me that some of the many peo-
pie who annually launch themselves into
eternity from Butte do not take the Sand
COulee route.
Down i'm the coal mines there is one pas
sage that is three miles long. and in some
of the chambers air does not seem to cir
culate. Upon the walls there is a gather
ing of moisture. and If you puff a cigar in
one OF these m the smoke Will seek
the walls, where IL clings with an undu-
ldting movement ike a spray OF weeds ul-
der running water. The dew on the walls
is white damp, and the dead air of the
chamber where IL IS found IS poisonous.
In a few minutes a feeling of droWsinesS
steals over II man who breathes it. and be-
fore long he Is asleep and dreaming deli
ciously-so those say who la been re-
susostated. But the sleep is akin TO that
of the lost traveller over whose numbed
limbs the Arctic snow eddies and drifts,
for, unless help comes soon. there is no
awakening. II, however, the yenturesome
aXniOrar of the UNDERGROUND death trans
realizes his danger in time and manages to
stagger into the fresh air. he has an expert
ence to undergo which may cause him to
regret that he did not remain inside. Ev-
cry bone and muscle aches with the intol-
cradle poignancy that is known 70 conva-
lescents from yellow fever. The treatment
IS simple, but effective. Being nearly dead,
the sufferer Is nearly buried. a hole is dug
In the soft earth and the victim is made to
stand up In 1t, while the dirt is thrown in
around him until only his head is seen
above ground. This seems to draw out the
soreness; In a short tins the patient has
fully recovered"