The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-05
Over the Remains of
the Mine Fire Un-
fOrtunateS.
Evidence Taken by the Jury



North Tamarack mine fire. was held yes
terday afternoon. Coroner j. Z. Sowd' 4
empaneled the following jury: James
LAYERS, Christ Shenk, Bernard Bracco
John Rowe, Joseph Kim and Charles
Wills.
When the bodies we're recovered hejury
examined the remains as best they could
and then adjourned to thecaptain's office
where the examination of the witnesses
took place.
The witnesses min ltely described the
fire when it was rst discovered and also
the search for the bodies.
The following is the verbatim testimony
which gives many details OF the uniortu-
nate occurrence:
William Kerr was the first witness e.
ahmed. lie said:
II went to work at the 9th level, No. 3
shalt, Tamarack mine, on Tuesday morn
ing, February 2 took the shovel off
the fell car that was LIT by the night
shift men. We then showed the car out
40 as TO be ready TO be put on the cage
L told Tom HUI We had a car go ON the
cage. We put our car on the third cage
going up. L had two partners and we
TOOK our empty car and went back into
the DRIFT. My two partners filled the car
and when we were bringing il out again
we smelled smoke and we all knew there
was wood burning. because it was not
powder smoke. We then went to the
plat with he ear, but when we got there
annlA m ~ IA e
smoke. We then went back into the
level and up through Wine to the Sth
level. When we opened the door the level
was full OF smoke. Then we went back
to the 9th level and into drift. We re-
turned To the 9Th again and went into
shaft and rang tue bell for the cage.
When il came we got in, rang il up and
came to surface.
when we put the first car on the cage
we saw DO fire or smoke did not know of
any fire in the mine. We did not take
our lamps OF our hats when we put the
car on the cage. We filed our car in the
DRIFT. All the other men were outside
We did not send the cond car up on
account Of smoke In the plat.
81 think il was about hall an hour
from the time we sent up the fret car
until we came to the plat with the second
car. We did not send this car ND because
of the s.noke.
81 have no knowledge of how the fire
originated, but am sure IT did not come
from my lamp"
Eric Neima, trammer in the same
party, testified through an interpreter al
follows:
Il was working in the 9th level Tues
day morning Training out OF the d lit.
Went down in the morning without any
light, but got one from plat man. / put
car on third cage DING up and took an
empty car and went into the drift for
more rock. | took half an hour to fill
the car. When We opened the trap door
coming out with a full car we found lots
oil smoke. We left the full car on the pl {
and there was so much smoke there we
could hardly live. We climbed up TO the
9th level TO come TO surface in the cage.
but could not get il so we went back to
9th again, but the smoke was so bad we
returned 10 the 9Th and sgnaled TO sur
lace Tor the cage. which came down aud
we went TO surface.
There was a lamp hanging to a spike
In the timber at the shaft. We left this |
lamp burning when we went into the
DRIFT. am not sure that my lamp did |
not cause the fire. mean / am not sure
that the lamp bar ging to the spike did
not cause he fire, but Am sure my lamp |
did not. saw flame Of fire in the lag. |
ging over my head IN The plat"
August Fuisti, the third trammer. was
the next witness:
II was 10 the mine Tuesday morning.
February 2, 1897. with my twOpartuers.
We found full car when we " eut down
to the 9th level. We did not hang our
lamps TO the tinb-r. Ny partner had n
spare lamp hanging to u rpike or to a
chain.
The lamp was away from the timber
and was burning when we went Into the
drift did not rte any fire. but lots Of
smoke when We came CUT
Samuel TrudgeOn, one Of the party OF
rescuers that recovered the bodies, testi-
fed as follows:
81 was standing outside last evening
when one OF the SEARCHING party came ND
from the mine and stated how far they
had been in the mine and | volunteered
to go down with the others in search OF
the men. | got permission and was in
structed by Captain Gribble to make n
search at the 9Th level and If we did not
find the men there and we wished to go
any further we could suit ourselves, but
us to be careful. We went on
the cage and down to the 9th level,
which We searched. but found nothing.
We then climbed to the 7th and searched
on the south side and saw several dinner
pals, but no men.
eve we're nine men in all, and divided
into two parties. Five men went down
the stope and four through the winze to
the Sth level and searched right through
the level and found nothing. We then
went to the 9th and 10th levels, but
found nothing. We then went to the
18th level and found some water in the
level. We went through the crosscut to-
ward No. 3 shaft and at the trap door
Ia the crosscut we found the bodies OF the
men we were searching for They were
laying in the bottom OF the level near
each other. The father bad the dinner
pail on his arm. We discovered the
bodies about IL o'clock p. m. February
3, 1897"