The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-21
THEIR SKULLS CRUSHED
Emil Flankey and Herman Beik-
kila Meet Instant Death.
CR0SS-HEA0 FELL DOWN
While Being Lowered Into the Shaft OF
the Otisco Mine. a Heavy Timber
Falls N Crushes Their
Lives Out.

Emil Flankey and Herman Heikkila.
mine in the southern part OF the city,
met a terrible death in the shaft yes
tcrday morning. a few minutes before
. O'Clock II is not known positively
just how the fatal accident occurred. as
there were no eye witnesses. but from
That a cr~oss-head used in operating the
bucket i'm the shaft. stuck and did not
go down with the bucket. and then fell.
after the men were down a distance,
striking them on the head and knock
ing their brains out.
At present the shaft Of the Otisco is
being sunk and three shifts, of two men
each. are being worked. Flankey and
Heikkila were partners and worked on
the morning shift. The mine Is worked
by means of a bucket. and. the shaft
being vertical, what is called a cross
head is used To guide the bucket up and
down. This cross-head Is a heavy i'm
Der running across the shaft from one
guide to the other. and in each end IL
cut a dove-tail mortise. which uns on
h guides. The rope runs through the
center OF the timber and about five
feet above the bucket are two clamps
on the ~ to hold the cross-heads from
getting closer to the bucket. but there
IL no clamp above the cross-head and
therefore when the bucket is lowered,
the cross-head goes down by it's own
weight and there is nothing TO prevent
IL from catching in the shaft N II should
meet any obstruction. in which case IL
would stand still while the bucket went
pm down. Attached to the cross-head
II built a platform on which men may
ride In the bucket. The added weight
OF the platform gives the cross-head
a weight of from $50 to l75 pounds. suf-
fcient to make IL go down with the
bucket regularly enough. unless some
obstruction should meet H..
Yesterday morning the two men came
on top about 4:15 o'clock To eat their
lunch. Al about "a quarter To : o'clock
they started back To work. Getting in
the bucket. they were lowered away.
When the bucket Vas down about 20
feet. the engineer felt a Jar on the rope
and stopped his engine as a ~precaution-
airy measure. but did not suppose any
thing serious had happened and waited
a few minutes expecting to get a signal.
Receiving one he sent another en-
ploye TO call down the shaft and inVes-
tigate the trouble The man received
no reply. and getting a candle went
down the pump shaft. He found Helix
kila lying on his back on a wall plate
and Flankey hanging over the edge OF
n bucket. propped against the side Of
the shaft. Both were dead.
Assistance was Immediately sum-
moned and the bodies removed. After
being viewed by the coroner. they were
taken 20 Sherman's undertaking rooms.
The n i'm which the men were
killed. seems best accounted for by Dep
uty Min Inspector Frank Hunter. who
was early on the ground and made an
Investigation. Mr.. Hunter thinks that
while the men ate their lunch ice form
ed on the guides at the collar OF the
shaft. where there was much moisture.
and that when the men were lowered.
the ice held the cross-head Until the
bucket had reached the point at which
the bodies were found, when IL became
lOosened and fell down the shaft. strik-
ing the men on the heads and killing
them instantly. Whether IL was ice or
some other obstruction tina held the
cross-heads. this r. doubtless the way
in which the accident happened. as
there were no marks on the bodies
aside from those on the heads. where
their skulls had been crushed in. The
engineers promptness In stopping the
bucket and the fact that II came TO A
standstiH At the wall plates undoubted-
ly accounts for h fact that the bodies
did not fall 10 the bottom Of the shaft.
Justice Of ;he Peace Laurandeau. act
ing for Coroner Tremblsy. held an in
quest last evening at Sherman's under
taking rOV1ss - investigate the acct
dent. Attorney NJ. ID. Leehey. repre-
a brother Of one OF the dead
men. questioned the witnesses. repara-
tory. and II T. understood. TO beginning
n damage suit
job o. wesillnE. the engineer on duty