The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-16
ANACONDA NEWS.
ms own CmARELEssHtsS
Bastion CAlus Took>a Fatal
Short Out.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
1bs U~nfortunats Man Climbed Over .
ehafs to Save . Few steps-His
Clothing Caught and He Wa
Pounded to Death.

Coroner Hardenbrook last evening
conducted an inquisition into the death
Of Bastion CaIus. who was killed at the
upper works on Tuesday afternoon by
being caught on a shaft and beaten to
death by being pounded against tim
bers as ne was whirled around upon the
revolving rod.
The testimony introduced at last
nights inquest tended TO show that
Calus met death through his own care
l~essness. II seems that the space be-
tween the shaf; upon which he was
caught and the ceiling of the room Is
only abou two feet. and that there is a
similar space between the shaft and the
jies below. Calus. II appears. had occa-
sion to reach q point on h other side
of the shaft. and in order to gain the
spot quickly he climbed over the shaft.
A set screw in the shaft caught his
clothing and ne was whirled around at
the rate of IS or 100 revolutions a min
ute. zach time striking the ioor above
and the jigs below.
II further appears that there was no
necessity or call for Calus to climb over
the shaft. but that there Is a safe path
by means of which ne might have
reached the desired spot without the
slightest risk. The jury brought In a
verdict to the effect that Calus came
TO his death through taking unneces-
sary risks.
Jerry Harrington. a foreman at the
urrer works, was the first witness.
He was upon the stand floor. and while
sta nding -ear the crusher he heard a
Earring under the floor. He remarked
to another man that a pulley must have
become loosened and come OF the
shaft. He looked down under the floor
but could see nothing. He waited for
a repetition of the jar but the noise had
ceased. He again looked under the
floor and saw a lot of rags wound
bout the shaft. He was not sure
whether there was a man upon the
shaft or not. He threw OF the cllnch,
and then he saw Calus' dead body. The
place where the accident occurred Is
not dark. Men occasionally go there.
George Birch was the next witness.
He thought he heard a yell. As he
turned he heard a humping on the
floor. When he got down on the lower
loor he saw the belt had already COM
off the pulley. He said Calus duties
were In front OF the jigs. but OCCASION
ally he had to go to the other side. In
doing this he had evidently climbed
over the shaft instead of going u
Peter Mckenzie added nothing to the
testimony OF the other witnesses.
James McTageart. a rollman, said
that the machinery was a new piece.
He saw Calus about five minutes be-
fore the accident. He was then at work
upon the jigs. In a short time he went
to see what had become of Calus. but
he could not see him. Five minutes later
he heard three or four nocks on the
floor. He heard the belt come of and
saw something red fall upon the roll.
He thought Il was a piece of an apple.
He went below to see what IL was, but
could find nothing. When he returned
he saw Calus lying in the jigs. The
witness himself had always crawfed
under the shaft, but one could go
around the jigs. The route under or
over the shaft was a short cut. Inc the
men used IL because IL ave time. The
shaft Is about two feet from the cell
ing. The shaft has on IL a set screw
which must nave. caught Calus' cloth
ing. The witness had seen Calus go
over the shaft a half dozen times.
There Is a walk around the jigs. where
there is no danger. There is quite "A
risk in climbing over or under the
shaft.
:, II. II. Nell. assistant superintendent
Of the works. knew nothing about the
accident. but explained with reference
10 the safe path as stated above. He
aid the distance by this path from the
point where Calus was to the point
that he desired to reach is about 80
feet