The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-26

was abut to put in place; that the rope
dangled in the working shaft and the
cage, descending, caught it, jerking
Thomas off his balance. That of Mr..
Hunter was that the stay projected
into the working shaft and was struck
by the cage knocking Thomas off his
balance. Foreman Miles of the West
Colusa gave an entirely different opin-
ion, and expressed the view that An
COVE must have been mistaken
throughout. but his conclusions did not
seem probable.
Mr.. Hunter, while on the stand, took
occasion to censure Angove for not
ringing a stop bell, which, he said,
would have saved the life of Thomas,
but AngOve professed that he was I'M
able to do this. The testimony was
as follows:
John Angove was working with
Thomas and one other in the morning.
They put in a water column in the
pump shaft. and in the afternoon went
down to the 500 to put in stays and
put on some clamps Thomas stood
just below the witness at work when
a piece Of plank, the witness thought
it was, came down the shaft and hit
Thomas on the head. causing him to
fall away. Witness called to him, but
got no answer, and at once started be-
low to look for him. He found Thomas
two sets below wedged into the ladder
way and his feet stuck through into
the hosting shaft Witness tried to
pull him back out Of harms way, but
could not do it, so he called to a man
at the 500 to flash the danger signal
Almost instantly the cage came up and
caught the mans feet on the bonnet,
pulling him through into the hosting
shaft. The cage crushed past the body
and he fell down the shaft to the stump.
Witness, in response to questions, said
he could not reach the rope to ring a
stop bell; that Thomas was still con-
scious but did not speak when he
reached him; that he had his arm
around Thomas and the man was
pulled out of his arms; that he could
not tell exactly what it was struck
Thomas: no one was working above
them; that whatever it was came down
the shaft struck witness hat and wrist
and then struck Thomas on the head.
Alfred TregOning was the other man
working with Thomas and Angove. He
was with them two minutes or SO be-
fore the accident. They sent him be-
low to attach rope to stay they
wanted to haul up and use. AS soon as
this had been hauled up, witness heard
a groan and heard Angove yell to flash
the danger signal. which he did. He
flashed a second time and the cage
the shaft. The second signal he gave
was to indicate to the station tender
where to stop, yet the cage did not
stop, but went on up. If Angove had
called down to give stop bell, witness
could have done so in time to stop the
cage. Witness was unable to state
whether the cage was in motion or not
when he gave the danger signal.
John E. Adams, topman at the Leon
p.1 ao1l lad 10
the danger signal flash. He usually
did notice when signals were flashed,
though he did not generally notice
what the signals We're.
Samuel N. Lees engineer and pump
man at the Leonard, was at the collar
of the shaft when the accident oc-
Cured. He was sure nothing fell into
the shaft from the surface.
Nate Pilligi, another topman, was
called to testify regarding the signals.
He generally saw the flashes, but saw
none at this time as far as he could
remember.
w. J. Bullock, an assistant of de-
ceased, was next called. but was un-
able to throw any light on the matter.
M. f. Ruggles, the engineer on duty
at the time of the accident was called
and asked if he received a danger sig
nal. He said he did not.
John H. Miles, foreman of the West
Colusa, was called and examined as to
the flash signals and as to his investi-
cation of the accident. He found the
cage bonnet bent, piece of rope hang
ing to the cage and piece Of Thomas
jumper hanging on guard of the cage.
He also found stay at the bottom or
the pump shaft. 1t was the opinion
of the witness that Thomas and An
COVE were handling stay, one Of
which protruded into the hosting shaft
and that the cage came up and struck
the stay, throwing Thomas off. The
stay found at the bottom of the shaft
been broken Witness thought Angove
must have been mistaken with regard
to the manner in which the accident
occurred and that Thomas must have
been knocked into the working shaft
at once. In explaining the flash light
signal system the witness said it was
simply for the purpose of calling the
station tender when he was on a sta
ton, and if he was not at station, the
cage being in motion, he would not get
a flash signal.
The witness Angove was recalled and
stated that when he reached Thomas
after he fell the first time he had a
mark on his forehead as though some
thing struck him there. He said he
could not be mistaken as to Thomas
having first fallen to the platform and
being pulled into the working shaft
out of his arms while he was powerless
to prevent it. Questioned as to his
statement that something fell down
the shaft and struck Thomas on the
head, he became confused and said he
might be mistaken about that and that
it was possible the cage striking
the stay might have caused it to
fly up and strike Thomas on the head,
and that it might even have gone high
enough to have struck him on the hand
and hat a set above Thomas.
G. r. Davis. foreman of the Leonard
mine, said that as soon as he learned
of the accident he gave orders to have
the cage which had caused the acci-
dent as he then understood, left at
the surface till an inspection could be
made. Mine Inspector Hunter soon ar
rived and witness and he examined the
shaft. From the 500 they climbed up
to where Thomas had been working.
They fplIn1 hing unusual and from