The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-24
MET A TERRIBLE DEATH
Miners Frightful Fate in the
High Ore.
HIS BRAINS DASHED OUT
1t Is Supposed He Became Sick While
Ascending the Shaft-His Head
Came in Contact With the
Dividing Beams.

Homer c. Smithley, a carman en-
ployed at the High Ore mine No. 2,
met a terrible death in the shaft of
the mine yesterday at noon time. While
ascending the shaft in the cage he
apparently became sick from some
cause, and pitching forward, had his
brains dashed out against the beams
dividing the compartments of the shaft.
At the High Ore No. . the men are
all brought on top at the noon hour
for lunch and it was while the men
We're being hoisted for this purpose that
the accident occurred. The shaft is a
three compartment shaft, with single
deck cages working in the middle and
east compartments. The cage in the
middle compartment was loaded at the
1,20O-foot level, eight men getting on
board. The. signal was given to hoist
and the cage was taken away. 1t had
gone less than so feet when he was
seen by his companions to pitch for
ward. He was standing at the ex
IRENE west side of the cage and as his
head bent forward it came under the
cross pieces dividing the middle from
the west compartment.
Smithley's companions saw the dam
ger Immediately and tried to ring the
stop bell, which is difficult thing to
do when the cage Is in motion, and it
could not be done in time to save the
unfortunate man.
Station Tender Frank Mcdonald, at
the 1000, was waiting to load the cage
in the east compartment, and conse-
quently stood at the station He saw
the rope moving and knew the men on
the cage were trying to ring a stop
bell. Accordingly, he rang the stop
signal, but before the engineer could
stop the cage it had gone to within
about IS feet Of the 900 level. Owing to
the cage being crowded, it was impos-
sible for the men to pull Smithley in
onto the cage, and all the way from
where he fell forward to the point at
which the cage stopped poor Smithley's
head bumped against the cross tim
bers, coming up under them and strik-
ing with great force.
When the cage stopped he was pull
ed in and the cage was then rung to
the 900, where it stopped. and it was
found Smithley was dead, the whole
back and top Of his. head having been
crushed and mangIed in frightful
manner The cage proceeded to the
surface, where the dead man was laid
out in the hoist, and Coroner Julien
summoned. After viewing the body it
was sent to Shermans undertaking
rooms.
Smithley as carman. had been run
ming car in and out of a 1,400- foot
drift on the 1900. at'the breast of which
blasting had been done about 8 O'Clock
in the morning.. The ground had been
shoveled back and the miners were
at work putting in another round of
holes. Smithley was running out the
dirt. In, the opinion of Deputy Mine
| inspector Frank HUNTER who made an
investigation, a little gas must have
remained in the dirt which Smiihley
breathed as he worked in it, and when
| he came to get in the purer air of the
shaft he became, sick, as is sometimes
the case under such circumstances, and
the sickening caused him to pitch for
ward. Mr.. Hunter stated that he could
not account for the accident by any
other theory.
The deceased was about 2S years OF
age and single, He lived at 1884 East
Broadway and had worked in the mine
since Dec. Is. FROM letters in his pos
session it was learned he. had two
brothers in Illinois and one at Lead
vile. but nothing else is known of his
relatives He is not known to have
had any relatives here. Among those
on the cage was A. NJ. Weigenstein, a
brother of John Weigensten, who was
killed by an accident in the Moonlight
Coroner Julien will hold an inquest
this evening. -! IS