The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-27
BUTTE News.
A FLAT CONTRADICTION
Experts Say the Indicator Was
All Right.
INQUIRY NOT COMPLETED
Investigation of the Death of William
H. Thomas in the West Colusa
Mine-The Cage Didn't
Stop.
INQUIRY NOT COMPLETED

Coroner Julien began an inquest at
Richards undertaking rooms last ev-
enlng TO investigate the accident at the
West Colusa mine Monday after
in which William II. Thomas was killed
by falling down the shaft The inquiry
was not Completed owing to the large
number of witnesses to be examine ].
and after a protracted session, was ad-
Journed to Friday evening. A fea ,ure
OF the testimony was the flat contra
dlction of Engineer Dunn's statement,
by the expert mechanics of the mina,
that the accident was due to the indi-
Gator getting out of order
William Littlejohn, a miner at the
West Colusa, was one of the men on
the cage. He said the cage started from
the 1000 level and stopped at the 900.
Leaving the 900 there were eight men
on the cage, includinp Thomas. This
was about 3 o'clock. The cage ran the
average rate of speed. 1t went into the
sheaves He did not see Thomas leave
the cage and knew nothing Of his hav-
ing jumped or fallen until told of it,
and therefore could not tell how he got
killed. AS the cage passed the collar
of the shaft the men aboard yelled to
the engineer to stop, and the cage stop
ped just as it reached the sheaves.
None but Thomas attempted to get eff
and no one else was hurt Asked by
Mine Inspector Hunter if the engin err
had ever had any difficulty in hosting
before. witness said the cage had some
times been known to move up or down
when stopped at station, but no one
had ever been hurt by reason of it dur
ing the two years witness had warke
at the mine. The cage went against
the timbers with great force, and wit
ness did not think it was slowed down
at all. After the cage stopped it was
lowered again to the collar for the men
to get off.
w H. Martin and w. H. Harris, who
were also on the cage, gave like testi-
mOny.
Axel johnson stood next to Thomas
on the cage, but said he was SO excited
he could not say whether Thomas
jumped or fell off the cage All he
knew was that he was gone when the
cage stopped up against the Cheayes.
He was facing Thomas and looking
at him, yet professed that he did not
know whether Thomas left the cage
before it struck the sheaves or after
ward.
Edward Dunn was the engineer on
duty. in charge of the engine which
was running the sinking cage at the
time of the accident. He said every
thing was running as smoothly as us
ual and he had no idea anything was
wrong till he heard the men yelling
and heard a crash. Then he stopped
the engine as quickly as possible. 1t
was his custom to slow up about 40
feet below the collar, but the indicator
was out of order and was 40 feet he
hind the rope. This he said was due to
the sprocket chain. which ran the in
dicator. having slipped off the sprockes
wheel onto smooth hub, which Rad
the effect of keeping the indicator GO
ing, but slower than it should go. He
looked at the indicator after the acct
dent and saw that it indicated the cage
was few feet below the surface The !.
He slowed up as usual, as he suppC sed,
when the cage was some 40 feet below
the collar. He had never had an acct
dent of the kind before. He was an en-
gineer of Il years experience and Ii
cenSed. Asked whether he knew if the
Indicator was reliable OF not, the wit
ness replied that he was not an expert.
RPplying to Mr. Hunters qus stions tie
witness said that the indicator evit ent-
ly worked all right when he stopped at
the 900, as he stopped the cage there
by the indicator and consequently the
indicator must have gotten out of order
while the cage was running from the
900 to the surface.
Edward Kent, master mechanic at
the West Colusa. told of investigating
the accident He was told by Eng neer
Dunn that the indicator got out of or
der and Foreman Rockliff of the ma
chine shop said he found the sprocket
chain off the sproCket wheel Witness
could not account for the chain getting
off the wheel 1t has never before been