The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-27

off nor since and nothing had been done
to it. 1t was his opinion that when the
chain got off the wheel the indicator
dial would stop. He therefore did not
believe the chain could have gotten off
the spTocket of itself, for the reason il
could not do so unless the indicator post
got Loose, and this had not been the
case as far as witness had been able 10
ascertain. In any event, an engineer
was not supposed to rely on the indi-
Gator entirely, but instead was sup
posed to go more by the marks on the
ropes, as the indicator only tells APP
proXimately where the cage is. In this
case there We're two marks on the drum
for the 40 and one for the collar, and If
the engineer had been watching the
rope he must have seen this.
Herman Wimeri was another of the
men on the cage and stood on the same
side as Thomas. He could not remem-
Der seeing Thomas leave the cage, but
just as the cage struck the timbers he
saw man falling and, looking down.
saw him fall on the guard rail which
serves as a gate to the shaft. He
thought the cage came up at the usual
speed and could not detect that It
s,ackened at any time but went INFO
the timbers at full speed. He had
thought of jumping when the cage Ven.
above the collar, but it was going too
fast. He did not know where Thomas
tel, or jumped from the cage. When
the man struck the guard rail he top
pied over and went down the shaft
The C.. ge went against the t-mbers with
sufficient force to drive the shoes
through the platform under the shcaVe
Eheels.
John Watson relieved EnsIneCr Dunn
after the accident. Dunn told him
something was wrong with the indi-
Gator. Some Is or 20 minutes later he
made an examination and found the
sprocket chain which runs the indicator
off the sprocket wheel and the indicator
indicated the cage to be at the 40. The
cage had by this time been lowered
from the sheaves to the collar and
stood there. Witness assisted in put
ting the sprocket chain back on the
wheel. 1t went all right and worked
perfectly, and has not been altered
since. He did not think the chain was
loose enough to have run off the wheel
itself. Nothing was out of order with
the indicator, the post or sprocket wheel
and no repairs had been necessary since
the accident Witness, who was the reg
ular engineer on the first motion engine
at the time, said that in running his
engine he went by the marks on the
rope. and not by the indicator, when
approaching a place he intended to
ness saw the cage go up and saw
Thomas fall off and strike couple Of
electric wires, which threw him on the
guard rail and down the shaft Witness
heard the men yell and thought there
was ample time between the time he
heard the yells and the time the cage
struck to have shut off the steam. Wit
ness never looked at his indicator after
his cage left the $50 coming up, but
watched the rope.
William A. Rokliff, foreman at the
machine shops, went to the engine i'm
mediately after the accident. On exam
lining the indicator he found the ma
chinery in perfect order except that the
sprocket chain was off the wheel and
the pointer indicated the cage to be at
the 40, while the cage was at the collar.
After the chain was replaced it was as
tight as it should be and no repairs
were necessary to the indicator ma
chinery He could not see how the
chain could get off by itself and he
could not believe the indicator would
move after the chain was off. Engi-
neers were supposed to examine their
engine when Cling and notice anything
that may be out of order Witness d d
not believe the indicator could turn
after the sprocket chain came off. n
Engineer Dunn was recalled and
asked if the indicator travelled all the
time the cage was coming up. He said
it did and went nearly to the top of the
dial and then Travelled back when the
cage was lowered.
Coroner Julien at this time an
nounced an adjournment to Friday
evening.