The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-24
ACCIDENT At THE RARUS
Richards Lost His Life Through
Carelessness.
THE COR0NER'S INQUEST
He Was Knocked Off the Cage by Loose
Drills-If They Had Been Tied
the Accident Would Not
Have Occurred

Coroner Julien held an inquest last
evening to investigate the accident at
the Rarus mine Friday in which Thom-
as K. Richards lost his life by being
crushed between the cage and wall
plate of the shaft. The evidence indi-
Gated the accident to have been due to
carelessness on the part of the de-
ceased and the jury rendered a verdict
to that effect.
Thomas Greenslade, who was on the
car with Richards when the accident
occurred, related the circumstances of
the accident. He said he got on the
cage at the 1000 level to go on top.
Richards had some drills on the floor
of the cage. Richards rang the signal
to hoist and they started; as the cage
was going up witness heard the drills
rafting and, thinking something was
wrong, he drew himself up by holding
to the safety bar to protect himself.
He did not hear Richards make any
outcry and had no thought of the man
being killed till he got to the surface
and saw his companion was missing.
Witness knew of no rule of the mine
requiring that tools being carried on
the cage had to be tied 1t was the
opinion of the witness that one of the
drills caught under wall plate. throw
ing the others around and knocking
Richards off the cage. Witness thought
that If the drills had been tied the ac-
cident would not have occurred. Re-
plying to questions by Mine Inspector
Byrne, the witness said he thought it
would make no difference what rules
mine management might make for
the safety of their men, miners would
get careless and violate them.
7. H. Larner, the engineer on duty
at the time of the accident, told Of get
ting three bells to hoist, the signal for
hosting men. He did not feel any jar
on the rope, and he had no suspicion
of anything wrong till the cage land
ed. Replying to Inspector Byrne, the
witness said that as a general rule
the drills were placed in a car when
they were to be hoisted
e. A. Dean, machinist, testified to
being one of the party that went down
to rescue the body. They found two
drills lying diagonally across the shaft
about % feet below the 450 level and
lying on them was the body of de-
ceased. The body was removed and
an examination of the shaft was then
made. A drill was found sticking into
a wall plate just below the 450 level,
but nothing else appeared to be wrong
Witness had known Richards a long
time and had regarded him as a care
full miner.
Robert Corkish and Thomas Knowles,
other employees of the mine, were call
ed, but their evidence threw no light
on the inquiry.
Michael OConnor shift boss at the
Rarus, was called and asked If there
was any rule regarding the carrying
of drills on the cage. He said he knew
of no established rule, but that the
men had always been told to put them
in car when they were to be carried
on the cage.
rus, investigated the accident. He
found a drill sticking into a wall plate
below the $50 level and also observed
that the deck of the cage was some
what damaged. This was all he found
to indicate how the accident happened.
but it inclined him to the opinion that
a drill must have slipped and caught
under a wall plate, throwing the rest
of the drills about and knocking Rich
ards off the cage. The witness stated
that the station tenders were always
instructed to place drills in car when
they were being carried up or down.
Mine Inspector John Byrne testified
to having investigated the accident.
There was nothing to be found in the
shaft to indicate how the accident oc-
CURED except the drill found sticking
into wall plate. He had no doubt,
however, that a drill getting caught
under wall plate was the cause. The
deceased had doubtless been holding
the drills and one had doubtless slip
ped from his hold and fallen over,
catching the wall plate In the opin-
ion of the witness carrying drills loose
on cage was an exceedingly hazard
Gus undertaking. In his opinion the
accident was largely due to careless
ness on the part of the deceased.