The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-05-17
A FATAL ACCIDENT.
Sad Death of James II. Waters.

The town was startled last Saturday
morning by the news that an accident
had occurred at the Star of the West
mine on Copper Flat, resulting in the
death of Jas. II. Waters and the seri-
Gus injury of Otis johnson. DR.. Rich
ardson and number Of citizens imme-
diately left for the scene. Mr.. john
son had already been removed TO the
Ragsdale house in Robinson, where the
doctor made an examination of his con-
dition and found that besides a severe
nervous shock, his principal injury was
broken arm. The body Of Mr.. Wat
ers was still at the mine, but was brought
down town to be placed in condition for
burial.
According to the statements OF the
witnesses TO the accident it occurred
/ about as follows: Messrs. johnson and
/ Waters had been working in the shaft
at depth of about 30 feet, while Fore
man Tippstt was operating the whim.
] 1t idbbti iidu liiHb hOiHbtd OuGhcb
and had gone to empty it, when John
son, who had been to the surface, start
ed down the shaft, leaving both doors
open at the top without warning Mr..
Tippett. When tho latter returned
with the car and bucket, he started to
push them over the shaft, believing the
doors to be closed as he had left them
only a moment before. The front wheels
OF the car dropped off the track and
were stopped by the cellar OF the shaft,
but the heavy iron bucket tipped over
before Tippett could catch it and
plunged down the shaft onto the un-
fortunate mon below. johnson and
Waters had taken up part OF the
staging on which they were working
and were each standing on couple
planks when the bucket struck them.
just what happened then Mr.. johnson
does not know. When he recovered
consciousness he found himself clinging
to his plank and his companion lay in a
heap on a platform near the bottom,
80 feet below Mr.. Tippett called FL
mer Bray, who was close by the shaft,
to his assistance and together they went
to the rescue OF the unfortunate men,
but by tho time they had reached Mr. |
Waters he was just breathing his last
A post mortem examination by DIR. /
Richardson failed To reveal ths cause
OF his death, which was probably from
concus.ion of the brain. The only
bruse perceptible was small ono over
the loft eye and the fact that his left
ankle was broken would indicate that
he struck on his feet. When taken
from the shaft he was bleeding profuse
ly at the nose.
The same evening Judge Tyler, as
Coroner, impanelled a jury consisting
of the following gentlemen: d. c. Me
Donald, Frank Paul, Chas. Grunditz, f
Sam Brown, W. J. Peters and +. J.
Leahigh. DIR. Richardson and all the
eye witnesses Of the accident were sx,
aminsd after which the jury rendered +
the following verdict:
"We, the undersigned jury, sum
moned to enquire into the death of
death by falling from platform in the t
Star OF tho West mine, falling about
80 feet, caused by bucket accidental F
ly falling into the shaft. :"
No attempt was made by the jury to +
attach the blame for the accident to +
any person or persons In seems to +
have been the result of one of those +
peculiar com binations of circumstances I
which so plainly indicate the working 7
OF an unseen power in the lives OF men,
working out its inscrutable ends thro'
our unconscious agency. Both Mr.,
Tippett and Mr.. Johnson were close
personal friends Of the deceased and I
deeply deplore the result of the sad af.
fair.
James II. Waters was native of st.
Agnes, Cornwall, and was about 43
years OF ago. He came here last sum-
mer from Austin, of which place he was
FOR many years respected citizen.
During his residence here he worked |
continuously In the Copper Flat mines
and won tho regard Of all as thorough 4
miner and a true man. His family, /
consisting OF wife and five children, /
who stil reside in Austin, were notified
by telegraph of their irreparable loss +
and directed that the romans be taken /
there for burial Kind hands fitted +
the body for the journey and it was
started after the inquest in charge of
Elmer Bray, arriving safely on Tues
day at its destination. The deceased +
was member of the |. O. o. F., and 1t F
Is believed that he was also member
of several other fraternal orders.