Amador ledger., 1903-10-02
THE JOSEPH GREGoR FATALITY
A Coroner's Jury Investigates the Mat
ter-A Verdict of Accidental Death.

Friday afternoon a coroner's jury
was convened in the supervisors room
to inquire into the circumstances of the
death of Joseph Gregor, who fell down
the Zeila shaft on Thursday evening.
Coroner G. M. Huberty presided, and
W. J. McGee was present as attorney.
The jury consisted of the following
citizens: Frank A. VOORHEES, Goreman),
A. H. Kuhlman, Geo. Flumer, Paul
Guliani, Arthur Hamrick. A. Gin
occhio, Alex Eudey, Frank Burgin, l..
]. Fontenrose, J. Barton, and J. Gluk-
| felt.
The witnesses examined were W. j.
Harvey, the foreman, A. Salvi, T. T.
Hockins, who were standing on the
skip with Gregor at the time of the ac-
cident, Thomas Flaherty and Fred
Datson, who were in the skip with an
other miner, and John Libby. The
testimony failed to reveal exactly how
the accident occurred. Two theories
were developed to explain. First, that
the deceased, who knew every inch of
the shaft, on discovering that the bell
wire was broken, made an attempt to
step on to the center brace for the pur
pose of ringing the bell in the south
compartment of the shaft, thereby
stopping the skip. AS precautionary
measure, it is customary to stop the
skip at the earliest moment when any
| thing goes wrong with the bell wire.
At the Zeila, when employees are aboard
the skip travels slowly, and while the
act of stepping to the center brace
while the skip is in motion is hazardous,
still it is sometimes done, and had been
done by the deceased himself. Gregor
was the kind of man TO make such a
move in an emergency of that kind.
The skip was coming up the north COM
partment at the time and few feet
above the 700 level. Deceased was
holding the cable with one hand, and
held his dinner bucket and candlestick
in the other. 1t is customary for each
miner to ascend with lighted candle.
That is the only source of light they
have going up or down between sta
tions. The dinner buckets, however,
are usually sent up Independently of
the men. In trying to land on the
center brace, Gregor may have lost his
balance and fell down the south COM
partment, or his head may have struck
the center brace, with the same result.
Another theory is that when the
slack wire became a source of annoy
ance, he endeavored to ward it off,
using the hand with which he had been
holding on to the cable. While so en-
gagged he may have lost his balance and
fell, or in dodging the wire his head
may have come in contact with the
center brace, precipitating him into the
depths beneath.
A. Salvi rang the bell at the 800
level-the last point at which the skip
stopped before the accident. There
was no trouble with the bell wire then.
What caused it to break is not known.
1t may have got caught in the dump
wheel, or the skip may have caught
the slack wire, before it had time to
become taut from the springs In
either case it would be apt to break.
There was no jar felt while the skip
was ascending. He believed the skip
caught the wire and broke it. Between
the 800 and 700 leyel he heard the wire
shake, and said something was wrong.
Gregor looked up and down, and
touched the wire. Did not see him
make move to get to the other COM
partment. Heard no cry. He turned
around and found that Gregor was
gone.
Thomas Flaherty said he saw Gregor
raise his hand, and go through into the
other compartment. The bell wire was
in running order at each station. The
wire coming down the shaft made a
noise; there was about 30 feet of 1t.
The skip went up Is feet after the acci-
dent before it stopped.
7. L. Hockins also saw deceased
move toward the center brace, and go
through the other side. He was try
ing to keep off the bell wire.
Fred Datson saw him trying to fight
off the wire with one hand, holding the
candlestick and bucket in the other.
A close watch was kept on the bell wire
and staples, and when anything was
noticed amiss, it was fixed at once.
Pieces of clothing of the deceased and
the candlestick were found at the 900
level. The body was taken from the
sump by w! J. Harvey and w. c.
Johns.
The jury after a long deliberation n
rendered verdict that deceased came
to his death on the oath of Septem ber
by accidentally falling from the skip
while ascending the Zeila shaft.
The Zeila under its present manage
ment has been remarkably free from
fatalities. In the course of % years
eight men, including the victim of this
last disaster, have lost their lives. An
average of one fatal mishap in three
years is record that speaks for itself.
This last accident was singular one.
Nothing like it has ever occurred in
the history of this county. The bell
wire of tho leila is composed of six or
| Savan strands of stout nalua niznd irnn