Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1904-03-05
Bucket Falls 700 Feet to
Bottom of Shaft.
One Miner Struck and Is Instantly
Killed, But Another MiracuOuSly
Escapes With Slight Injuries.


at 2:30 o'clock. At that hour, accord
ing TO the evidence adduced at the
coroner's inquest, John Mitchell and
w. H. Jahns, two miners, were put
ting in timbers a few feet above the
bottom of tine 735 foot shaft. A large
iron bucket, containing from 1900 to
1900 pounds OF dirt was on its way
up, and had reached a point where
the CROSSROADS, which guide the
bucket, were just appearing above
the collar of the shaft at the surface,
when the engineer, E. L. Ray, threw
off the friction. AS he did so, the
arm which connects the lever to the
''heel" Of the friction broke square
off. Instantly the drum reversed,
and the bucket started down the
shaft with lightning speed. The en-
gineer Immediately threw yer the
brake, checking the bucket in its
descent, but the stop was 10 sudden
and the strain so great that the inch
and a quarter iron bale which was
attached TO the bucket broke in two
places. The bucket, thus released,
started down the shaft on its deadly
mission, turning owe and over as it
fell. Reaching the 512 foot level,
where a heavy door closed the shaft,
and on which stood a small truck, the
bucket broke through it to the level
below, where it encountered another
bulkhead, but it passed through it
as though it we're paper. The noise
Of the bucket striking the door of the
625 attracted the attention of Jahns
who cried to his mate ito look out;
that something was falling down the
shaft" He Immediately lodged back
into the timbers as far as he could
get, and the dirt and dust coming
down prevented his seeing what
Mitchell did, but the supposition is
that the latter unable to get out Of
the way was struck by the bucket or
debris and carried to the stump.
Except for a bruise on the leg and a
slight cut on the head Jahns vas I'm.
injured, and as soon as he collected
his senses he made a light and wen
to the bottom to release his comrade,
He found him with his head ant
shoulders ground into the south side
of the shaft, his body covered will
debris and his feet sticking up in tht
air. He called to him and got M
answer, and catching hold Of him ht
realized that he was dead. Almos,
Immediately relief came down anC
the body Of Mitchell taken to the sur
face, where an examination proved
that his neck, back, arms and leg
were broken, the latter in severa
places.
Immediately after the acciden
work was generally suspended at tn,
mine, a small force being retained t.
repair the shaft, the timbers Of whicl
were badly torn and shattered b,
the bucket in its downward fight
several sets being torn out com
pletely.
Mitchell, the dead miner, ha,
worked in the Montana for a lon,
time and was very popular with hi
fellow men. He came from Butte
little over a year ago with his wifi
and four children, the eldest being
girl of Is and the youngest a boy o
8. He was a steady, Industrious mar
and his earnings were being put int
a little home which he was buildin,
for himself and family in the southern
part Of town
ANOTHER ACCIDENT.
One of the miners who went dow
the shaft to bring up the body Q
Mitchell was James McCloskey. Afte
placing the body in the bucket, tn
latter, with the men, was hoisted
1t had proceeded but a short dis
lance, however, when q piece Of iron
nnnea to he mart of the hroka