The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-01-30
" NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Miners MET AWFUL DEATH
SIXTEEN EMPLOYEES OF THE IN
DEPENDENCE MIME.
The Unfortunate wOrkmen HAD Been
Hoisted to the Surface When the
Fngine Refused TO Work and Cage
weat Up to the GaIIows Frame aud
Cable Broke Dropped 800 Feet.

Cable Broke Dropped 1 800 Feet.
Victor, Colo, Jan. 27.-As result
OF an accident which occurred about
O'Clock in the morning at the Stratton
Independence mine. located near the
center OF the eitOy, 10 men are dead
and several others injnrded.
In the main shaft of the mine 10
men were being hoisted in the cage
from the sixth. seventh and eighth le-
vels When the cage got to the sur
face in the shaft house the engineer,
| for some reason unexplained, was nn-
able to stop the enigne. and the cage
with its load OF human freight was
drawn mp into the gallows frame,
where it became lodged temporarily.
The strain ON the cable caused it to
part, releasing the easge, which went
down the shaft at terrific momentum.
| Two OF the occupants OF the cage, how
ever, had become entangled with the
timber rods near the top OF the gall
lows frame. and one OF them. L. p.
Jack son. was crashed to death by the
sheave wheel falling ON him. The
other, james Bullock. had a marvellous
escape from death. but received pain
full injuries. He was rescued from his
perilous position by men in the shaft
house. The shift boss and a number OF
miners later went down into the mine
| through another compartment of the
shaft and found that all Of the Ia men
who started with the cage on its wild
| flight OF lgOO feet TO tho bottom Of the
shaft were dead. their bodies being
scattered at the stations at different
| points.
Their arms and bodies were mAngled.
their heads crusehd and their clothing
stripped from their bodies. From the
TOO foot level 10 the bottom the shaft
is spattered with blood. with here and
there pieces of flesh clinging the to
projections. At the bottom OF the
shaft stands IS feet Of water. and into
this the Gaze plunged. some Of the
men were carried with the cage into
this stump.
Manager Thomas Cornish was pros
trated by the news Of the accident and
is unable TO offer any explanation Of
the affair.
A squad Of military has taken
charge Of the property aud citizens
will not be allowed TO enter the mine
or shaft house until after a thorough
examination Of the machinery has been
made by competent engineers
Frank Gelesse. the engineer in
charge Of the machinery when the ae-
eideut occurred. surrendered himself
to the military and was looked up In
the bull pen. He would not express
any opinion as to how the cage got be-
yond control Gelesse is newcomer
in the district, bat IL said to have been
strongly recommended as n competent
engineer.
Most Of the victims were strangers
in the district-from the Coeur
d'Alenes. the Lake Superior mines and
other districts--to take the places Of
the strikers in Cripple Creek.
The bodies buried at the bottom Of
the stump have not yet been recovered.
Nearly all the men killed leave wild
ows and children.
Harry Goegeu had wife and three
children, who are in Michigan.
W. b. Collins was Baptist minister
and preached on Sundays at Goldasld.
, He was 80 years old and came from
. Cornwall. England. few months ago.
Edward TwigRs and Frank Cochrane
were from the Occur d 'Alsues.
The accident is believed 10 have
been due to defect in the hosting on.
CINE or the brake connections. which
, ara controlled by air The engine Is a
! first motion double reel. and the two
! cages work "a counterbalances. The
cages each weigh nearly two tons.
!. In starting the cage from the 600 foot
q level this morning with the 900 minerS
aboard. steam was used; but after the
cage had gone upward a certain dis
!, lance under steam pressure the steam
: was shut of by engineer Frank Gelless
: and the weight Of counter balancing oil
descending cage another compart.
ment was allowed to bring the load oi
miners to the surface, as is the custom
When the cage with the rs miner
!. arrived at the surface in the shat
hounse Engineer Gellese told Of hi
horror when he saw the brakes woulc
: not work. Similar accidents, il
: which no lives were lost, have Ocourret
: twice at the Independence with tn
: same engines. Expert engineers will
y be secured to examine the engine AM
? determine the actual cause, IL possibl
70 for its fault Of not working.