The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-25
General Supt. Gemmel Hears
Report From Those Who
Visited Mine.
LIFE WAS SACRIFICED
WITHOUT NECESSITY
Mr.. Gemmel Gives COmpany's
Account Of the Recent
Death of Men.

J. D. Shilling, mines superintendent,
and ]. NJ Hayes. assistant secretary
and cashier, of the Utah Copper com.
pany. who were sent to Bingham by the
company TO investigate the cause of
the recent fatal snffocatiou of four
men employed by the company. returned
10 Salt Lake Tuesday morning, their
task being over. They Immediately
filed their report with r. c. Gemmel,
the general superintendent OF the com
pany, who late in the day issued the
following statement TO the press:
Mr.. Gemmel's Statement.
The Investigation shows that no one
was To blame for the casualty by which
Kent Smith, Hugh Byrnes, George VIII
son and Domonick Spatta Spladero lost
their lives, II was one Of those accidents
that no one can forSee or provide against,
II was the hcadlong courage OF Smith
and the others that prompted them to go
down on sub to save men they thought
were there. but who had not even been
down on sub for a number OF days. 1t
was an heroic and unselhsh deed on their
part. and 1t only makes 1t all the sadder
To know that their efforts were entirely
useless and OF no avail.
The men lost their lives i'm the working
known as SUD 6. main tunnel. This work
ing is twenty-five feet below sub and
is connected with that suh-level by a
raise. For the first twelve feet below the
floor of sub this raise is on d very tiat
slope, TO a short level landing, and from
there on down the raise Is on sleeper
slope. equipped with regular mine lad
ders. Entrance TO these workings Is
through Soldier tunnel, thence down lad
ders in raises to sub s, thence In same
manner down 10 subs z and q. There Is
also an entrance TO sub Z from the face
of the pit These workings have not
been used for underground workings
since last July. They originally extend
ed to the face OF the pit, but near the
face OF the pit they have been caved In
by the blasting necessary to break the
ore down into the pit. The work on subs
and now consists OF putting in holes
and charges of powder at about twenty.
five or thirty feet back from the face Of
the pit, where the workings are safe, for
the purpose of blasting the ore or the
face OF the pit outside.
Ordered to Stay Out.
1t was known on Wednesday last that
there was gas on sub 6. as two men were
partially overcome there then. Superin-
tendcnt Shilling at that time Issued or
ders that no one was 10 go in sub to
work. until a connection had been made
with that level, from the face OF the pit,
so as to give a good circulation Of air,
and General Foreman Kent Smith passed
these orders on TO the other foremen.
These orders were carried out,
When miner by the name OF ]. j,
Ashcroft end an Italian named Tony,
who were on the Saturday night shift
went into sub Z. they started to make an
examination OF sub 10 see how the air
was and found the body of DominiccS
Spatta Spadero in the raise between subs
and 6, and about twelve feet below the
floor OF sub I, These two men mnde an
effort to get the body up to sub I. but.
being partially overcome by the gas In
the raise. had to have help before this
could he done. Spatta Spiadero had no
business down there below sub Z. and his
presence there cannot be accounted for.
men always worked together, surmlscd
that Spatta Spisdero's partners might be
down on sub 8. and sent word 10 General
Foreman Smith. When Smith. Burns
and Wilson came into the mine they were
met by Ashcroft and Jackson Steel. who
told Smith all that had happened, and
begged him not TO attempt TO go down
on sub g. Smith advised Ashcroft who
was still weak from the effects OF the gas.
to go on out of the mine, and that he
and his assistants would get the other
men out Ashcroft repeated his warning
ana advised Smith that IL any one went
down on sub ., only one man should go,
and he should have a rope around him,
so that the others could stay UP on sub
advice however. was not taken, and
Smith, Burns and Wilson all went down
on sub together.
Was Useless Sacrifice
While Ashcroft was resting on sub s.
after tho Smith party passed, one OF the
partners OF Spatta Spiadero came into the
mine. When Ashcroft saw him he In
quired where he came from, and was
told that he was working on the surface
al! day. When asked in regard to his
partner, he said he was home sick, Ash
croft then rushed down TO sub 7 and
called down the raise to Smith that the
partners were found. and 10 come out.
He got no response. Then a rescue party
was formed under John Mcdonald, as
sistant superintendent. and the following
men in relays. With ropes around them.
were sent down into sub TO try to save
Smith and the others: Mike Mays,
Jackson Steel. Tom Caulfield. Tom Shan
non, William Riley. J. II. Fitzgerald. Jack
Hunter, Fred Wood. James Wilkinson,
Aaron Brethwaite, Jed Shilling. Frank
EmandVlo. Ed and Jack Sickles.
DR., Ray stayed at the top OF the raise
the entire time, restoring the men TO con-
sciousness and rendering valuable as
sistance.
In speaking with n Tribune repre-
sentative Tuesday evening, Mr.. Hayes
said II was a wonder that forty or fifty
more deaths had not occurred as more
than that number OF brave fellows 1T
the mine would have rushed into the
fatal tunnel 10 bring out their stricken
couradae bo6 No, Nv NTcnnp,lJ