Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1908-02-21
Eleventh Body
Reported Recovered


eleventh and last body Of the men
who lost their lives in the terrible
hre at the Fremont mine near Dry
town on November 18th, was recover.
ed IN the shaft at about the eight
hundred level. Nothing was found
with this body by which it could
possibly be identified from the rest
OF those recovered. The bodies of
each was held for number of days
for possible Identification, but as yet
only one has been identified, and
this one only from watch found with
it and belt. All the small articles
are being kept for inspection.
1t will be remembered that at the
time of the fire one of the two
Italians who escaped made the asser-
tion that man had been caught
under the skip, which caused the
latter to become jammed SO that it
could not be moved at all. They did
not know but that more than one had
been caught under it,, but they we're
quite positive that one at least was
very badly hurt. And now the
eleventh man was found at the eight
hundred level, all Of them being
found within little over one hundred
feet of each other. Whether this last
one found was the one caught by the
skip, or that one was really caught,
no one probably will ever know. |
AS soon as the skip became jammed
Harry Osborne, foreman of the mine,
jumped into the other skip and was
lowered as far as the seven hundred
level, when he was stopped by some
one ringing the bell. Then he was
hailed from below and told that the
mine was on fire, and not to go any
lower. In spite of this warming he
started again to descend, but was
rung up by one Of the men below
him. The men at that time could
not have been very far below the
seven hundred level according to
Osborne's assertion. When he reach
ed the surface he was almost uncon-
scious. The Fremont had always
been downcast shaft, that is the air
was going down that shaft and up the
Cover, the two mines being connect
ed through the six and thirteen hun
dred levels. But the action of the
fire had created ii draft up the Fire.
mont, and at the time Osborne was
lowered into the shaft had only
begun to change. When his skip was
raised, it caused suction, drawing
the smoke with it. The men had
only time to climb about fifty feet,
more or less, before the gases had
overcome them. The flames probably
Ibid not reach them for some time, as
this part of the mine was net so badly
damaged from the fire.
Later.
There seems to be doubt as to the
recovery of the last body. Bones of
what was thought to be the last
victim were found about the 800
level. 1t seems, however, that ten
skulls or portions have been recover
ed, so there is no doubt that number
of bodies have been taken out. The
eleventh skull has not been found,
and indeed. all the remains so far re-
covered might be those of the ten
men.
The disaster occurred between .the
1000 and 1850 stations. And the re-
port of the two survivors was to the
effect that one man was pinioned by
the skip, and begging to be released,
his cries indicatingNth he was badly
if not fatally hurt. This could hard
ly be the case if portions of eleven
men have been found over $50 feet
above the point where the cage got
jammed; unless his fellow workmen
tarried to eXtricate him from his pre-
dicament, and even then it is lmpro-
bable that he would be allie to ascend
the shaft that distance with the
JULIUS, IL III any "dJ ulshDleh.
This point will not be cleared up
until the shaft is cleared to the point
where the skip was jammed. 1t is
thought likely that the last man Will
be found where he was caught in the
shaft. Below the 800 level the shaft
is caved badly, and it will require
considerable time to get down to the
skip.
One thing is evident; the victims
so far found, were endeavoring to
save themselves by climbing to the
top of the shaft. They labored under
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