Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-23
DISASTER IN A
BINGHAM NINE
Fatal Gas Takes Lives Of Four,
Three Of Whom Tried
Rescue.
SOMEONE'S FATAL BLUNDER.
Men We're Not Supposed 10 be at
Work in SIX Level Whose Dan
ger Was We'll Known

Because someone Numbered, or was
careless, four men gave up their lives
IN the Utah Copper mine al Bingham
Saturday evening. That much is now
known of the fatal accident which
cost the lives Of Asst. Supt. Kent
George Wilson, steam shovelman, and
Dominic spiadero, an Italian laborer.
Shortly before o'clock Sunday eve
ming, at which hour the shift at the
mine changes, Dominic Spiadero, ac-
companied by two fellow laborers, en-
tered the mine. and went into what
has been known as six level. Where
the two men went who accompanied
him is so far unknown, as aside from
the fact that they did not enter that
level, which is said to have been the
object of warning, because it was
known to be n dangerous place.
When the shift changed. at Z o'clock
the body OF Spiadero was found hang
ing across the ladder half way between
the sixth and seventh levels. Spiadero
had probably been dead some little
time when his body was discovered, but
because he was known to have been
working with one or two other men, it
was believed certain that these others
We're in the small working known as
six, and a rescue party. consisting OF
Asst. Supt. Smith. Hugh Burns and
George Wilson, steam shovelmen, and
Brakemen Oscar Mann and Ruby, was
found.
Smith, Burns and Wilson were low
cred into the death hole by a windlass
manned by the other two members of
the rescue party, and as they disap-
peared from the sight of their COM
panions at tho windlass it was the last
time they We're seen alive.
The circumstances point to the fact
that the rescue party OF three left the
rope at the foot of the short shaft lead
ing from seven level to that of six, in
their search for the supposed missing
companions of the dead man, and that
they were soon afterwards overcome by
the deadly gas and were unable to
again reach the rope, their only road
to safety.
So deadly were the gas fumes arts
ing from the mouth OF the shaft that
the two waiting members of the rescue
party, who manned the windlass, were
overcome and had to be removed to the
air, where they later revived
The bodies of Smith, Burns and VIII
son were not recovered till IL o'clock
that night. when a hose line was run
into the level from the compressor and
the deadly gas forced out.
Many and unceasing efforts were
made to rescue the men who had so
fearlessly risked their lives in an effort
to save those. of the men who were
thought to have been with Spiadcro,
and about so men, who We're among
those summoned from every available
quarter to assist in the work of rescue.
were overcome by the gas before the
level was sufficiently clear Of gas to
make an entrance safe. Many of these
are still suffering from the effects OF
the experience, but all will recover.
s What led. or made the accident posi-
BILE is not yet known, and cannot be
definitely ascertained earlier than late
this afternoon or tomorrow, when the
Investigation by the mine management
is complete, but it Is now certain that
tho ill-fated Spiadero was working
alone, or that at least he entered tho
deadly level alone, because. after the
death Of the three rescuerS,it was learn
ed that at the time they were giving
mp their lives III the hope of saving the
others, these two men were eating their
dinner at the boarding house, ignorant
OF the fact that they We're being search
ed for in the depths of the mine.
The fact Is well known that the
working In which the men gave up
their lives was known to be unsafe,
together with the fact that orders had
been given by Asst. Supt. Smith that
none were to be sent to work there, and
how it happened that these orders were
not obeyed, remains to be discovered by
the pending investigation.
The mine is being worked. almost en-
tircly from the surface by means of
steamshovels, and the work done. what
little there is, underground. is done
merely to loosen the ground to better ia
cilitate the work of the steam shovels
on the surface.
Just the nature of the deadly gases
which have cost SO dearly Is not known,
though they are supposed to be a chem
ical compound resulting from foul air
and powder fumes.
The death OF Kent Smith Is one ofthe
most pathetic, under the circumstances,
which have ever been chronicled In
the mining history of the state. At tho
time OF his death he had been in the
employ of the mine company almost
continually since that company in
stalled its Bingham plant. and was one
If the best known mine and mill men
in the state.
When Smiths body was removed
from the mine 1t was still hoped that he
coud be revived, and heroic measures
were adopted, everything being done
MrlkJ 4 IRE