The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-05-02
SKELETON OF ONE CIROUX
VICTIM IS RECOVERED
FROM THE SHAFT
Remains Believed Those Of Constantine Position
In Which Found Determines Man Was Struck as
Ascending and Carried Back with Mass Of De-
bris--FOund as Feet Above Bottom of Shaft

Lying ON his side in heap OF
muck, 40 feet above the bottom OF
the Alpha shaft, the skeleton or
man, supposed to have been Her
cules CONSTANT. was uncovered yes
terday about noon by the miners at
work mucking out the shaft, and was
shortly afterward brought TO the sur
face. An inquest will be held today
over the remains by Coroner Cart
wright, who was Immediately notified
of the finding of the body by Super
intendent f. w. Walters of the Gil
roux, who drove to Ely for the pur-
pose.
For almost five months to a day
the body has lain covered by thou
sands of tons of muck in the shaft,
the cave which buried CONSTANT and
his companion, J. II. Turner, better
known as Slim" coming suddenly
on the morning of December 4, 1907.
Work of clearing the shaft has been
in progress since a few short hours
after the disaster occurred. In 40
days Bailey, Brown and Mcdonald,
the three miners imprisoned on the
1000 foot level were released after
brave rescuers had risked their lives
hourly In effecting their escape. Since
that time. however. work has been
going ahead more slowly. After the
living had been taken from their
confinement the work of timbering
and making the shaft safe was the
principal object as depth was at
tanned. as hurry could not aid tne
e. H. L.ff ..f N
100 foot working
About two weeks ago the an
nouncement was made that as only
so feet of loose material remained to
be hoisted before the bottom OF the
shaft could be reached. lit was be-
lieved that two weeks or possibly
three would be required To get to
the bodies which were supposed to
lie on the 100. Obstacles, inter-
laced timbers and other distractions,
were found to be In the way OF rapid
work and less headway was made
than had been expected. IL was with
surprise, therefore, that the body was
found practically so feet above the
place where 1t was thought to be-
From the position of the remains
of the unfortunate man II was evil
dent that instead of being killed at
the first fall of rock and debris from
the top, he was caught ascending to
the 1000 level. whittier his compan-
ions, Brown and Mcdonald, had es-
capped ahead of him. That he was
swept from the ladder and buried
in the muck heap by falling debris,
his struggle for life being in vain,
is shown by the position in which the
body was found. as he was lying on
his back with his knees doubled up
as II about to take a step up the lad
der when the fatal fall struck him.
IL is probable that he was killed in
stantly aud not smotrered.
The body of the other man will
probably be uncovered within "A few
days. unless additional difficulties
are encountered, as the muck is daily
growing softer and less difficult to
go through.
The condition of the body found
Yesterday was not as bad as had been
expected Practically all the flesh
had dropped away from the bones.
the skeleton only remaining. Action
of the water In the shaft was quite
evident. The work of removing the
remains was therefore less terrible
than 1t might otherwise have proved.