The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-07-20

North Carolina during many years
was that recently occurring at the
Cranberry mines in the new county
Of Avery. It resulted in the instant
and horrible death of L. c. Tolley and
the injury of Penn Tolley, with whom
he was working.
Commissioner of Labor NJ L. Ship
man, who is also State Mine Inspec-
tor, has just completed thorough
Investigation of the accident and it's
causes and, also of the mine itself.
Mr. Shipman, on his return from
Cranberry to Raleigh, spent Sunday
here. He talked interestingly of the
North Carolina industry of iron ore
mining.
Mr.. Shipman said:
Upon receiving notice of any death
resulting from accident it is the duty
of the mine inspector, whose duties
are performed by the Commissioner
Of Labor and Printing, to go at once
upon receiving notice to the mine in
which the accident occurred and make
forth the condition of the mine where'
the death occurred and the cause
which led to the same"
81 made a personal investigation of
the mines and especially that part of
the same where Tolley met his death,
and it was a new experience for me l
assure you. / also conducted
searching inquiry into the causes of
the accident and have with me the
sworn statements of witnesses, the
county coroner, the mine physician,
mine superintendent and others.
Briefly, the facts in the case are
these: They will be of interest as re-
lating to the first serious mining &C
cident in North Carolina during a
number of years. There were four
drill runners in the heading working
two drills on the afternoon of the ex-
plosion; Arthur King and HI. s. Holley
running one drill, Penn Trolley and
Cain Trolley running the other: Only
&C Trolley and Penn Trolley we're
in the heading when the accident oc-
CURED. The other two had just left,
one to bring water, the other going TO
the blacksmith shop"
''The miners are paid fourteen cents
a foot for drilling holes. These men
sought to take advantage OF a five or
six foot hole. already drilled in which
there was powder that for some rea-
son had failed to explode when the
hole was fired by the preceding Shift.
This powder was exploded by the de-
donations of the drill operated by the
Tolleys. The top of L. G. TollcVs
head was completely blown off oy
some blunt instrument. The other
man was slightly injured"
while, of course, all mlHing opera
tions are hazardous, I consider the
Cranberry mines as being reasonably
safe. The headings, or tunnels, seem
ed to be we'll braced and the company
appear to be interested in protecting
the miners
General r. F. Hoke, of Raleigh,
was formerly president of the COM
nanv. now owned by Philadelphia
capitalists. The mine, situated at
the terminus of the East Tennessee
and Western North Carolina Railroad,
owned by the same company, has been
operated for more than thirty years,
but much more extensively Of late.
Its output of a peculiar, high-grade
ore is immense, an average of about
three hundred men being constantly
employed. The company also owns
and operates a smelling plant IN
Johnson City, Tenn. To reach the
Cranberry mines by rail it was neces-
sary for me to go via Johnson City,
Tennessee
Mr.. Shipman was asked to describe
his experience far underground, in
the very bowels of the earth, making
a personal inspection of the place
where poor ToIley met his fate. The
genial Commissioners of Labor laugh
ed and said he couldn't do it.
"But I sure am glad I donned the
overalls and colored shirt they gave
me at the mouth of the mine before
descending into that black hole.
saved a suit of clothes by doing so,
for when I returned I was dark and
mysterious looking specimen OF nu-
manity. The entrance into a number
of the tunnels is very steep. In fact
it's almost like shooting the chutes, II
YOU know what that is. The descent
is long and PERCEPTIONS, and the SPOT
of light above your head gradually be-
comes smaller and smaller until you
enter one of the headings, or tunnels,
E<hen it disappears entirely and you
are in the densest gloom. The min
ers light their lamps. They burn a
peculiar, non-explosive oil, giving
forth to the unaccustomed, strange
and uncomfortable odor. There are
twenty-one headings or tunnels. In
the mine, and to traverse any one OF
them is much the same as going
through railroad tunnel without an
end. The further you get into these
headings the more oppressive be-
comes the air, the more offensive the
odor from the miners oil and the
more welcome your recollections OF
the blue skies and sunshine far above
you"
'AThe weirdlY wavering hames OF tn
niners' lamps flicker and dance. re-