White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-30
TWOK|LLEDFROM
UNUSUAL CAUSE
FATAL RESULTS WHEN BLAST
STARTS CARS THAT COLLIDE
WITH ENGINE IN COPPER FLAT
PIT.

| Caught by the resistless weight
of dinkey locomotive that had been
suddenly set in motion by the i'm
pact of a string of loaded cars in the
big pit at Copper Flat, w. E. La
point, a steam shovel engineer and
T. Bouecki, a craneman were killed
about 2 o'clock, Tuesday morning.
After removal to the emergency hos
pital, both bodies were taken to the
Nevin & Graham undertaking es-
Establishment at Ely, where they have
since remained.
The accident was an unusual one
inasmuch as the men We're killed
after having as they supposed sought
place of safety from a blast. Be-
fore the firing of the blast, LaPoint
and Bouecki had left the shovel on
which they were employed and gone
distance of between 400 and 500
feet, 1t is stated, and taken refuge
near the dinkey locomotive that had
been uncoupled from string of four
ore cars and moved ahead to get out
of the way of the blast. Walter M.
Barr, engineer of the dinkey Nd
BAL, testified at the coroner's in
quest that the distance was about
$50 feet, and that after setting the
air on the four cars, he had backed
away slowly, in order to make sure
the brakes on the cars were holding
The cars stood on a grade of about
one per cent, with a heavier grade
between the cars and where the loco
motive was stopped.
The accepted theory seems to
be that the jar of the blast, caused
the air brakes to be released on the
ore cars, which moved swiftly down
. the grade and crashed into the en-
gine, the impact being sufficient to
move the dinky about ten car
lengths, before stopped by the ap-
lplication of the brakes set by En-
gineer Barr after the cars had
struck.
The two men killed, together with
II. A. Tucker, fireman on the steam
shovel were standing near the
dinkey. When the engine started,
Tucker was struck but in a manner
TO be pushed out of harms way. La
Point and Bouecki, standing on the
track, went under the machine,
Both were large men, LaPoint being
six feet and five inches tall and
weighing more than two hundred
pounds. The latter was dragged
some distance The engine came
upon the men so Unexpectedly that
neither had a chance to get out of
the way, and the chances are that
both were almost instantly killed. 1t
is said that LaPoint, the larger of
the victims, was rolled along in the
narrow space between the locomotive
and the embankment and the rails,
and that Bouecki went under the en-
gine. Both bodies we're crushed and
mutilated in a shocking manner.
Both were single men, LaPoint
was a member of the Elks Lodge
303, of the Dallas, Oregon. The body
will be sent to Portland. Oregon. this
morning, for burial, the Elks having
charge of the funeral. He was 30
years of age.
Bouecki came from st. Paul,
Mimi, and brother of the deceased
arrived from there last evening, to
make arrangements for the funeral.
Neither of the men had been long in
the district, but both were popular
with their associates and had made
many friends who were greatly
shocked at the suddenness and ma
ture of their death.
Corners Jury Places Blame to the
Carelessness of Men Killed.
The following jury summoned
by Coroner A. j. Cartwright, COM
menced investigation as to the cause
of the accident, Thursday morning:
Alex Baird, Jesse Blackburn, o. II.
Paulson, John Short, A. j. Stevens,
Sam Bloom, w. o. Moorman. After
an examination of number of wit
nesses, the jury returned a verdict
Thursday evening, in effect that the
two men met death through their
own carelessness. The accident, was
also investigated by Deputy Mine In