Gilpin observer., 1913-07-17
TWO MINERS KILLED IN THE POzO M|NE|
John Cannon and Richard Warren are Thrown
Down the Shaft When Skip Turns Upside
Down and Meet Instant Death
Three Have Narrow Escape

rem were killed Tuesday morning in
mime in Nevadaviille. They were com
img up the shaft from the 300-foot
level for lunch, and were riding in
side OF the skip. AT the 100-foot
point, the skip turned upside down
and the two men fell to the bottom,
their bodies being recovered in the
stump.
Riding on top Of the skip were,
John Chapple, Hugh Victor and Nick
MINIS. They had hold of the chain
attached to the cable and by cling
selves until the engineer had stopped
the skip. Cannon and Warren had
no possible chance to catch hold of
anything and save themselves. from
being precipitated down the shaft.
The three men riding on top of
,, the skip were not injured to speak
I, OF. They were pinched about the
legs and body, but did not require
medical attention.
The bodies OF the two unforfun-
ate men who were killed were in a
badly mangled condition when re-
moved from the mine and recognition
was difficult IN the case Of Warren,
and impossible i'm that OF Cannon.
|, Wednesday morning, Coroner Ham
lhk held an inquest, the jury being
composed of j. j. Hamllik, Wm.
Woods, Geo. Grabmair, VIM. Couch,
John Brohl and John G. Williams.
John Chapple was the first wit
ness called. He testified that he
was miner on the Pozo and des-
cribed the accident. He said at the
300-foot level, Cannon and Warren
got into the skip end Victor, Ninnds
and himself get on top. They gave
the engineer the signal to hoist and
were raised to the 100-foot level,
when he felt something unusual TAX
ing place and noticed the skip turn
ing. The men yelled to stop the
skip and miners above at the col
lar of the shaft who heard the cries,
signalled the engineer to stop. The
instant stopping of the skip after
it overturned saved Chapple, MINIS
and Victor fate similar to that
of Cannon and Warren.
Chapple testified that the skip did
not strike anything, so far as he
knew. and couldn't tell just what did
cause it to turn. He said the track
at the point where the accident oc-
Cured was all night SO far as he
knew; that the skip did not leave
the track. Chapple was squeezed
between the bail of the skip and
the rail plate and as soon as he
could extricate himself, he went
down the ladder way to the bottom
of the shaft to find Cannon and
Warren.
Nick MINIS testified that he was
skip and when he and those ON top
of the skip with him shifted their
position. he felt the skip tilt and
strike a wall plate. When the jar
came, he called to Cannon and War
l'ren but got no answer. MINIS fell
between the skip and the track when
the accident occurred and was held
there. He said he helped to right
the skip and found the track and
timbers at the point where the skip
turned in good condition. When he
was questioned about the signal to
the engineer to stop, 1t was brought
out that none of the men on the
skip could reach the bell line, but
the signal was given by Tom Rowe
and Chas. Robinson, who were at
tracted by the mems cries. Rowe
was standing at the collar Of the
sha6t at the time Of the accident
and Robinson was in the Underway
20 feet above the skip.
Hugh Victor could tell very little
Of the accident When the skip turn
ed. he fell between the skip and the
footwall Of the shaft and was rem
oSiSu uhSOusStous. w heH ne Cdlie
to .Mmself, he went down the shaft
to help get the two men out of the
sump
w. II. Irwin, who has been fore
man on the Pozo since the 9th Of
June, was called. He said he didn't
see the accident and all he knew
about ut was what he had heard. AZ
ter the accident, himself and w. II.
Parenteau. mine inspector, made a
searching examination at the point
where the men were kiNled. He said
that until recently, bucket had
been used in the shaft, but under
Instructions Of Manager Lindsey,