Arizona republican., 1914-03-29
How Fatality in This instance Was
 Not Averted


 Safety Inspector Wallace McKeehan of the Copper Queen Safety First organization has issued another pointed circular in behalf of the work of his department, which will be found of general interest and dis tinctly worth while the thoughtful consideration of all mines. Mir. Me Keehan deals with a recent fatal ac- cident in the Gardner as follows:
 J. B. Huff and and c. F. Cooper were working for a lead set off the manway in S-19-i Raise, this set be- ing over the chute. The ground was of a clayey nature and the men had worked it out with a pick until there was nearly room for the full set, but before cutting all the ground they decided to stull the center, and Coop CT went down to the drift where he hunted for stull, but could not find one that was long enough He then returned to the raise and told his partner. They sounded the back with pick and then concluded that it was safe enough for them to put in one post and cap. from which they could put timber diagonally across the top, catching the roof. While Huff was engaged in cleaning out for the tenon a slab dropped from the back, striking him on the head and shoulders, breaking the plank on which he was standing, allowing him to fall a distance of three sets to the muck below. When he was hosted from the chute it was found that he was badly injured and a days later he died
 For the want of d small stull a life was lost. Both of these men were experienced miners. They had worked in this raise and adjoining workings for some little time and knew that the ground was short" and liable to fall without giving any warning. Their own judgment told them that the ground needed stulling, and they should have secured that stul. if they had to go to the saw mill for it. but they decided to take a chance instead and now one of them is in his grave.
 The miner who takes unnecessary y , chances gambles with fate and when he loses, oftimes pays the forfeit with his life.
 These men had 4'X10" timber to work off of, but instead they were working on 2'X12" plank. It is 2 company rule that grizzlies or "breakers" as they are called, shall always be kept over chute. T. this had been done Huff wou | not have fallen the three sets, and while the fall onto the soft muck may not have injured him very much, it is certain that it did him no good. The boss in charge of the w0rI. should be censuied for not seeing that these grizzlies were kept in place, as this raise had been put up scvcr; sets without the use of any. A peculiar fact in connection with this ...c4GVnt is that Huff seemed t. have a premonition that he would meet with an accident while working in this raise, as he had told several that he was afraid he was going to be hurt; and yet, in the face of all .his, hc took an unnecessary chance.
 Miners should never trust to the sound of the ground when struck with pick or bar. By placing the hand on the ground to be tested and then striking it, one can tell by the jar if 1t is loose.
 Looking backward. We can all see .Eow this accident could have been avoided. Why not try looking for ward and anticipate these accidents In this case an ounce of prevention would be worth a world of cure. Un- less we can persuade the miners in the Warren district to follow their own best judgment and use every preventive measure possible, We will never be able to cut down ac- cidents from falls of ground WALLACE M'KEEHAN. Safety Inspector.