The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-01-22
TWO men KILLED
IN P|OCHE SHAFT
nSkIP TURNS OVER AND MEN
ARE PRECIPITATED TO
DEPTH

Phoebe was cast into a shadow of
deep gloom last Monday afternoon
because of the tragic death of two
miners in No. 3 shaft of the Yuba
Leasing & Development company.
The unfortunate ones who sacrificed
their lives were H. N. Craw and
Tom Mathews, while their compar-
ion, J.. J. Mckenna, escaped being
thrown into eternity by the narrow
est margin.
The accident was a most peculia:
one and perhaps never in the his
tory of mining has there been any
thing to compare with this partlc-
ular incident.
The men were coming off shift
and came up On the second skip
through the inclined shaft.
They had arrived within a few
feet of the surface when the skip
jumped the ice covered rails and
i'm almost a flash, the skip turned
turtle and dumped its load into
the abyss below. McKenna was the
first to go but was fortunate IN
catching himself about 40 feet be-
low the collar of the SHAFT and
sustained only slight bruises.
Mathews rolled down the incline
for about 700 feet where his mall
gled form lodged against some tim
bers and was later picked up by a
rescue party. The remains were
hoisted to the surface and the
search continued for Craw, who was
found in the stump below the 1900
station, which contained about 40
feet of water. The pumps We're
started and it was nearly 2 O'Clock
Tuesday morning before the water
was lowered to the point where
the rescuers could obtain h re
mains. OF course, falling the dis
lance that he did, Craw was taken
out a torn idescribable mass.
Mathews had been in the district
but a short time and had planned
to work only a few more shifts
when he was to return to his for
mer home at Bisbee, where a wild
ow, two children and other rela-
tives reside. His brother left with
tine remains for Bisbee last Wednee-
day. Mathews was 26 years II
age and a favorite among his as
s~ociates.
Craw had been a resident OF
Phoebe for a good many years and
was we'll known by all. lie was A
years of age and leaves a widow,
four children, mother, sisters and
other relatives here and in Utah.
The funeral was held from the
Union Sunday school building last
Thursday and interment took place
r a local cemetery. The obsequies
were conducted by Judge Horsey
and the building was jammed by
friends who came to pay their last
respects to the deceased, who was
a highly respected citizen. The flo
raj offerings were many and beauti-
full.
There were so many circumsCan-
ces, so many conditions surrounding
the cause of the accident, that the
jury empanelled by the coroner was
unable, after hearing the testimony
of numerous witnesses, to definitely
fix the blame and brought in q
verdict to the effect that the ira
gedv was due to the accidental ov'
erturning of the skip.
Deputy State Mine inspector HUI
Der was in attendance at the Ill
quest. That official has made an
inspection of the mine and given
orders to make certain improve
ments and apply such safeguards
that there may be no repetition or
such an accident in the future. 1t
will probably require several weeks
to make the changes demanded.
Meanwhile the mine Will not be pro-
ducing, and naturally, the mill Will
be shut down. The repair work at
the mine will be started at once.