The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-07-31
HECLA MINE ACCIDENT
FOUR MEN ARE KILLED
THREE SERIOUSLY INJURED
CAGE RAISED ON SIGNAL
TO LOWER.

Four men were instantly killed and
three severely injured one Of them
probably fatally, in a frightful acci-
dent at the Hecla mine last FRIDAY
evening The accident was due to one
of those nscrutabe acts of the human
mind, against the direful consequences
of which all safety devices are futile.
The seven men were on the cage and
1000 level, The great hoist was set in
motion and the hoistman never real
lied his dreadful mistake until the
cage shot high into the gallows frame,
the heavy ore skip shooting out and
reversing on the dumping rails, which
with the contraction of the guides
brought the cage to a sudden stop.
Two men, one of them dead. wers
found on the bottom of the skip, one
was found alive hanging by one foot
from the cage, one was found dead on
the grizzly, and another was found
dead in the ore bin Another was
found in the bottom of the shaft, hav
ing fallen over 1000 feet.
The dead-B. Bernardo, TranqiM,
Carftamessa, Charles Cantonaro an'
Henry Patton.
The injured-John Martino, broken
hack broken collar bone and scalp
wounds; John Musetti, fractured
shoulder and scalp wounds; L. H.
Craig, fractured skull and scalp
wounds.
All the men were engaged in con-
tract work on the 1000 level except l.
H. Craig, who was eager.
The Inquest
Numerous witnesses were examined
by George w. Walker. justice of the
peace, acting for the county coroner.
L, was shown that the hoistman, j. w.
Wallace, had long been employed on
mcnths had been running the hoist
along with the regular hoistman The
evidence showed that the hoist was
one of the most perfect machines Sand
that it had been inspected both before
and after the accident and found to
be in perfect condition. The evidence
offered no explanation of the accident
other than the unaccountable error of
the hoistman in raising the cage when
he intended to lower it in accordance
with the signal.
The Verdict.
1--WE, the undersigned jurymen, af-
ter inquiry into the cause of the deaths
of B. Bernardo, Tranquillo Cantames-
sa, Charles Cantonaro and Henry Pat
ten, render the following verdict:
That the above named persons came
to their deaths by an involuntary ac-
cident caused by being drawn into the
sheave wheel of the hoist at the Hecla
mine July 25, 1919, at about $3.50 p. m.
of said date. We further find that the
hoistman j. W. Wallace, is not deem
ed guilty of criminal negligence, and
that the Hecla Mining company is
hereby exonerated Of all blame and
negligence"
The jurors were d. C. McKissick j.
s. McInnes, Charles E% Burns, William
Becker, E. G. Smith, Charles Couch,
T J. Thompson, Harry Ross and Sam
uel Eustice.
Funeral of Victims.
The funeral Of B. Bernardo, Tran.
quillo Cantamessa and Charles Can
tonaro was conducted by the Wallace
lodge Of Eagles last Monday morning,
Rev. D. M. Helmick officiating. Brief
remarks were also made by John j.
IO'Neil The funeral was attended by
practically all employees Of the Hec,a
Mining company and numerous other
friends. The procession was headeo
by the Elks band.
The remains of Henry Patton were
shipped to his former home in Mis-
souri,.
NORTH BUNKER HILL.