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rstew160 at Oct 31, 2020 03:26 AM

Page 14

THE EVENING NEWS

FRIDAY, : : : SEPTEMBER 17, 1880

THE DEAD OF NIGHT.

NINE OF TEN MRN KILLED IN CON. IMPERIAL.

A Broken Cable and a Falling cage
the Cause–-Names of the Dead
and Particulars of the Accident

At the change of shift last night in Con. Imperial a terrible accident occurred, by which nine men of the ten coming up the shaft were killed. The accident occurred near the dead of night but news of it flew with wonderful rapidity and soon information of the disaster spread all along the Comstock as men eddied into little circles to tell the sad particulars.

Those who took the place of the men relieved below had gone down and the last of the miners were coming up. The pumpmen were changing shift also, the shaft being in charge of Dick Ryder, the pumpman. It is usual for him to come to the surface at that time, taking the lower cage, and it is presumed, from the fact that his body was found in the station outside the compartment in which the accident occurred, that last night he followed his usual custom. The men had been raised about 200 feet from the fact that his body was found in the station outside the compartment in which the accident occurred, that last night he followed his usual custom. The men had been raised about 200 feet from the station at the bottom of the perpendicular shaft when the cable parted at the reel.

For some reason which is inexplicable the safeties on the upper cage did not catch, and the whole, with the ten men on the cages, went to the bottom of the shaft, and the cable fell also, coiling on top of both cages and men.

As soon as possible, help descended [in] the next compartment to the scene of the disaster. It was, however, some time before the men could be extricated. When relieved John Roach and Frank Smith were found to be alive, and Roach talked a little quite rationally. In taking him to the surface he weakened rapidly and lived only to get to the top.

Following are the names of the killed:

John Roach–Single man; both legs broken and side crushed in; died of internal injuries.

Patrick Murphy–Single; literally disemboweled, thighs smashed and skull crushed in.

Richard Ryder–Single; head cleft from crown to eyebrows, shoulder torn nearly off and the blade driven into his body.

Thomas Meagher–Leaves a wife and five children near the Homestead; head crushed and the brain all gone; badly bruised all over.

Mat. Winnie–Married; three children; top of head all gone; right arm crushed and nearly torn off; badly bruised.

Joseph Hanrahan–Singled; face cut and badly bruised; injuries mostly internal.

Wm. Corbett–Single; head smashed in; upper and back portions of body badly broken and bowels out.

N. B. Farnum–Single; legs badly bruised; injuries internal; most of body black and blue with bruises.

Jerry Sullivan–Leaves wife and three children; head badly cut and bruised all over. It was between 3 and 4 o'clock this morning before the dead were all removed.

There is still much uncertainty about the real cause of the accident. On the lower cage there was found an ax with the handle broken about eight inches from the poll. It has been thought that this ax was with one of the pumpmen and in some way got its handle into the timbers, causing the strain which broke the cable. B. F. Jones, the engineer on duty at the time, however, says that everything seemed to be running smoothly when the cable parted at the reel.

A representative of the NEWS this morning visited the works of the Con. Imperial and talked with Foreman Pendergast about the accident. Mr. Pendergast said the cable was almost a new one–having been but about three months in use–of the best steel wire and English make four and one-half inches by one-half. It was, he said, considered the best in the works, and had never been used to raise rock. It was also ascertained at the works that only last week the pitman of a pump weighing from 2500 to 3000 pounds had been safely lowered by it. Since the interview with Mr. Pendergast, however, the writer has been told by a prominent employee of the mine that the foreman was not positive whether the broken cable was the new one or not.

The blacksmith at the works, who is considered one of the very best on the Comstock, says he is positive that the safeties on the upper cage were all right, and he is unable to account for failing to cth, if indeed they did fail–a point which had not then been determined by actual investigation. The springs attached to the safeties are of spiral-coiled wire, but stiff enough to hold a man's weight, and would surely move the exxentrics of not interfered with, or in some way overcome. He says he has also used the usual steel springs, coiled like a watch spring, but prefers those now in use at the mine.

The NEWS representative while at the works examined the broken end of the cable which was on the reel. He is not a competent witness to testify about it, but the br3eak extended along the cable for about two feet and the wires were so tough as to resist all efforts to break them by repeated bendings. It is not improbable, however, that by repeated bendings over the sheave and reel in running and the vibrations of use, these wires may have crystalized, as iron and steel will do under such circumstances, and broke on account of such crystalization.

The accident is a terrible one at any rate and, as usual, there are many who wish to have the blame cast on the company for the accident. Coroner Brodek will hold an inquest at 4 P. M. tomorrow on the bodies of the dead, and his jury, after hearing all the evidence in the case, will be better able than the papers or the public now to lay the blame justly, if indeed there is blame in the matter belonging to any one. Till that jury has passed on the case it is but fair to suspend judgment.

Page 14

THE EVENING NEWS

FRIDAY, : : : SEPTEMBER 17, 1880

THE DEAD OF NIGHT.

NINE OF TEN MRN KILLED IN CON. IMPERIAL.

A Broken Cable and a Falling cage
the Cause–-Names of the Dead
and Particulars of the Accident

At the change of shift last night in Con. Imperial a terrible accident occurred, by which nine men of the ten coming up the shaft were killed. The accident occurred near the dead of night but news of it flew with wonderful rapidity and soon information of the disaster spread all along the Comstock as men eddied into little circles to tell the sad particulars.

Those who took the place of the men relieved below had gone down and the last of the miners were coming up. The pumpmen were changing shift also, the shaft being in charge of Dick Ryder, the pumpman. It is usual for him to come to the surface at that time, taking the lower cage, and it is presumed, from the fact that his body was found in the station outside the compartment in which the accident occurred, that last night he followed his usual custom. The men had been raised about 200 feet from the fact that his body was found in the station outside the compartment in which the accident occurred, that last night he followed his usual custom. The men had been raised about 200 feet from the station at the bottom of the perpendicular shaft when the cable parted at the reel.

For some reason which is inexplicable the safeties on the upper cage did not catch, and the whole, with the ten men on the cages, went to the bottom of the shaft, and the cable fell also, coiling on top of both cages and men.

As soon as possible, help descended [in] the next compartment to the scene of the disaster. It was, however, some time before the men could be extricated. When relieved John Roach and Frank Smith were found to be alive, and Roach talked a little quite rationally. In taking him to the surface he weakened rapidly and lived only to get to the top.

Following are the names of the killed:

John Roach–Single man; both legs broken and side crushed in; died of internal injuries.

Patrick Murphy–Single; literally disemboweled, thighs smashed and skull crushed in.

Richard Ryder–Single; head cleft from crown to eyebrows, shoulder torn nearly off and the blade driven into his body.

Thomas Meagher–Leaves a wife and five children near the Homestead; head crushed and the brain all gone; badly bruised all over.

Mat. Winnie–Married; three children; top of head all gone; right arm crushed and nearly torn off; badly bruised.

Joseph Hanrahan–Singled; face cut and badly bruised; injuries mostly internal.

Wm. Corbett–Single; head smashed in; upper and back portions of body badly broken and bowels out.

N. B. Farnum–Single; legs badly bruised; injuries internal; most of body black and blue with bruises.

Jerry Sullivan–Leaves wife and three children; head badly cut and bruised all over. It was between 3 and 4 o'clock this morning before the dead were all removed.

There is still much uncertainty about the real cause of the accident. On the lower cage there was found an ax with the handle broken about eight inches from the poll. It has been thought that this ax was with one of the pumpmen and in some way got its handle into the timbers, causing the strain which broke the cable. B. F. Jones, the engineer on duty at the time, however, says that everything seemed to be running smoothly when the cable parted at the reel.

A representative of the NEWS this morning visited the works of the Con. Imperial and talked with Foreman Pendergast about the accident. Mr. Pendergast said the cable was almost a new one–having been but about three months in use–of the best steel wire and English make four and one-half inches by one-half. It was, he said, considered the best in the works, and had never been used to raise rock. It was also ascertained at the works that only last week the pitman of a pump weighing from 2500 to 3000 pounds had been safely lowered by it. Since the interview with Mr. Pendergast, however, the writer has been told by a prominent employee of the mine that the foreman was not positive whether the broken cable was the new one or not.

The blacksmith at the works, who is considered one of the very best on the Comstock, says he is positive that the safeties on the upper cage were all right, and he is unable to account for failing to cth, if indeed they did fail–a point which had not then been determined by actual investigation. The springs attached to the safeties are of spiral-coiled wire, but stiff enough to hold a man's weight, and would surely move the exxentrics of not interfered with, or in some way overcome. He says he has also used the usual steel springs, coiled like a watch spring, but prefers those now in use at the mine.

The NEWS representative while at the works examined the broken end of the cable which was on the reel. He is not a competent witness to testify about it, but the br3eak extended along the cable for about two feet and the wires were so tough as to resist all efforts to break them by repeated bendings. It is not improbable, however, that by repeated bendings over the sheave and reel in running and the vibrations of use, these wires may have crystalized, as iron and steel will do under such circumstances, and broke on account of such crystalization.

The accident is a terrible one at any rate and, as usual, there are many who wish to have the blame cast on the company for the accident. Coroner Brodek will hold an inquest at 4 P. M. tomorrow on the bodies of the dead, and his jury, after hearing all the evidence in the case, will be better able than the papers or the public now to lay the blame justly, if indeed there is blame in the matter belonging to any one. Till that jury has passed on the case it is but fair to suspend judgment.