| Show ISSUE STATEMENT T TON ON MINE HORROR The Utah Copper Disaster Is Classed as an Unavoidable Accident THE MYSTERY IS ADMITTED Citizens of of Bingham Believe Sub Boss Violated Orders of Superiors Following tho the Investigation of oC the Utah Copper Copier mIne disaster of ut Saturday Saturday Satur Satur- day a which resulted In the death eath of F F. Kent Smith foreman and anti three miners n. n B. B Gemmell general superintendent super super- In of oC the tho company made a formal statement of the tho ca case e yester yester- day The I Investigation t on was conducted conducted con con- ducted b by blIno Mine lIno Superintendent J. J D. D Shilling and J. M. M Hays treasurer of the company In his statement Mr III Gemmell says sas that no one was to blame for the accident ent as it was nn on accident pure and simple lIe He admits the mystery surrounding the presence of Dominick in tho tue lower crosscut crosscut crosscut cross cross- cut Sub 6 where tho the fatalities occurred oc OC- oc- oc It is h generally rally known that warning had been given by Superintendent Shilling and Foreman Smith on workIng working work work- ing log in Sub C G following following- the accident of Ve Wednesday in the same place which came camo near resulting In two deaths from Crom bad air all The reason of the Italians Italian's presence Is common commonly accepted In the camp as tho the order of ot one of ot the sub-bosses sub to three men on tho the du lay day shirt shift of oC whom was one ono to get In two gophers on Sub 6 The crosscut afforded excellent ex ex- ex- ex I opportunity for fOI an effective blasting of or the pit lit wall and In the rush to get loose rock for the steam shovels it is believed that orders were disobeyed and the three miners had hadr hadI the shift Saturday I r working day In n Sub 6 Start to From Mr 11 Gemmell's statement a t substantiation of this opinion is seen when It is admitted that two miners on tho the Saturday night shift shirt started to o go to Sub 6 G to see how the air nil was wasa a a step always taken by miners following fol- fol owing lowing a n shot which leaves smoke prohibitive of work unless a good draft or 01 compressed air all Is used It was vas going to Sub C G that body jody was found and the first alarm sent ent In following which Foreman Smith anti and three others made the at attempt attempt attempt at- at tempt to rescue two partners supposed at the time to be he still In Sub 6 Backing up the supposition that or orders t rs were disobeyed b by an are the statements of oC many residents of ot tho tIme camp present at the thu time tune of oC the accident and of oC Mrs Irs F F. Kent Smith who repeatedly said durIng durIng during dur- dur Ing the tryIng scenes surrounding the recovery of or her husbands husband's body that it I was the disobedience of ot orders on the part of an Italian that cost her hel hu husbands husband's bands band's life Official Itei ort Tho statement of Superintendent Gemmell follows Time The investigation shows that no noone ono one was to blame for Cor the time casualty b by I which Kent Smith Hugh h Burns Geo Ceo Wilson and Dominick lost their lives It was ono one of oC those accidents that no one can call forsee e or provide a It was os tho the headlong coura courage e eor of or Smith and the others that prompted them to to go down on on Sub 6 C to save e men men the they thought were there hut but who vito had not even been down on Sub G U for a of ot da days 8 It was a a. hero heroic Ie and unselfish deed on their part and it only makes It all the sadder to know that their efforts were wore entirely useless am and of or no avail Tho TIme men lost host their lives in the tho worlIn workings work worl- In hugs ings s known no n as ag Sub G G. G main tunnel This working is 23 feet below Sub 7 and is connected with that sublevel sublevel sub- sub level evel b by a raise For tho time first 1 12 feet eel below tho floor of Sub 7 this tills raise Is on a very ver flat slope to a 11 short level le landing and from there thereon on down tho the ral raise e is on a steeper slope equipped with regular c mine lad lad- ders tiers Entrance to these workings Is through Soldier tunnel thence down ladders in raises to Sub 8 thence in same manner down to Su Subs s. s j 1 I anti and C. C There is also an entrance to Sub 7 from the face of or tho the pit These workings have not been heen used usell for tor underground un un- un- un lr round workings s since last July Jub The They orl originally exten extended ed to the tho taco face of oC the pit but near the face tace of oC the pit they thoy have been caved In by tho the blasting necessary to break the tho ore down Into the pit The fhe work on Su Subs s. s C G and 7 now consists of or putting In holes and charges of ot pow powder er at about 25 5 or 30 feet back hack from Crom tho the fuco of or ortho tho the pit JIlt where the workings aro are sate safe for or the purpose of oC blasting tho the ore off the taco face of oC the pit outside lr o of GUM Gns AVii Vai UI ii It was known on one e Wednesday a last that there was r gas fras aR on Sub 6 6 as two men partially overcome there then Superintendent Shilling at that time Issued d orders that no ono one was to KO go o In Sub 6 G to work until a n. connection connection connection con con- had been mado mailo with that level from tho the face taco of ot the time pit so as us to a good circulation of or air all and General Foreman Kent Smith passed parsed these orders on to o the other foremen These orders were carried out Wb Wh n a miner by y the time name of ol J. J I J. J Ashcroft and anti an Italian named Tony WI vh w were 11 mi the Saturday night I went Into Sub 7 they started to make an nn examination of Sub C G to see sec how the air was and found the bOd body of ot Dominick In lii the raise between Subs 7 1 and C G and und about l 12 oct feet below bolow bolow bo- bo low the floor of Sub uh 7 These two men made matJe an effort to tet tret et thu b dy up to Sub 7 7 but were partially overcome overcome overcome over over- come by the eras cas as in the rale raise and nd hid rl to get pret et help before this could bo ho done 1000 had no business down there below helow Sub 7 and his lila presence there can not be accounted for Cor Ashcroft and Ton Tony that three men always worked together surmised that partners might be down on Sub 6 and sent word to General Foreman Smith When Smith Burns and Wilson came conic Into tho the mine they were met by b Ashcroft and Jackson Jacklon Steel who told tol Smith all that nad happened and anti beJ begged etI him not to atI at- at I tempt to co JO down on omi Sub 6 Smith I advised lse Ashcroft who was still weak from the effects of or tho the gas g-as to KO go o on out of rt the mine and that he and as assistants assistants ns- ns would get the tIme other men out o I Is Ashcroft repeated his hit warning an and advised Smith that if anyone wont went down don on Sub G 6 G. G only one man should KO go o and he should have a a. rope around him so that the others could sta stay up on Sub 7 i un ant and pull puB him out K l' necessary This advice however was watt not taken and amid Smith Burns and Wilson Wil Wil- son soil all nil went down on Sub C G to together ether While Ashcroft was resting on Sub 8 after atter the Smith party passed one of or the thOd partners of or came Into the mine When hon Ashcroft saw v him he Inquired where he came from and und was told that he lie was WOR worl on the thc sur face tace all tiny day When asked In re regard ard to his partner I he said he was vas homo home sick Ashcroft then rushed down to SU Sub 7 and anti called down the raise to Smith t that at th the partners were found and und to como come out Ho He got ot no response Then a rescue party was wa formed under un un- der John McDonald ni assistant superintendent super super- and the following men In relays with ropes lopes around th them m. m were sent down Into Sub 6 to try to save sav Smith an and tile the others Mike Mays Jackson Tom Tom Turn Shannon William Rile Riley J J. J II H Fitz- Fitz Jack Jacl Hunter Fred Wood James Wilkinson Aaron Brethwaite Jed Shilling Frank Ed and Jack Juck Sickles Dr Ray nay stayed at th the top of ot the raise ralso the tue entire time restoring men mento mento mento to consciousness and r rendering valuable valuable ble assistance |
