CHARLIE E. BELL
Arizona Silver Belt
Sept. 10, 1891

A fatal accident happened at the Old Dominion Mine on Tuesday 
morning last, Charles E. Bell meeting instant death by a fall 
of 130 feet down the main shaft.  Very little is known of the 
tragic incident, as Bell was alone at the time, and the fact of 
his death was not known until he was missed a few seconds after 
his awful fall, and a search revealed his mangled corpse in the 
sump.  

The deceased was a young man of steady habits in whom the 
management of the mine relied and he was recently placed at 
the fifth level station as station tender, to accompany the 
cage between the intermediate levels, to prevent accidents, 
and unaccountable as it seems, the first mishap cost him his 
life.

The person who last saw Bell alive is John Cadman, who was at 
the sixth level.  Bell had gone down to the sixth on the cage 
to assist Cadman load some timbers, but finding that more 
help was required Bell started up to the fifth level to get 
two men.  Richard Trevarthen, the engineer stated that when 
he stopped the cage at the fifth, almost immediately 
thereafter one bell was rung, to hoist and the cage was 
started up.  It had ascended about twelve feet with eight 
bells were rung, which is not a regular signal, but was 
interpreted as an alarm. The accident had then been 
discovered.  The noise made by bell's fall had been heard.  
He evidently struck on the bumper at the sixth level (below 
which the cage, in that compartment does not descend) which 
broke his back.

Many theories are advanced to account for the accident but 
all are conjecture.  The coroner's inquest, which was 
needlessly prolonged, revealed nothing whatever of the cause 
of the dreadful occurrence.

The Globe Copper Mine has enjoyed remarkable immunity from 
accidents, and is justly considered on of the safest mines 
in which to work, anywhere in the Territory.  The only other 
fatal accident in the mine occurred March 6, 1890 when John 
Isaacs, an old employee and popular miner, was killed in the 
same shaft, by being caught by the ascending cage, when he 
was in the act of crossing at the sixth level.

Charles Bell, was a young man of exemplary habits, and his 
untimely death is deeply deplored and is a severe blow to 
his mother, who is advanced in years and who doted on her boy, 
thus ruthlessly taken from her.

The funeral took place from the M.E. Church Wednesday morning 
at 10 o'clock under the auspices of the IOOF of which deceased 
was a worthy member.  The services both at the church and 
grave conducted by Rev. J.H. Gill were impressive and very 
largely attended.

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