Joseph Fisher
Arizona Silver Belt
April 2, 1896

A distressing and fatal accideent occurred at the Kesser 
Gold Mine, Lost Gulch, early on Friday morning, Joseph 
Fisher losing his life through supposed carlessness in 
handling powder and fuse.  Fisher, who was working alone 
in a drift had drilling two holes and probalby was in the 
act of putting the cap and fuse in the powder, preparatory 
to loading, when the explosion occurred.

A few days previous to the accident Samuel J. Hamilton, a 
miner, had observed Fisher twisting a cap into a stick of 
powder and cautioned him of the danger.  Fisher replied that 
that had been his custom for years.  From the nature of his 
injuries it is probably he was in a kneeling or stooping 
posture holding the stick of powder in his left hand and 
with the right hand twisting the cap, with fuse inserted 
into the powder and the end of the fuse grated off the cap 
and caused the explosion.

Fisher's hands were both blown off, his eyes destroyed, 
jaw broken, the flesh torn from his left thigh and other 
parts of the body incinerated.  Thus horribly mutilated, 
but still conscious, he was carried into Superintendent 
Kesser's tent and what was possible done to relieve his 
intense suffering until Dr. Collins could be summoned 
from Globe, eleven miles distant.  The unfortunate man 
lived an hour or more after the accident and retained 
consciousness.  He asked if his hands were off and said 
to his companions gathered around him, "Boys, remember 
me, I will go in a few minutes."  The body was brought to 
town the same afternoon and an inquest held by Acting 
Coroner Jones.  The jury returned a verdict in accordance 
with the facts here given.  The entire working force of 
the mine accompanied Fisher's body to town.


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