Statewide County AZ Archives Obituaries.....Baker, John H.  1901
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/az/azfiles.html
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Elizabeth Burns burns@asu.edu and D. Joshua Taylor http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00006.html#0001358 July 4, 2005, 6:19 pm

Arizona Republican-July 21, 1901
By the premature explosion of a blast, John H. Baker, Jr. 
was killed and Willie Pemberton badly hurt at their mining 
claim on the Salome, about twelve miles from Upper Salt River 
in Gila County on Saturday, July 13.

Baker and Pemberton were running an open cut to the ledge 
and at noon, on Saturday had loaded their holes and Baker 
was in the act of touching off the fuse.  Pemberton was 
standing on the edge of the cut a few feet above Baker 
who struck a match and applied it to the fuse, when 
instantly the blast went off.  Pemberton was struck 
in the face by flying debris and fell unconscious.  
When he recovered his senses, still blinded by the 
explosion, he felt about for his companion and found 
him with the top of his head blown off.

Pemberton then started to go to the camp nearly two miles 
from the mine and was unable to see, and was compelled to 
crawl over the uneven and rocky ground.  In his pitable 
condition the experience was painful and distressing and 
it is surprising even with his knowledge of the ground 
that he was able to feel his way and reach camp, which 
he succeeded in doing on Sunday morning.  On Monday, 
J.H. Baker Sr. arrived at the camp, found Pemberton 
and learned of the accident which had bereft him of 
a son.  Upon going to the mine, young Baker's body was 
found to be so badly decomposed that it could not be 
removed to his home and was buried near where he met 
his death.  Willie Pemberton was taken to his home on 
the river and when Mr. Edwards who brought the news to 
town, left there he had imrpoved considerably.  Jack 
Pemberton, father of the boy who was in Globe left for 
home on Tuesday evening and learned of the accident 
after he left town.

J.H. Baker Jr was 31 years of age. He was a young man of 
good character and well liked by all who knew him.  
Neither Baker or Pemberton had much experience in mining 
and the most reasonable theory of the accident is that 
the fuse had been exposed to the sun, causing it to 
become unraveled and soft so that when the match was 
applied it burned like a flash and ignited the powder 
in a moment.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/az/statewide/obits/b/baker84gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/azfiles/

File size: 2.8 Kb