Clark County NV Archives Obituaries.....WHITE, Charles M. June 17 1922
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Gerry Perry missgerry@cox.net November 7, 2004, 2:27 pm

Las Vegas Age - 6/24/1922


TWO LIVES LOST IN QUARTETTE MINE FIRE



CHARLES M. WHITE AND WM. R. GOLDENSMITH, OVERCOME BY GAS, FALL TO THEIR 

DEATH



    Charles M. WHITE, an employe of the Quartette mine at Searchlight and 

William Russell GOLDENSMITH of Oatman, who had responded to a request from 

the Quartette mine for assistance in fighting a fire below the 800 level of 

the Quartette, were overcome by gas in the Quartette shaft, and fell from 

the ladder to their death last Saturday afternoon.

    Harvey R. CASHMAN, acting as coroner, and a coroner's jury composed of 

Walter W. WELLS, John N. HUDGENS, Ben L. PETERS, Geo. WAY and C. L. SCOTT 

held an inquest and returned a verdict that the men lost their lives by 

being overcome by deadly foul gas from mine fire, and fell down the shaft 

while assisting rescue crew.

    The Quartette was a famous producer of gold in its day, but has been 

worked in a small way only by leasers of late years.  It is owned by the 

Searchlight Mercantile Co., of which B. Frank MILLER, Jr. is the principal 

stockholder and H. O. RUSSELL the local manager.

    At 1:15 last Saturday afternoon, Mr. SHAW and Roy ALEXANDER, who had 

arrived in Searchlight in response to a request for help, accompanied by Mr. 

WHITE and Mr. GOLDENSMITH, went down the shaft to the 800 level and put on 

gas masks.  ALEXANDER went to the skip which was off the track near the 800 

level.  He was becoming weak from gas and was assisted up by SHAW, WHITE and 

GOLDENSMITH who pulled on the rope tied about his body.  Reaching the place 

where the others were a few feet above the 600 level, ALEXANDER requested 

them to lower him to the 600 station which was done.  Here ALEXANDER felt 

exhausted.  As he lay there a few moments later he heard a groan and a man 

fell past down the shaft.  Another groan a moment later and another man was 

gone.  The last body was entangled in the rope tied to ALEXANDER and jerked 

him violently to the edge of the shaft where the oxygen tank of the gas mask 

caught on the timber about the edge of the shaft.  He tried to pull the body 

up but his strength was gone.  He finally managed to climb the shaft to 

where SHAW still remained unconscious, his body wedged into the ladder. 

After great effort he reached a point where he could make himself heard by 

the men on the surface and was rescued.

    Several men descended the shaft.  Mr. MENDENHALL was the first to reach 

SHAW whom he tied to the ladder and who was later brought to the surface 

alive but in a serious condition.

    The bodies were recovered Monday by Charles HUBER of Tonopah, deputy 

state mine inspector, and W. J. PHILLIPS, who accompanied Mr. HUBER from 

Tonopah in response to the call for help.

    The fire in the mine had been burning several days but was supposed to 

have burned itself out.  The lives were lost in the effort to examine the 

workings and find out conditions.  The skip had been out of commission a day 

or two, having jumped the track.

    Deputy State Mine Inspector HUBER ordered the mine bulkheaded to keep 

everybody out.

    Wm. R. GOLDENSMITH was a miner by occupation, about 55 years of age and 

leaves a wife and one son.

    Charles M. WHITE leaves a wife and two small children.  He came to Las 

Vegas from the Kern county, California oil fields, in May 1905.  He soon 

thereafter located at the camp of Crescent where he was for some years in 

partnership with Harry TREHEARNE under the name Crescent Mercantile Company. 

He was well known in this section and respected by all.  He was a member of 

the Masonic order.











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