Northumberland County, PA: Vitals: Deaths: Mines Deaths 1879 File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Suzanne Cesari USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. Coal Mining Fatalities for the Third or Shamokin District reported by the Department of Mines for the year ended December 31, 1879. Lists Date, Name of Person Killed, Name of Colliery, Widows, Orphans, and Description. Jan 9 John Ruch, Sterling, Miner, 27, wife, 2 orphans, Fall of top slate, while robbing pillar. Jan 10 Henry Lee, Williamstown, Miner, 30, wife, 2 orphans, Fall of coal and slate, while engaged barring off loose coal from where a blast had been fired preparatory to drilling another hole. Jan 22 Peter Reichwein, Monitor, Miner, 30 wife, 2 orphans, Fall of coal. Driving chute for breast. On previous evening, on quitting work, dressing ff some loose coal that the blast had not thrown out, and while thus engaged a bench of coal over him fell, killing him instantly. Jan 24 Samuel Shadle, West Brookside, Drive, 18, Single, Hauling with mule, a mine car from carpenter shop to main track where other cars were standing. He fell or was caught between the bumpers as the cars came together inflicting injuries causing death within half an hour. Feb 18 Joseph Krawis, Big Mountain, Miner, 29, unknown, Falling of top coal. Deceased worked too far ahead of overhanging top coal, unsupported by timber, and very unsafe. A skilled miner, exercising the smallest particle of prudence, would have taken down or made secure this overhanging mass of coal. The result here is entirely owing to carelessness or rather recklessness. Feb 20 James Harvey, Preston No. 2., Slate picker, 13, Run over by loaded dirt dumper on dirt bank. Mar 14 Charles Roeder, Mt Carmel Shaft, Laborer, 22, Single, Fall of top coal. Engaged with miner trimming up after blast when coal fell, killing him instantly. Mar 17 William Coutts, Williamstown, Miner, 38, unknown, Fall of slate, Had sounded shortly before fall and considered it safe. Mar 17 Charles Thompson, West Brookside, Driver, 15, Seated on top of gin drum while in motion, lowering mine car into new slope being then sunk, he fell into drum box, when taken out he was very much mangled. Apr 9 John Evison Jr., Ben Franklin, Miner, 23, Fall of slate. From evidence taken at inquest, deceased knew that it was unsafe and dangerous, and had told his "butty" shortly before it fell, that he had heard it crack and working, yet did not get out from under it, nor make any effort to take it down. Comment is unnecessary. Apr 11 Patrick Casey, Preston No.2, Slate Picker, 14, Starting dirt that had become blocked in dirt shute, it rushed heavily down the chute, carrying him with it to a point about three yards below, where a plank was resting across the chute, which caught him by the neck and caused death by strangulation. Apr 12 Peter Keil, Monitor, 32, Miner, wife, 3 orphans, Fall of coal. Deceased were sinking an inside slope. Over where they were working, there was a dangerous slip of coal, which the inside foreman had given them orders to timber and make safe, which order being unheeded resulted as above in death. Patrick Munday, Monitor, 21, Laborer, unknown, Same as above. Apr 29 Samuel Schwenck, West Brookside, Miner, 31, wife, 3 orphans, Fall of top rock. Had sounded it shortly before it fell, and reported solid and safe. May 5 Peter Martin, Lykens Valley, Fan boy, 14, Explosion of gas. Martin died from burns shortly explosion. Ely two days later. The deceased were engaged turning fan to remove gas from chute that was being driven through chain pillar, with naked lights in their possession. Neither the inside foreman, nor any of his assistants had made any examination of these workings before the men went to work, clearly violating the ventilation act, and responsible, though his neglect, for this accident. William H. Ely, Lykens Valley, Laborer, 27, unknown, See above. May 10 Henry Bernsteel, North Ashland, Miner, 39, wife, 4 orphans, Fall of rock. deceased had fired three shots, and was preparing for a fourth when the rock or partition stone fell, causing immediate death. May 17 Thomas Smith, Reliance, Driver, 18, Single, Fall of coal in gangway. The last car for the day was being loaded where pillars were being robbed out, the deceased, in passing the wagon on the high side of gangway, preparatory to taking it out, a lump of coal, weighing about three tons, fell from side of gangway, crushing deceased against side of wagon, killing him instantly. May 23 William Savage, Summit Branch, Machinist, 45, wife, 3 orphans, Riding on mine cars, down slope No. 3, which were loaded with timber and a small boiler. The cars on opposite side of slope to be hoisted, were also loaded. the cars had been run over knuckle of slope, and were hanging on the rope some five minutes prior to starting the engine, but upon starting of which the cars ran down some twenty yards, then, breaking loose from rope, were precipitated to bottom of slope. The loaded cars on the opposite side did not present any appearance or evidence of having been moved, thus showing that there was about twenty yards of slack rope, and that the momentum of cars running off this slack, when brought up taut, caused the breaking of the connections with rope. There was no break upon the drum, and deceased violated the mine law in riding on and against loaded cars. Lewis W. Snyder, Summit Branch, Machinist, wife, 8 orphans, same as above James Parkin, Summit Branch, Boilermaker, 36, wife, 7 orphans, same as above Jul 4 Harry Conner, Potts, Starter, 37, wife, 6 orphans, Starting a breast battery, his head was caught between two rocks in draw hole. Jul 23 John Brown, Keystone, Top man, 25, Single, Fell down slope. Some months previous to accident, on account of fire in mine, slope had been filled with water, and at the time of this accident, the water was being hoisted out, the deceased being employed on top of slope to signal engineer and attend to emptying of water out of wagons. His body was not recovered until 10th of August. It is unknown whether he was killed by fall down slope or drowned, or what caused the fall. Jul 28 James Warlow, Williamstown, Miner, 33, wife, 3 orphans, Fall of coal. Deceased and "butty" were preparing to take the piece of coal down, it being drawn and dangerous, that it would be easy to get it into chute. Deceased was engaged placing a piece of sheet iron under it when it fell, killing him instantly. Jul 31 Frederick Dryer, Miner, 25, wife, Fall of top coal under circumstances purely accidental. Aug 1 Frank Nott, Sterling, Miner, 35, wife, 1 orphan, fall of top coal. Deceased had fired blast, and was engaged with "butty" barring off loose coal not thrown out by shot, when piece of top coal fell upon him. Aug 6 Thomas O'Brien, Big Mountain, Miner, 45, wife, Fall of top coal. Deceased and "butty" had tried to bar it down, but failing, had drilled a hole in it, which they charged and were about to fire, when it fell on deceased, killing him instantly. Sep 8 Hugh Mulligan, Locust Spring, Miner, 46, wife, 8 orphans, Fall of top coal. The coal in breast worked by deceased was of a slippy and dangerous character. A piece of coal, weighing about four hundred pounds, suddenly and without any indication of being loose, fell upon him. Upon examination of breast, I found that it had been worked in a skillful and careful manner. Sep 11 Daniel McAllister, Locust Run, Laborer, 45, wife, 1 orphan, Fell into well at Holmesville, and drowned. Deceased with engineer, had been engaged fixing steam pump at well, and had completed his work. How he fell into well is unknown. Sep 15 William Geading, Big Mine Run, Miner, 40, wife, 3 orphans, Fall of top coal. Employed raking coal out of breast into chute, when slip of coal, weighing about seven tons, fell upon him. Oct 17 Thomas Paul, Pennsylvania, Miner, 50, wife, Fall of top coal. Having fired shot, deceased and "butty" had commenced to shovel coal into chute, without sounding top or dressing down dangerous and overhanging coal, while thus engaged a slip of top coal fell on deceased, killing him instantly. Oct 22 Peter Gray, Enterprise, Miner, 24, wife, Fall of top coal. Deceased was employed robbing pillars. The piece of coal that fell upon deceased had been sounded shortly before its fall and pronounced sound and safe. In my examination, I found the place worked skillfully, and that no blame could attach to anyone. Oct 29 Michael Murray, Mt Carmel Slate Picker, 15, The Chestnut coal chute having been blocked, Samuel Bryson (chute boss) sent deceased between four and five o'clock P.M. to shovel back the coal from screen: the breaker at this time had quit work, and the employees had gone home. George W. Stahl, in the performance of his duties of examining the machinery on stoppage of work for day, saw the boy revolving around the line shaft of Chestnut coal screen. Notifying the engineer to stop engine, he went into breaker with outside boss, and found deceased laying on his back across the shaft, his coat wrapped tightly around it, both limbs broken, head cut, and life extinct. Nov 7 Owen Cattigan, Mt Carmel Shaft, Miner, 49, wife, 6 orphans, Fall of bone coal. Deceased and "butty" (William Cauly) had drilled and fired two holes, and some two hours afterwards, went up to face of breast, deceased commenced drilling a hole, when Cauley informed him that the place was working that pieces were falling. He Cauly, then went down to wagon. Shortly after he heard fall, upon going up he found deceased covered up to waist with coal, and dead. Dec 12 John Lych, Ben Franklin, Miner, 51, wife, Fall of rock or sulphur ball. Deceased was employed drilling hole in loose stone with hand hammer and drill, being seated upon the stone. One of his laborers (U. Miller) striking the rock, or rather sulphur ball, it fell, striking deceased on head, instantly killing him. Inside boss had given orders for short props, and laggings to be put in to prevent this ball from falling, neglect of which resulted in loss of life.