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Houghton County Mining Inspector Report

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Page No.	7-8
Full Report	Accident 11. -December 12. -John H. George and John Bell partners working in the north drift at the 43d level No. 2 shaft Hecla branch of the Calumet and Hecla mine. John H. George was instantly killed and John Bell lost one eye and one finger. His right arm and chest were filled full of small pieces of rock by an explosion of a hole while being charged. John Bell who was lying in the mine hospital and severely injured stated to the coroner and jury that there was nothing unusual done in charging the hole and that the powder was not put into the hole tight. It was put in with a wood rammer and when putting in the fourth and last stick with a cap and fuse in it an explosion occurred which killed his partner and threw him (Bell) ten feet from the breast of the drift. Richard Bell father of John Bell testified that he and Joseph Trevennen were working in the south drift and his son and John H. George were in the north drift at the 43d level No. 2 shaft Hecla mine. The drifts are about 140 feet apart. They were getting ready to charge the holes they had drilled during the day when an explosion took place in the north drift and not receiving any warning from the men working there that they were going to blast knew that an accident had occurred. After relighting their lamps they went in to the north drift and found John Bell sitting on a pile of rocks about ten feet from the breast of the drift. When asked by his father if he was hurt John answered Father I received a terrible blow. They lifted him on his feet and then went into the drift and found John H. George dead. Coroner Macdonald empanelled a jury and after hearing the testimony rendered a verdict that -John H. George came to his death accidentally by a premature discharge of a blast and that neither the deceased nor his partner John Bell were in any way reckless or careless.
Accident No.	11-1894
Source	s4
ID	r1894-11

Source Information

Source Name	Inspector	Library Call No.	ID
Report of the Mine Inspector of Houghton County Michigan for the Year Ending September 30 1891	Josiah Hall Mine Inspector	Michigan TN 272 .H68z 1890/91	s1
Report of the Mine Inspector of Houghton County Michigan for the Year Ending September 30 1892	Josiah Hall Mine Inspector	Michigan TN 272.H68z 1892	s2
Mine Inspectors Report for Houghton County, Mich. For the Year Ending September 30th 1893	Josiah Hall Mine Inspector	Michigan TN 272.H68z 1893	s3
Mine Inspectors Report for Houghton County, Mich. For the Year Ending September 30th 1894	Josiah Hall Mine Inspector	Michigan TN 272.H68z 1894	s4
Mine Inspectors Report for Houghton County, Mich. For the Year Ending September 30th 1895	Josiah Hall Mine Inspector	Michigan TN 272.H68z 1895	s5
Mine Inspectors Report for Houghton County, Mich. For the Year Ending September 30th 1890	not named	Michigan TN 272 .H68z 1889	s6
Mine Inspectors Report for Houghton County, Mich. For the Year Ending September 30th 1897	not named	Michigan TN272 .H68z 1897	s7
Mine Inspectors Report for Houghton County, Mich. For the Year Ending September 30th 1900	not named	Michigan TN272 .H68z 1900	s8

Data contributed by: Patricia Wazny-Hamp Copyright © 2024