Mining is dangerous work and in the article below, originally published in 1906, were learn of a cage dropping as 6 men were being lowered into the mine shaft. One man was cut in half and the others were believed dead on impact or drowned in the sump hole.
Cage Dropped; Six Are Killed
December 22, 1906. St. Louis, Mo. — One miner is known to have been killed, five others are believed to be dead, and another was seriously injured by the dropping of the cage today in the shaft of the Breeze-Trenton Coal Mining Company, about ten miles west of Carlyle, Ill. Carlyle is 48 miles east of St. Louis.
The accident occurred as a cage carrying six miners was descending. The cage had descended 300 feet down the 400-foot shaft, when it struck momentarily, and then crashed to the bottom, with a noise like an explosion.
It is known that August Foppey is dead. Walter Schaffner, Herman Flater, Henry Middeke, Herman Holtman, and Frank Sarre are buried under debris, and doubtless all are dead. William Fritz’s leg was broken and his body was bruised.
William Fritz was at the bottom of the shaft working almost under the descending cage when he heard the shout of the miners above him as the cage stuck. As he looked up the cage dropped, and he barely had time to spring to the side when the crash came, and the debris was piled about him. His leg was broken and he was badly bruised.
At the bottom of the cage shaft is another hole called a sump. A portion of the debris plunged on down into the sump, carrying five of the miners with it. August Foppey jumped as the crash came and was cut in two. His body was taken out.
The “sump,” or “sump-hole,” in a mine is a drain hole into which the water that collects in the levels is drained. It was stated that the sump in this mine contained 15 feet of water, and no doubt is entertained that the five miners were drowned even if they escaped death in the fall of the cage.
The miners who were already in the shaft at the time of the accident immediately began rescue work, and as soon as others could be lowered every effort was made speedily to remove the debris.
Henry Dalt escaped death by mere chance. He was just about to step into the cage when he hurriedly counted the number already in the cage, the capacity of which was six occupants. Five others were in, but he counted them as six, and stepped back. Frank Sarre took his place, and was among the victims.
All the miners in the cage were married.
Source: The times dispatch. (Richmond, Va.), 23 Dec. 1906.
