Alojz Turk

Accident No. 24. - July 22nd, Louis Turk, a trammer, employed at the 36th level of No. 7 shaft, Hecla Branch of the Calumet and Hecla mine, was killed by a fall of vein rock. Turk and three others were tramming rock from a cutting outstope when the rock fell striking him on the head.

An inquest was held before Coroner Sowden.

His partners testified “that before they started to fill the first car they had pinched down all the loose rock and supposed there was no danger of any more rock falling, but when they were filling the third car, a large rock fell and broke into three pieces, one of which caught Turk’s leg and an other struck him on the head, killing him instantly." His partners were uninjured.

The jury returned a verdict: “That Louis Turk was accidentally killed by falling vein rock in the 36th level, north of 7 shaft, Hecla Branch of the Calumet and Hecla mine, on the 22nd day of July, 1897.”

Mine Inspector's report for Houghton County, 1. (2021) Mine Inspector's report for Houghton County, Michigan. 1897., HathiTrust. Available at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015074974828&view=1up&... (Accessed: 9 October 2021).

Accident In The Mine

Louis Turk Instantly Killed in the Hecla Last Night

By a Fall of Hanging Rock.

He Received a crushed skull And A Leg and Arm Were Broken-The Inquest.

A fatal mining accident occurred at the Hecla branch of the Calumet and Hecla mine last evening which resulted in the death of a trammer named Louis Turk.

The accident happened at the 36th level north of No. 7 shaft, about twenty minutes before 8 o'clock. The story of the unfortunate affair as told by Mike Puhek, one of the partners of the dead man, on the witness stand this morning was about as follows:

The party of four trammers, who were employed as car fillers, were on the night shift and worked with the timbermen while on the opposite shift, were filling cars in the stope. They noticed some rock which appeared to be loose and liable to fall. There was a large crack and they attempted to get it down by pinching it with their bars, but could not make it budge. Then Turk proposed getting some powder and did so, blasting down enough to fill all three cars. It came down in large pieces. They then proceded to fill the cars and had filled all except the last car when some more rock which was fifteen feet or more back of the place where the rock had been blasted came down and struck Turk on the head, killing him instantly.

At the time the rock came down the other three men were a few feet in front of Turk and they all considered him in a safe place. He was close to the drift. The rock that came down and caused his death was vein rock and fell in three pieces, the largest of which measured 12 feet on one side and 9 on the other. Turk's skull was fractured and his leg and arm were broken.

Coroner Sowden empaneled a jury composed of Messrs. Stephen Rebrovitch, Joseph Watters, John Joreey. John Fredericks, Milton Higbland and John Soddy. They viewed the remains which had been taken to Slattery & Ryan's morgue and then heard the testımony of witnesees at Justice Fisher's court. The story ot the unfortunate accident was told by the witness as given above and all the details were corroborated by the other witnesses, apt. Hall, mine inspector, went underground this morning and was present at the inquest. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the facts as stated.

The deceased was a single man, 25 years of age and was a member of St. Joseph's society. The funeral will probably be held Sunday.