Antonio Orsolano

ACCIDENT No. 25 - April 29, 1913 – Antony Orsolano; South Hecla Mine.

Antony Orsolano, an Italian timberman, met his death on this day at the 21st level of No. 9, South Hecla.

An inquest over his body was held before Justice Justice Fisher. The following witnesses testifying:

Joseph Lasich: “I am a timberman. I was about 5 or 6 feet away from John Gaspardo and Tony was below me. I heard something come down the shaft, but did not see anything strike him, as we were looking up the shaft. I don't know what it was that came down. Right away I look around and see the two lights going down and we went down right away and we found him down below the 29th level.”

John Gaspardo upon his oath says:

Question: “Where do you work ?”
Answer: "No. 9 and 10 Shaft, South Hecla.”

Question: “Were you working there today?”
Answer: “Yes ”

Question: “What is your business?”
Answer: “Timberman."

Question: “Do you know Anton Orsolano?"
Answer: “Yes."

Question: “What was his business?”
Answer: “Timberman, in the same gang with me.”

Question: “Was you working with him when he met with this accident?”
Answer: “Yes.”

Question: “What time was that?”
Answer: "A few minutes after eight.”

Question: “This morning?"
Answer: “Yes, this morning.”

Question: “Where did it happen?”
Answer: "21st level, No. 9 Shaft, South Hecla.”

Question: “Will you tell the jury just how this accident happened as you saw it?”
Answer: “I am the boss of a gang of timbermen. When we went down this level, I told my men to go and get the tools to fix the track, that the skip had jumped there last sight. That was at the 21st level, the skip was coming up at the same time. I told the men to wait till the skip went down again before going in the shaft. When the skip pass down, I went in first, and the men came in after me. I went down 15 feet below the 21st level to see how the track was looking, the men was up above me, and were showing light on the rail to see how it looked. There was a little bend in the rail. I told the men to get spikes out so as to straighten the rail up; same time something came down through the shaft and struck me on the hand, and knocked my light out. I slide down about ten feet and crawled one side. I did not know at the time what came down. I was told after, that a stringer came from around the 15th level.”

Question: "Do you know how long it is, since anyone went through the shaft?”
Answer: “The roller fixers go through every day, but I was not through for about a month, not since Steve Krismanich was killed. No one ever reported to me anything wrong with the track there; if they ever had, we would have fixed it. Anyone that reports if they see anything wrong.”

Question: "Was the rope in motion at the time?”
Answer: “Yes; the skip was going down, the rope was in motion.”

Verdict: “That Antony Orsolano came to his death by being struck by a piece of timber at the 21st level, No. 9 Shaft of the South Hecla Mine at eight o'clock A.M., on April 29, 1913.”