Battista Viola

ACCIDENT No. 39. — September 30th. This accident occurred in No. 2 shaft, Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla Mine. Baptist Violo, a watchman, stationed between the 24th and 30th levels, while crossing the shaft at the 27th level, by some unfortunate mistake of his, fell down the shaft, a distance of five hundred feet, and was dead when found.

An inquest was held before Coroner Fisher, and three witnesses examined, and they gave testimony as follows:

Martin Caserio, upon his oath, testified as follows: “I work as timberman for the Calumet & Hecla Mining Co., at No. 2 shaft, Hecla, between the 27th and 28th level. I know the deceased, he was a watchman. I was at work between the 27th and 28th levels this morning when the accident occurred, about 10 o'clock. I was about 20 or 30 feet below the 27th level. He fell from the 27th to the 32nd level. Did not see him fall; heard a noise like a dinner pail falling down the shaft. Went down the shaft and found his hat and lamp at the 28th level, and found him at the 32nd level, on the roll under the rope. I called to the men who were working with me to come down. The skip was down below the 32nd; don't know at what level; the skip was down before he fell.”

Thomas Hocking, upon his oath, testified as follows: “I am a mason; was working today at the 31st level, No. 2 shaft, Hecla branch, of the Calumet & Hecla Mine, when the man fell away. I know the deceased. Do not know how the accident happened. Saw the dinner pail come down the shaft. I was at the 31st level, and he fell from the 27th. Something passed me, and the men above said a man fell down the shaft. I climbed down and found him at the 32nd. The skip was in the bottom. I do not know how he happened to fall."

John Bonds, upon his oath, testified as follows: "I work with the timbermen in No. 2 shaft, Hecla. Work with the same gang as Martin Caserio. I do not know anything more about the accident than has already been told. I saw the man at the 27th level, when he passed up to connect his hose to a pipe for sprinkling, and did not see him again until I saw him at the 32nd, dead. I was back toward the shaft when I heard a noise and the boss said, 'What was that.' I said 'it was a dinner pail, I saw the cover in the shaft.' He said, 'where is that man?' I believe it was a man that fell down the shaft. I went to see if I could see the man, and he was gone. There was no one with him at the time he fell. I should suppose he was crossing the shaft and slipped and fell. He usually hung his dinner pail at the north side of the shaft at the 27th level. He looked after six lifts, and when he passed the 27th level on his way up he sometimes took his pail to the south side of the shaft and had a lunch and then went on up about his work. I suppose he must have done this today and slipped in crossing the shaft. Did not hear a sound from him as he fell. The sprinklers do not go into the shaft when the skip is up, but when it is down they sometimes step into the shaft to sprinkle the shaft. The man's duty was to keep the shaft wet. I found his watch between the 29th and 30th levels."

The jury returned the following verdict: “We, the jury, upon our oaths, do say that Baptist Violo came to his death by accidentally falling from the 27th to the 32nd level in No. 2 shaft, Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla Mine, on the 30th day of September, 1901, at 10 o'clock, a.m."