Jakob Jancar

Houghton County Mine Inspectors Report

ACCIDENT NUMBER 10 — March 9th, 1906. Red Jacket Shaft, Jacob Jancar. This accident occurred at the 66th level Red Jacket shaft, about 9 P.M., causing fatal injury to Jacob Jancar. He died in the Hospital shortly after being brought there.

Inquest held before Coroner Fisher.

Dominick Fiera who had been working with Jancar at the time of the accident testified as follows: “The empty cars were coming up, and we were there to guide them around the curve, and send them into where we were working. The first car made the curve allright, but the second one got off the track and struck the tail-piece. The timber which holds the sheave on which the rope which pulls the car runs, and the tail-piece fell on Jancar and knocked him down. I was not more than three feet from him and ran away when the timber fell.”

John F. Lindstrom, being duly sworn, testified as follows: "I am mining captain at the Red Jacket shaft. This accident happened at the 66th level crosscut. At the end of the crosscut there are two upright timbers 6 inches apart and between them are two 18 inch sheaves, one at the top and the other at the bottom, on which the rope which pulled the cars run. There is a switch at this point, and as the cars come up the men stationed there give them a shove to send them in on the switch to where they are working. The cars are run fast enough to make the curve and switch in onto their own track. One of the cars got off the track at the curve and struck the tail-piece, and knocked it over on Jancar knocking him down. His head struck the rail and I think that was what killed him."

Dr. A. B. Mills testified: "I attended Jacob Jancar at the hospital, on his admittance, and found he had a fracture of the skull as a result of the injury. He died shortly after coming in the hospital.”

Verdict of the Jury: "We find that the said Jacob Jancar came to his death, by being struck by a piece of timber, caused by a car jumping the track at the 66th level Red Jacket shaft Calumet and Hecla Mine, about 9 o'clock P. M., March 9th, A. D. 1906.”

Source:
"Mine Inspector's Report For Houghton County, Michigan. 1906.". Hathitrust.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015074974133&view=1up&....