John Stevens George

ACCIDENT NO. 33 – June 2, 1904. — John S. George came to his death on the 2nd day of June, 1904, by being struck by the descending skip at No. 2 shaft, Hecla Branch of the Calumet & Hecla Mine.

An inquest was held before Coroner Fisher.

Matt Opland, being duly sworn, testified as follows: “I work as timber-boss for the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company. The deceased was working in my gang. We were between the 42nd and 43rd levels of No. 2 shaft when the accident happened. We went to work this morning. There was a loose rock in the south end of the shaft. I was to take it down. I told the deceased to look for a bar, but did not find it. One of the other men gave it to me. They stood aside while I pried the rock down. While I was doing this, the skip passed down and struck the deceased on the back. George, in attempting to get out of the way of the falling rock, must have bent over so the middle of his body protruded into the shaft between the dividing timbers just as the skip passed down. There was no danger of anything striking him in the ladderway, and there was no need for him to get into the skip shaft.”

John Zwierschowskl corroborated the above testimony.

Verdict of the Jury: “We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that the said John S. George came to his death on the 2nd day of June, 1904, by being struck by the descending skip between the 42nd and 43rd levels of No. 2 shaft, Hecla Branch of the Calumet & Hecla Mine.”

Mine Inspector's report for Houghton County, 1904. 2021. "Mine Inspector's Report For Houghton County, Michigan. 1904.". Hathitrust. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015074974158&view=1up&....