John Gerich

Ivan Geric, Male, Austria, Age 41, (Ca 1856) Departure Port: Bremen, Dec. 6,-7 1897 Arrival Date: Dec. 15, 1897. Arrival Port: New York, New York, USA. Ship Name: Saale, Destination: Calumet, Mich. Last Residence: Smišljak, To Brother

Also on manifest list is Martin Klobučarić age 28 (ca. 1865), Residence: Smišljak,Going to Calumet, to Father.

The Daily Mining Journal
August 2, 1902
Page 3

MINER INSTANTLY KILLED.

John Gerich, a trap man, employed at the 29th level of No. 2 shaft, Osceola mine, was accidentally killed while at work at a late hour Thursday night. Gerich and a number of other fellow laborers were employed in fixing a water tank back on the hoisting rope. Gerich happened to be inside the tank when a signal was sent to the engine house to hoist and could not get out before the tank started to rise, Between that level and the 28th, Gerich was thrown out of the tank, striking a plat, and was instantly killed. Coroner Fisher of Calumet impaneled a jury yesterday morning and the inquest was held, A verdict of accidental death was rendered No blame was attached to the company.

Mine Inspector’s Report for Houghton county, 1902

ACCIDENT No. 43 — August 1. Occurred at the 29th level No. 2 shaft, Tamarack mine, John Gerrick was killed by being caught between the cage and timber in the shaft .

An inquest was held before Coroner Fisher. The testimony given by the witnesses showed that there was some misunderstanding between the man giving the signal and the engineer.

Mike Mehelich testified as follows: “When the cage came down with the water tank, the tank was off the track. I called to John Gerrick to come and help to get the tank off the cage. I rang two bells for the cage to stop. Just as Gerrick got behind the tank to get it off, the cage was hoisted up and caught John's head between the cage and the timber, and the deceased fell down the shaft. I and the others went and got him out. I can't tell if the bell was working all right or not. I had been ringing the bell all night, and it rang all right before and after the accident."

Mike Mehelich testified that the signal was given to hold the cage in position, as it would result in the death of Gerrick. George Stefanich corroborated this testimony.

Mike Harrison testified as follows: “I am an engineer in the employ of the Tamarack Mining Company. I was working last night and this morning. I was running No. 2 engine at one o'clock this morning when the accident happened. I had no signal in the engine house, and possibly they could go through the motion of pulling the lever, and no signal be given. We always take notice if the bell rings all right; sometimes if a new man gets on, and pulls the bell line, and does not pull the lever far enough down, we get no signal. I am sure there was no signal. We were hoisting from the 23rd level, and I suppose twenty times I never heard a loud signal from that level. The bell line is in good working order when they pull it. I will swear that there was no signal in the engine house.”

“The signal is, if they want the cage at the bottom, they ring two bells. If there is a car of poor rock, six bells, or if they want to go to the next level, three bells.”

"When the cage was between the 29th and 28th levels, I heard one bell; that bell is the signal to stop at the next level. I thought perhaps one of the captains wanted to go down or come up to the 28th level. When I heard one bell, I was down at the brace. I did not stop until I ran up to the 28th level. I stayed there about two minutes.”

“When the eastern cage went down it stayed there, and I heard five bells. I said to my man, go down and
see what is the matter, there is someone hurt. He went down to the shaft house and told me there was a man killed. That was the first knowledge I had that there was anything the matter. This was about ten minutes after one. I have been hoisting ten or fifteen years, there have been one or two little accidents, but this is the first time anything of this kind has happened. The same bell wire was in use all the time.”

William Mitchell testified as follows: “I work with the last witness. I am an oiler. I was working there last night. I happened to be on the stand at the time this accident happened. I stayed there a few minutes, and he had the bell exactly as he says. I took notice of the bell. When I went off the stand again, He told me to go to the brace, and I went and saw there was one of the men brought up, killed. I did not hear two bells ring. If they had rung, I should have heard it. I heard one bell."

Verdict — "We, the jury, upon our oaths, do say that the said John Gerrick came to his death on the first day of August A. D., 1902, at No. 2 shaft, 29th level, Tamarack mine, through some unknown cause for the bell not ringing in the engine house to the engineer."