John A. Limback

Accident № 8. January 11th. — An accident occurred at the 25th level, north of №. 8 shaft, South Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla mine, from which John Limback came to his death.

An inquest was held before Justice Fisher.

Solomon Abramson testified as follows: "I am a miner and work in the South Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla. The deceased was my partner and I was with him when he got killed. I was running the machine and my partner was standing right above the mill and the mill started to run and he dropped into the mill. The rocks came down on both sides of him and jammed him in the mill. He told me to get help and I ran to get someone but before I had gone twenty feet, I heard the mill run again and he called no more after that. One of the trammers came and I told him to go and get his partner. I then went back into the stope, but Limback was not dead then. He could not speak but he moved his leg a little. He was dead before we got him out. I have worked in mine for twenty-two years. I had no idea that the mill would run. If I had not been running the drilling machine, I should have been standing right where Limback was myself.”

James Phillips testified: "I work in the South Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla mine looking after the trammers. I had been where Limback and Abramson were working in the early part of the evening and saw that everything was in a pretty fair shape and I went away. About a quarter to twelve o'clock, word came to me at No. 9 shaft, that there was a man killed. When I got there, the man was dead. He was down in a mill and I helped to get him out. The rocks that jammed him were quite large. We had to use chains and blocks to loosen the rocks before we took him out. The man was dead when we got there, for I put my hand on him and he was quite cold. He did not drop any distance, just about his length. His feet were in the level and his head in the stope. It took us two hours to get him out. The pressure from the two rocks which jammed him was enough to kill him. One rock was jammed right against his heart and the other against his right shoulder."

Samuel Jess testified: “I am Assistant Mining Captain at the South Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla mine. I can give no further information than that given by Captain Phillips, which I corroborate. We both got to the place where the accident occurred together. I can add nothing more.”

Verdict of the jury: “We, the jury, find that John Limback came to his death by dropping in the mill hole and the rocks jamming around him at the 25th level north of №. 8 shaft, South Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla mine, on January 11th, A.D. 1900, and attach the blame to no one.”

Source: Houghton County Mine Inspectors Report