Joseph Vidmar

ACCIDENT NO. 48 - July 6, 1909 – Joseph Vidmar, No. 13, C. & H. Mine. This accident, resulting in the death of Joseph Vidmar, occurred at No. 13 shaft of the C.& H.

At the inquest held before Justice Fisher the following testimonies were taken:

Joseph Kuri: “I am employed by the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company in No. 13 shaft. I knew the deceased Joseph Vidmar. I work with him. I was in the south shaft he was in the north shaft. We are both roller fixers. He was only about 20 feet away from the brace when the accident happened, at the first roller. He was fixing the roller when the cage came down and struck him and killed him. He was in the act of taking out the roller. I thought the cage was to be taken off and the skip put on and we take advantage of that time to change the roller. But the cage was not taken off at that time. This happened about half past seven this morning. It was about the time the cage is taken off and the skip put on. We change the roller when they change the cage on the north side, as there is a good chance then, plenty of time. The cage went up empty and I thought they were going to take it off and put on the skip and I suppose Vidmar thought so, but instead of that the cage came right down again."

Albert Llewellyn: “I am employed by the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company at No. 13 shaft. I was on the brace by the bell at time of the accident. We have a car that we use to send down timber and this morning when the cage came up I thought rather than change the cage then I would send the timber down. The timber car was on the south side so it was necessary to send the cage down the north side and then change to the timber car on the south side. I had partly dropped the brace in order to take off the cage and send down the skip when I thought of the timber car and so I sent the cage down. I rang the cage down, the first time the engineer did not hear and I rang twice. This was about half past seven. I found there was something wrong and stopped the cage.”

Verdict: "That the said Joseph Vidmar came to his death, on the 6th day of July, 1909, on the North side of No. 13 shaft of the Calumet and Hecla Mine, by being struck with the man car while in the act of changing a roller."