George Majerle

ACCIDENT NO . 20 — March 16, 1904. — Occurred in a stope at the 24th level south of No. 3 shaft, Hecla Branch of the Calumet & Hecla Mine, causing the death of Mike Abrams and George Maierle and injuring George Frankovitch by being struck by a fall of vein rock.

An inquest was held before Coroner Fisher

Ole Peterson testified as follows: “I am employed by the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company as mining captain. I know the two men who were killed. Saw them this morning, was not present at the time of the accident. The men were timbering in the stope at the 24th level south of No. 3 shaft, Hecla Mine. I was there after the accident and saw the place. A big piece of vein rock turned off from the vein and on to these two men. They were putting in square timber. As far as I could see this morning when I visited the stope, the place was safe. The rock that fell was about seven feet long and about four feet wide, about ten inches thick at one end and three inches thick at the other. The rock broke in two as it fell. They were putting in the last set. There was not more than two feet from the timber to the back of the stope — just room for the covering. The vein was about ten feet wide.”

George Frankovitch testified as follows: "I am one of the party of timbermen that was working at the 24th level, No. 3 shaft today. I was there at the time of the accident. We were putting in square timber when the rock fell. I was a little to one side, and the rock knocked me down in the level. The same rock struck those two men. The place looked good this morning after we had pitched down all the loose rock.”

Verdict of the Jury: “We find that Mike Abrams and George Maierle came to their deaths on the 16th day of March, 1904, at the 24th level south of No. 3 shaft, Hecla Branch of the Calumet & Hecla Mine, by being struck by a fall of vein rock from a place which, according to the evidence, was considered perfectly safe.”