Thomas Bray

ACCIDENT NO. 47 — June 8th, 1905 — Thomas Bray, engineer at the pump house, Franklin Junior Mine. It was his duty to oil the sheaves at the collar of the shaft.

In walking over the sleeper to oil the sheaves his foot slipped and he fell down the shaft. He could have gone through the door of the shaft house and oiled the sheaves with perfect safety instead of passing over the sleeper in the shaft.

An inquest held before Coroner Fisher.

Victor Johnson testified: “I know the deceased, Thomas Bray. I worked myself last night. I took the skip down at the bottom and went up above the 4th level. I smelled some kerosene. I thought there was some fire somewhere I told my partner. I hitched on the drill truck to the skip and went down. I told my partner to look on one side of the shaft while I kept a lookout on the other to see where the fire is. My partner saw Mr. Bray lying below the first level. We went down to the 12th level and reported it to the captain."

Verdict: “We, the jury, upon our oaths do say that Thomas Bray came to his death on the 7th or 8th day of June 1905, at No. 1 shaft, Franklin Junior Mine, by accidentally falling in the shaft while in the performance of his duty.”

June 8, 1905- Thomas Bray, aged about 65 years, was killed Thursday noon by falling rock in the Franklin Jr. mine. The coroner's jury -John Harris; Thomas Hamblyn; Thomas Paull; William Treday and William Collins decided it was an accidental death. He is survived by a wife only.The funeral will take place Sunday afternoon at the Boston mine Methodist church. Burial will be at Lake View cemetery, Calumet.