William John Glasson

Accident No. 1 - occurred at the Red Jacket shaft of the Calumet and Hecla Mine, October 9, 1897, which resulted in the death of William J. Glasson, a young man about seventeen years of age, employed to look after and oil the pump at the Second Pump Station.

Nothing positive could be obtained and all that is known of the unfortunate accident is, that the miners coming up the shaft in the cage about fifteen minutes before two o'clock p.m., and when passing the second Pump Station noticed that the cage struck some object and suspecting something was wrong, and as soon as they reached the surface, they were at once lowered down again as far as the Second Pump Station which is 250 feet below the surface.

They did not find the young man in the pump room and they were lowered down to the 57th level where the body was found. The supposition is that the young man being desirous of getting on the ascending cage and going to the surface with the miners, and in crossing the shaft on the timbers was struck by the ascending cage and knocked off, falling down the shaft.

An inquest was held before Coroner Sowden.

The following verdict was returned: "That William J. Glasson came to his death by accidentally falling from the Second Pump Station in the Red Jacket Shaft, to the 57th level, a distance of about 3100 feet, on the 9th day of October, 1897."

Clare Sentinel, Oct. 15, 1897-

Will Glasson, aged 17, fell down the Red Jacket shaft of the C&H mine, 3,000 feet and was killed instantly. He was stationed at the second pump, about 250 feet from the surface, and trying to catch the rope, was struck by the skip and knocked whirling down the shaft.