William McRae

Accident No. 20, May 27th. - A fire started between the 20th and 21st levels in No. 2 shaft, Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla mine, resulting in the death of William MacRae by suffocation.

How it originated is and probably always will be a mystery.

An inquest was held before Justice Fisher. 

Simon Roberts was the first witness upon his path. He testified as follows: "I have charge of a timber gang for the Calumet & Hecla Mining company. I was working yesterday just below the 20th level, No. 2 shaft, Hecla. I left work at five o'clock p. m. There was no sign of fire when I left and no smell of gas. I have good reason to be afraid of fire and always warn my men to be careful of fire. I first heard of the fire after I arrived home and had my supper. Captain Pollard came to my house and told me there was a fire in No. 2 shaft at the 20th level. The back was lagged up with old cedar lagging, some of it, pretty dry. None of the men left me during the day and I stayed until the last and helped to do the last work and when the cage came we all got in and went to surface. I have no knowledge whatever of the origin of the fire. There was no one working at the 20th level. We were working 20 or 30 feet below the 20th level. William MacRae and myself went down No. 3 shaft to see if we could find any place where gas was escaping. We had been down before closing up the doors and Captain Jim told us to go down again and we went down as far as the 9th level and found gas escaping through several places. William MacRae did not understand the danger of the gas. I took the lead and got laid out first. I was feeling very weak when the cage came down and the captain told me I had better get in the cage. I got in the cage and MacRae rang the bell to lower the cage and they called to him to get in the cage also but he said he would wait until the cage came up again. It was the intention to go right to the bottom and take in the men on the way up. When we passed the 9th level on the way up I was unconscious. I cannot tell why MacRae was missed.”

William Richards then testified: “I am employed as a Timberman by the Calumet & Hecla mining company. I worked yesterday just below the 20th level, No. 2 shaft, Hecla. It was just two minutes to five by Mr. Robert's watch when we got in the cage to come up. There were six of us. We got in the cage at the 20th level; saw no smoke nor fire when we left there. Heard about the fire when I came to work this morning, heard nothing before. One man left us to go to the next level, the 21st, to get the dinner pails, brought them up to the cage and got in. I know of no one working at the 20th level. We use lamps, no one there had candles. I saw some of the men change wicks in the morning before we went down but saw no one change wicks underground. I have no idea whatever of the origin of the fire. Archie Campbell went after the dinner pails.”

Archie Campbell next testified: “I am employed timbering for the C. & H. Mining company. I worked yesterday at the 20th level, No. 2 shaft, Hecla; It was just below the 20th. Worked from seven until five. None of us left except to get some blocking or something like that. I went down to the 22nd to eat my dinner. William Jory went to the 20th to ring the bell. Saw no fire when I left there last evening. First heard that there was a fire about 7:45 last evening. Know nothing whatever of the origin of the fire."

Donald Gillis upon his oath said: “I work as a timberman for Calumet & Hecla Mining company. Worked yesterday just below the 20th level, No. 2 shaft, Hecla. First heard there was a fire about seven or eight o'clock. There was no sign of fire when I left the 20th at five o'clock. William Jory was a bell ringer at the 20th level. He was there the biggest part of the day. Came down to give us a lift once in a while. He was the only one at the 20th level. There is a pile of old lagging at the 20th level; this is about seven or eight feet from where he stood to ring the bell, near enough so he could have hung his lamp on it. The timber in the ladder road is generally wet as it is sprinkled, but in the back of the shaft the timber is dry. I know nothing of the origin of the fire."

Albert E. Peardon testified: "I was working with the timber gang of Simon Roberts yesterday at 20th level, No. 2 shaft, Hecla. Went down at seven and came up at five o'clock. Smelled no fire or gas when I left there at five o'clock. We were taking out timber; the timber we took out was dry on the upper part and the lower part was wet. Worked with a party all day. No one left to go anywhere to my knowledge.”

William H. Jory upon his oath says: “I work with timber gang; worked yesterday at 20th level, No. 2, Hecla; worked all day, quit at five o'clock. No sign of fire or smell of gas when I left there. Saw no lamps hanging on the old logging. I have no knowledge of the origin of the fire. First heard of the fire at seven o'clock last evening. None of the gang made a fire to warm their tea at dinner time. Think I would have seen a fire if there had been any there last evening."

Paul Moretto testified: "I am watchman at No. 2 shaft, Hecla; was there yesterday. First saw fire at 5:15; it was between the 20th and 21st levels. The shaft was covered over at the 21st level with the exception of a small manhole to pass through, and the fire was between the 20th and 21st where the timbermen were working yesterday; that was where the fire started first. When I saw the fire I went up to the 16th and met another watchman and he rang the alarm for fire. When I first saw the fire it was not very big, only a small blaze. The timber at the back of the shaft was burning. After the other watchman rang the alarm I went back to the 18th and looked down and saw the fire and it was much worse."

John Ghiardi then testified: “I was watching yesterday at the 16th level, No. 2 shaft, Hecla. I did not see the fire at all. The bottom watchman came up and told me that there was a fire. I rang the signal for the cage and then I rang the signal for fire but I did not go down. He told me the fire was right where the timbermen were working yesterday in the ladder way. Paul Morreto was the watchman who came up and told me. I know nothing of the origin of the fire. After telling me to ring the alarm he said he would go down and see; when he came up again he said it was getting worse. I kept ringing until the cage came down and stopped it first at the 16th and then lowered it to the 18th level.”

George Brigando next testified: “I worked yesterday at No. 2, Hecla as a watchman at the 11th level. I watch from the surface down. I heard them ring for fire about six o'clock and went up the ladder; I did not wait for the cage. The cage went down two or three minutes after I got to the surface. Do not know how the fire started.”

Theodore Modrock upon his oath says: “I was on night shift and came to work yesterday evening a little after six. The cage was just going down in answer to the fire signal and I went down with it. We stopped just below the 18th level the first time and three of us got out and went down as near as we could to the fire. We got to within about twenty-five feet of the fire but could not get closer. We rang for the cage and then went up and told Captain Wilson about it. Then Captain Tonkin and Captain Wilson and myself went down but could not get as close to the fire as before. William Mihelich and John Kocjan went with me both times. I know the man who is dead. He has been working for a couple of years in the Hecla mine. First time we went down we did not get quite to the 20th level but could see the fire."

Henry Berryman upon his oath says: “I work as timbermau for the Calumet & Hecla Mining company. Went down No. 2, Hecla, last night about 6:15. I knew there was a fire and we went down to see what we could do with it. Modrock, Mihelich, Kocjan and Penhall and another young fellow were in the party. Went down to the 18th level and could see the fire. Did not get out of the cage. Modrock and Michaelson told me to go up and report to the captain. Went down the second time a little under the 18th again and the other party came up with us. Could not see the fire the second time on account of the smoke and gas, I did go down again. I know nothing of the origin of the fire.”

Henry Schwenn testified: “I work as timberman for the Calumet & Hecla at Hecla, No. 6 shaft. Came to the mine yesterday between seven and eight as I heard there was a fire. Went over to No. 3 shaft and helped to shovel clay. I went down with the last party that went down in No. 3, somewhere between twelve and one o'clock. Went down to the 9th level with Captain Harper and three Austrians, could not go further on account of the gas. Heard that there was a man, William MacRae, underground and went down to see if we could find him. Found him 8 or 10 feet above the 9th level in the ladder road in No. 3 shaft. As far as I know he went down to clay up the doors between No. 2 and No. 3 with the others that went down. Think he was dead when we found him. Do not think a man could live there five minutes, There had been a party down before but they could not find him.”

Stephen Kasun upon his vath says: “I work in Hecla mine timbering. Went down last night about half past eleven to see if we could find this man. We went down to the 9th level; Schwenn was with me. We found the man in the ladder road just above the 9th level, and rang the bell for the cage to go up and stopped it where he was and pulled him in the cage and brought him to the surface. Do not know what he went down for.”

The jury returned the verdict as follows: “ We, the jury, find that William MacRae came to his death May 27th, A. D. 1900, at the 9th level of No. 3 shaft, Hecla branch of Calumet & Hecla mine, from escaping gas from fire at the 20th level, No. 2 shaft, Hecla branch of Calumet & Hecla mine."

FIRE IN C.&H. MINE.

Breaks out in No. 2 shaft of the Hecla Branch.

ALL OPENINGS ARE CLOSED.

Gas Fills the Workings and One Man Succumbs, Six Others Being Taken to the Hospital.

EXTENT NOT YET KNOWN.

Calumet, Mich., 27. - Fire was discovered about 5:45 this evening at the 30th level in No. 2 shaft of the Hecla branch of the Calumet & Hecla mine,
There are reports current that men have been imprisoned, and the whole town is greatly excited, people from all directions having gathered at the shaft.
It is as yet impossible to learn the details, but rumor has it that gas from the fire is also filling No. 3 shaft, with which No. 2 is connected, and that Timbermen at work there have been stifled. It is said all available doctors have been summoned.
Efforts to cover the openings so the fire will not spread are being made, many men and teams being engaged in the task on the surface,

Calumet, Mich., Monday, May 28. - It is now learned that no fatalities have occured in No. 2 shaft , the men all succeeding in escaping, but a gang of 12 men who were sent down in No. 3 to stop up with clay the trap doors in the drifts have been brought up in nearly a dying condition. Of these, one man is already dead and half a dozen others are in serious condition at the hospital.
From one of the rescued men it is ascertained that all the members of the party nearly perished. The gas came upon them so suddenly the men fled for their lives. The weaker of the men were helped along by their companions in the toilsome journey up the ladders. Finally one of them - William McRae- had to be dropped behind despite all efforts to save him. When a rescuing party, after one fruitless attempt, finally found him he was hanging almost lifeless on the ladder.

On the men coming to the surface the mine doctors worked over them, but McRae’s case was hopeless and he expired within half an hour. Six of the others were found in such serious cognition that they were taken to the hospital, one-named Roberts- in pretty bad shape. The others are Richard Martin, Benjamin Saunders, John Haun, Richard Richards and one whose name cannot be ascertained.
The gas from the burning shaft is now filling other parts of the mine and the men are all coming to the surface.
McRae, the dead man, was not married.

The Daily Mining Journal, May 28, 1900.