William Troon

ACCIDENT No. 3. - On October 19th while William Troon and Richard Parsons were working in a cutting out stope at the 30th level, north of No. 7 shaft, Hecla Branch of the Calumet & Hecla Mine, an accident occurred resulting in the death of Troon.

The men had drilled a hole about seven feet deep when the drill became fast in the hole. After working some time, they succeeded in getting the drill out, and wishing to drill the hole deeper they put a small charge of dynamite in the hole and blasted that the drill might work more freely. Troon started to charge the hole and Parsons went out into the drift to close the valve to shut off the air from the drilling machine. Parsons had just reached the valve when an explosion took place. As soon as he heard the blast go off, he ran into the stope and found Troon lying on the rocks. His left arm was torn off close to the shoulder and his right arm cut off below the elbow and a large hole blown in his abdomen. A piece of the wooden rammer with which he was ramming in the charge having penetrated his liver, and was afterwards taken out by the physicians at the hospital. Troon died in the hospital about ten hours after the accident happened.

An inquest was held before Coroner Macdonald and the jury brought in the following verdict: "Deceased, William Troon, came to his death by the accidental discharge of a blast while in the performance of his duty in the 30th level, north of No. 7 shaft, Hecla mine, on the 19th day of October, 1895."