Boulder Daily Camera

Boulder Daily Camera

Taken from Elmer Curtis Swallow scrapbooks.
Submitted by Leah McKin,  LMckin7884@aol.com

Daily Camera
(Boulder, Colorado), 11 June 1891, p. 1

A miner named Al Sparks fell from a bucket in the shaft of the Lamartine mine, near Idaho Springs, yesterday morning, a distance of 200 feet, and was instantly killed. 

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Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), 1 August 1891, p. 1

BOULDER miner killed.

A. F. MacFerren Loses His Life at Ward.

A dispatch received from Ward last evening announces the killing of A. F. MacFerren in the Sullivan mine.  There are no details except that the body was to have been shipped down to the undertaker’s during the night.  Up to the hour of going to press no one has arrived from Ward.

Robt. Coulehan received the dispatch but delegated the unwelcome task of telling Mrs. MacFerren of the Calamity, to some kind friend.

It is understood that Mrs. MacFerren had intended to leave this morning for California where she has been to regain her health and that Mr. MacFerren intended to come down from Ward to bid her “Good bye.”

The unfortunate miner has had several thrilling and narrow escapes before but this time he was called for.  Besides his wife he leaves two young lady daughters, Misses Lulu and Lydia MacFerren who are also at present in Boulder.  Mr. MacFerren is well know in the mountains and was a general favorite.  He was an experienced miner and no blame has ever been attached to any carelessness on his part.  It is a sad blow to the afflicted family who were about to bid him farewell, and their farewell will now remain unspoken until that day when they shall be reunited in a land where the word is unknown.  The sympathy of the whole community is extended to the mourning women who are left thus alone.

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Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), 11 March 1892, p. 1

A Fatal Accident

Louisville, March 10.--(Special.)--This morning Frank Melk, a miner employed in the Calidonia mine, was instantly killed by the falling in of a large portion of the roof.  The unfortunate man was badly crushed.  He leaves a wife and an adopted child.

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Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Wednesday, 25 May 1892, p. 1

Two Fatal Accidents

George Cooley of Ward Meets a Sudden Death.

Down a shaft.

George Prescott Meets Death in the Baxter at Ward.

George Prescott, a miner employed ramming in the Baxter mine at Ward, met a horrible death in the mine yesterday morning.

Prescott was working in the mine alone on the 150 foot level.  A miner at work in the drift heard a noise of something falling down the shaft and called to Prescott to know what was the trouble.  Receiving no reply he went to the shaft and saw Prescott’s candle burning and hanging to the wall.  Thinking Prescott had gone up above he went back to work, but feeling uneasy he finally concluded to go up and see if Prescott had gone up.

He accordingly went up and failed to find Prescott and an investigation disclosed the missing man’s hat on the water in the shaft about 100 feet below where he had been working, and there is little doubt but that the unfortunate fellow is a corpse in the bottom of the shaft with 100 feet or more of water over him.

The manner in which the man met his death can only be guessed at.  It is thought that in taking the bucket on a car he must have lost his balance or slipped and plunged headlong down the shaft, and was probably dead before he struck the water.

A force of men are taking out the water but it may be several days before the body is recovered.  The deceased was sometimes known as Geo. Cooley and he was a very popular young man.  His body will be brought to Boulder as soon as recovered.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Thursday, 29 December 1892, p. 1

Horrible Mine Accident

A Mistaken Ring of the Bell Brings Up a Ghastly Cargo.

A horrible accident occurred at the Acme mine at Louisville yesterday and two lifeless bodies were pulled to the surface in lieu of an expected load of coal.  The men whose death summons came so suddenly were George McIvor and Mathew Ransom, two well-known and respected miners of the place.

Evidence is only slightly conflicting as to the causes leading to the accident.  The bodies were fearfully mangled, the head of one of the men being mashed to a jelly and the chest of another frightfully crushed.  John Leicher, who was one of the top men and J. B. Stretz, another were but a few feet from the cage.  Engineer Vanolinder and these top men agree that the usual signal was given.  Charles Hazlett, who was a mule driver at the bottom of the shaft, saw the cage start with a sudden jerk and the bodies crushed by the uprights above.

Coroner Trezise went over at once and was joined by Mining Inspector McNeill.  Their joint conclusion was that no inquest was necessary.

Inspector McNeill said that it is against all rules of mines for men to step over the cage and it was very apparent that the unfortunate fellows transgressed this law.  It is surmised that one of them tripped and in an effort to catch hold of the elevator bars, grasped the bell wire and thus unwittingly pulled the cable that killed himself and partner.  After Hazlett signaled to lower, the cable above slackened and the cage refused to go down, so it was found necessary to pull the bodies up, while crowding the timbers, and they were more or less crushed in the process.

A mass meeting was held last night and it was resolved to have the funeral at 1 p.m. Friday.  McIvor was a member of the A.O.U.W. and his Erie lodge will attend.  He was, also, father of two children, who, together with his wife survive him.  The other victim was a

[An unknown number of lines are missing here, the bottom of the page being cut off by the scanning process.  A follow-up articles follows.]

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Friday, 30 December 1892, page 4

McIvor, one of  the men killed in the Acme mine accident, was a member of the Erie lodge A.O.U.W. and his widow and two children will receive the $2,000 benefit.”

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Saturday,16 December 1893, p. 1

Killed in a Coal Mine.

An Italian Coal Miner Killed in the Hecla Today.

Killed in the Hecla.

A Louisville Coal Miner Killed This Morning.

Louisville, Dec.16--About 10 o'clock this morning a huge chunk of coal in one of the rooms of the Hecla mine fell upon Joe Lasalla, an Italian miner and killed him almost instantly.  The dead man was single and had lived in America but about six years.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), 31 January 1894, p. 1

A COAL MINER’S SAD DEATH

In the Otis Mine at Lafayette a Well Known Miner Loses His Life. . .

Killed In The Mine.

Falling Coal at Lafayette Crushes a Coal Miner

Lafayette, Colo., Jan. 31.--At 8 o'clock this morning, Frank Bockhaus, an operative in the Otis mine, aged about 21 years, was killed by a falling scale from the roof of his room.  He was a popular young man and a member of the Knight of Pythias lodge of this place.

No Inquest Necessary.

Coroner Trezise went over to Lafayette today to look into the matter of the accidental killing of a miner in the Otis mine.  To fix responsibility is such cases inquests are generally necessary.

Coroner Tresize went down into the mine, carefully examined everything and concluded that an inquest would be needless expense to the county, though several men claimed it was the fault of P. Boss Nesbit.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Thursday, 1 February 1894, p. 4

Funeral Of Bockhaus.

Lafayette, Feb. 1--The funeral of Frank Bockhaus, killed in the Otis mine yesterday, will occur at this place at 10 a.m. Friday.  He was a prominent member of Lignite lodge, K. of P., and that order will conduct the funeral exercises.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Wednesday, 21 February 1894, p. 1.

Crushed to death

Terrible Death of Frank Stock in the Acme Mine.

Louisville, Feb. 21.--(Special)--Frank Stock, a miner in the Acme coal mine, was working in his room in the mine this morning, when a rock fell from the roof and killed him instantly.  The superintendent claims to have warned Stock to timber before shooting and to neglect of this order, it is claimed his death is due.  Stock was a single man

p. 4

Mr. Trezise this afternoon sent a casket to Louisville for Stock, the miner killed in the Acme.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Friday, 25 May, 1894, p. 1

Hell at Cripple Creek

Deputies Surrounded Disarmed and Strikers Triumphant

Shaft House Blown Up

And Slaughter of men and Destruction of Property the Reigning Events In a Days History of Victor--The Strikers in Full Possession, With Reports of Dead Non Union Men and a Lead Superintendent.

Trouble at cripple

The Big Gold Camp to be the Scene of Great Excitement.

Cripple Creek, Colo., May 24.--There is intense excitement in this city tonight.  It was learned that men were being recruited in Denver to come here and aid as guards at the closed mines and that the owners intended to at once reopen their properties.  Some doubted the truth of the story, but everyone was convinced that it was correct when at 10 o'clock they saw some 60 men all mounted on good horses and every one carrying in his hand a Winchester rifle, quietly riding out of the city toward the town of Victor.  It is understood they are all deputy sheriffs and that their mission is to meet the guards who are expected to arrive over the Florence & Cripple Creek road early in the morning.  Nobody doubts but that serious trouble is at hand.  The miners are as well armed as the guards, and many of them are desperate men.

Deputies Disarmed.

Victor the Scene of Bloodshed and Confusion Today.

Cripple Creek, May 25--The shaft houses of the Annie Lee and Strong mines were blown up today.  They are complete wrecks and more shaft houses are to go.  Telephone lines have been cut and it is feared the telegraph lines will follow.  Several men had been in the Strong shaft house several minutes before the explosion and it is feared they were killed..  A dozen men tried to go to work this morning but were driven out.  The special train carrying deputies from Denver under ex-Chief Veatch arrived at Victor shortly after ten and camped on Wilson creek, near the town.  The miners stretched their lines out and entirely surrounded the deputies.  They then sent a deputation to the Annie Lee, a wagon load of powder was driven alongside the shaft house, a fuse attached and the building blown to atoms.  A few non union miners were at work there and were driven out after a desperate fight.  Jack Dempsey is supposed to be killed and it thought that Superintendent McDonald is among the slain.

At 1:40 this afternoon, the deputies were ordered to give up their arms or they would be killed.  They surrendered and are now being marched to this city under a strong guard of determined miners.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Saturday, 26 May 1894, p. 1

MORE BLOOD WAS SHED

Strikers at Cripple Creek Capture a Train and Go Out For War.

ENGAGE THE DEPUTIES

Firing from their Flat Cars and Shooting to Kill.  The Fire is Returned, One Being Killed and Many on Both Sides Are Wounded--The Denver Deputies Withdraw To Florence Leaving the Strikers in Possession.

Blood Was Shed

A Deadly Battle Between the Strikers and Deputies.

Cripple Creek, May 26--The first real meeting between the striking miners and deputies occurred a short distance from Wilbur about dusk this morning.  It was a skirmish resulting in the death of one striker and the injury of several men on both sides.  At a late hour last night the strikers assembled in the saloons of Victor and listened to speeches from their leaders, who with one accord urged immediate action against the “invading army of deputies.”  The whole body then proceeded to the depot of the Florence & Cripple Creek road, captured a construction train and proceeded on flat cars to Wilbur.

Every man was ready, gun in hand, for action.  About half a mile this side of Wilbur, when the deputies were standing behind rocks, the men on the cars were warned.  A shout rang out and a battle began.  William Rabideau was killed and three strikers injured and several of the deputies wounded.  Shortly after noon ex-Chief Veatch decided to withdraw his deputies to Florence to await re-enforcements.

Bowers Calls for Aid.

Colorado Springs, May 26--Sheriff Bowers is still calling for more deputies.  Notices have been posted calling on citizens to go to Cripple Creek to assist him in preserving the peace.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Saturday, 26 May 1894, p. 1

Killed in the shaft

Henry Lampshire Struck by a Skid and Instantly Killed.

At 4 o'clock this morning Coroner Trezise was summoned to Magnolia and later returned with the body of Henry Lampshire.  The unfortunate man was working in the bottom of the Keystone shaft, 400 feet underground.  The bucket had been sent up, but at the 260 level caught upon a skid, which snapped in two and a heavy piece, 8 or 10 feet in length fell, striking Lampshire and his partner, John Pomeroy.  The first was hit on the back of the head, a hole being made large enough to admit a man’s hand.  Pomeroy was struck on the neck and carries a huge swelling as the result of the blow.  “Are you hurt?” asked Pomeroy.  “Partner, I’m gone,” said Lampshire faintly as he fell into the arms of his comrade and expired.

Tears came to the eyes of John Pomeroy as he told of this little scene 400 feet beneath the surface of the earth, which occurred at 1 o'clock this morning.

The coroner examined the mine and men and decided that there was no blame attaching to anyone and that an inquest would be unnecessary expense to the county.

Pomeroy accompanied him to town and the remains of Lampshire were at the undertaking rooms all day.  He was only 23 years of age and leaves a mother and brother to mourn his loss.  The later is son-in-law of H. C. Thompson and was engineer at the mine at the time of his brother’s death.  The dead miner was almost a perfect specimen of physical manhood.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Saturday, 26 May 1894, p. 2

The Cripple Creek troubles have developed outrages at which all men must shudder.  The destruction of life and property is a terrible exercise of lawlessness and it is equally true that resistance of the just demands of organized labor is a premium placed by capital upon outrages of this character.  The matter would be cleared considerably were the public quite sure that this strike is not a scheme of the mine owners to cover up stock speculations, to discourage honest owners and small holders of stock and thus eventually to acquire possession and ownership of the mines.  We do not assert that such is the case, but such schemes have been worked so frequently in Colorado that these strikes will always be looked upon with just suspicion.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Wednesday, 27 June 1894, p. 1

Three Miners Die of Foul Air in a Mine at Victor.

Killed by Foul Air.

Victor, June 27--In the Jefferson mine Oscar Peterson, James Dogget and Dan Connors were killed today by foul air.

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The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), Saturday, 17 November 1894, p. 1

Miners Smoked to Death.

Four Miners at Black Hawk are Suffocated in a Tunnel.

And No Way to Escape

The Smoke Entered from the Shaft House and There was no Means of Egress.

Four Men Suffocated

Terrible Fate of Some Miners at Black Hawk.

Black Hawk, Nov. 17.--By carelessness in the shaft house of the Perigo mine today the building caught fire, driving the smoke into the tunnel into which it led.  This tunnel is 950 feet long and was the only means of entrance or exit.  Four men in the tunnel at the time were suffocated to death, their bodies not yet having been recovered, owing to the smoke.  Their names are:

Albert Sanders, 27, single.

L. Wills, 35, married.

Durham Ivey, 40, leaves wife and five children.

James Whitrow, 23, single.