Archer, William

Two men, one a Miamian, lost their lives and four other miners were seriously injured during a double-slab fall at the Beck-Smalley Mine lease, approximately one-half mile south of Baxter Springs Kansas. The dead: Arthur T. Pryor, 53, and Charles Andrew Abbott, about 60, Riverton Kansas. The injured include: William Archer of Baxter Springs Kansas; Henry Pendleton of Joplin Missouri, and Clifford Skidmore and William Whittenbeck of Picher Oklahoma. While no report as to three of the men's conditions were available, at 2 pm word from the Picher hospital at Picher, indicated that Archer's injuries were considered 'critical.' The tragedy occurred, it was said, when Abbott, a machine man, and Pendleton, his helper, were pinned under the first falling slab while they were working in a drift heading. Abbott was killed instantly. Pryor was fatally injured a few minutes later when he and three fellow workmen, while trying to extricate Abbott and Pendleton, were struck by the second boulder. While the injured were rushed to the Picher hospital in a Durnil ambulance, Pryor's body was received by the Cooper funeral home at Miami. Abbott's body was taken to the Hoskins-Wene funeral home in Baxter Springs. Pryor, a resident of Miami for the past 18 years, is survived by his wife, Mrs. A. T. Pryor of the home; three daughters, Mrs. Clarence Moore of Little Rock Arkansas, Mrs. D. W. Griffin of Lincoln, and Phyllis Jean Pryor of the home, and five sons, Virgil Pryor of Vinita Oklahoma, Arthur Pryor, Duaine Pryor and Willard Pryor of Miami and Beauford Pryor with the U.S. Marines on Okinawa. Funeral services are incomplete. Note: Also see Charles Andrew Abbott, Henry Pendleton and Arthur Pryor.

Two survivors of Friday's mine tragedy, which cost the lives of four men, were reported Saturday to be 'getting along nicely at the Picher hospital.' They are William Whittenbeck, 47, a machine man, 315 South Netta street, and Clifford Skidmore, 29, 609 West Second street, a rope rider, both of Picher. Whittenbeck suffered a fractured spine while Skidmore received numerous cuts and bruises when they were caught under the second slab which fell at the Swalley Mine of the Beck Mining Company, a mile and a half west of Baxter Springs Kansas, shortly after 10:30 am Friday. The death toll in what is reported to be the worst mining accident in the Tri-State District in six years, was increased to four when William Archer, 33, of Baxter Springs Kansas, Route 1, a machine man, and Henry Pendleton, 43, of Joplin Missouri, a machine helper, died Friday evening. Charles Andrew Abbott, 61, of Crestline Kansas, a machine man was killed outright under the first slab fall. Arthur Pryor, 53, of Miami, a roof trimmer, crushed by the second slab, died about two hours following the double-mishap. According to Dal Downing, Kansas district mining inspector, Abbott and his helper, Pendleton, were caught by the first slab, about eight inches thick and 30 feet long, while working in a drift heading. Rushing immediately to their aid, Pryor, Archer, Whittenbeck and Skidmore were struck by a second slab measuring about five inches thick and some 20 feet long. Pryor and Archer were fatally injured in their rescue attempts. Men from nearby mines worked about an hour before all victims were extricated and removed to the Picher hospital at Picher in Durnil and Hoskins-Wene ambulances. Saturday's accident, it is reported, claimed the largest number of lives since the January, 1939, tragedy at the Southern Mine northwest of Treece Kansas in which five men were killed. Mine Inspector Downing said the accident was 'apparently caused from the rotten nature of the sheet ground layers.' The accident occurred, he said, 300 feet or more underground. Estimating the height of both dirt falls at approximately 14 feet, Downing said he believed about 15 tons of rock and earth trapped the miners. The mine, owned by the Beck Mining and Royalty Company of Miami, owned an excellent safety record at this property prior to the accidents. Sheet ground, Downing explained, is composed of flat seams extending horizontally in layers measuring from a few inches to a foot. A mine operator Saturday said sheet ground somewhat resembles earth formations from which coal is mined. Funeral services for Pryor, a resident of Miami for the part 18 years and who lived at 117 C street southeast, Miami will be conducted at 2:30 pm Monday at the Cooper funeral home chapel. The Rev. Coral D. Walker, pastor of the First Christian church, will officiate. Pallbearers will be J. J. Smith, Bert Howard, Lottie Long, John Nott, Clarence Caskey and Peck Sogsdill. Burial will be in G.A.R. cemetery at Miami. Abbott, who was unmarried, lived with his mother, Mrs. Rosa Abbott at Crestline Kansas. He had resided in that vicinity for 50 years. He is also survived by three sisters. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon, at the Friends church in Riverton Kansas. Burial will be in the Oakhill cemetery there under direction of the Hoskins-Wene funeral home of Baxter Springs Kansas. Pendleton is survived by two brothers, George T. Pendleton and Charles Pendleton of Baxter Springs Kansas; two sisters, Mrs. Anna Huston of Pryor Oklahoma and Mrs. Lydia Green of Joplin Missouri, and three half-brothers. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 pm Monday at the First Methodist church in Joplin. Burial will be in Memorial cemetery at Joplin. Archer had lived in the area of Baxter Springs for several years. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Bessie Archer; his mother, Mrs. Ruth Archer of Blackjack, district west of Galena Kansas, and a brother, Shelley Archer of Baxter Springs. Funeral services will be conducted at 3:30 this afternoon at the Allison funeral home chapel in Galena Kansas. Burial will be in the Lowell Kansas cemetery.