Cowan, James E.

Three fatal mining accidents happened in the Tri-State field within 24 hours of each other last week. James E. Cowan, 53, of rural Chetopa Kansas was killed Thursday morning. Haskell Downs, 33, of Picher Oklahoma, was killed instantly when struck by a slab while working in the ground at the Skelton Mine No. 7, at Douthat Oklahoma, Thursday afternoon. John Curtis Anderson of Picher was killed instantly in the ground at the Smith Mine shaft of the Beck Mining Company, near Baxter Springs Kansas, on Wednesday night of last week.

about 53 years of age, a resident on Chetopa rural route, was fatally injured about 7:30 Thursday morning, when a can in which he was being lowered at the Muncie Mine crashed into the pit of the shaft. The mine is located a mile and a half northwest of Treece Kansas and is operated by the Federal Mining and Smelting Company. Cowan was employed as a dragline foreman in the ground and was being lowered into the shaft to start his day's work. The accident was attributed by the hoisterman to the hoist friction band slipping, causing the can to plunge out of control down the shaft. The exact distance that Cowan fell is not known as he was unconscious when reached by other workers. He was rushed to the hospital in a Durnil ambulance of Picher Oklahoma, but soon passed away. It is reported that both of his legs were broken and death attributed to a cerebral hemorrhage. Born in Cherokee county Kansas, he was reared north of Galena Kansas and had been an employee of the mining company about 10 years. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Goldie Cowan; two sons, Jay Cowan in the armed forces and Lindell Cowan living near Melrose Kansas; a daughter Mrs. Addie Abram of the home, his father Samuel Cowan of near Galena Kansas and other relatives. The body was taken to the home, three miles southeast of Melrose, Friday morning and there awaited the arrival of his son in the Army, before burial arrangements could be announced. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at 2 at the Baptist church nine miles south of Columbus Kansas with Rev. W. H. Shargo officiating and burial was in the Green Lawn cemetery in Kansas, northwest of Treece Kansas.