Jameson, Clifford M.

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Hockerville Oklahoma, Nov 7 Buried under hundreds of tons of chat, which rushed down upon them in a small avalanche at 10 Wednesday night while they were preparing to blast at the Peru-Laclede Syndicate Mine, Inc. tailing mill [Note: Tailing from the hard rock lead and zinc mill] north of Hockerville, the bodies of Clifford M. Jameson and Charles I. Branum were recovered by a large rescue crew shortly after 1 this morning. Jameson, a Baxter Springs Kansas man was mill foreman. Branum lived at Picher Oklahoma.

The Peru-Laclede plant, operated by the Evans-Wallower Mine interests is located in Kansas a short distance northeast of Hockerville. Workmen at the mill said Branum and Jameson went into a deep "cut" in the tailing pile, through which the drag and conveyor brings chat to the mill, with the intention of blasting loose chat on the sides of the cut, so that it would fall down within reach of the drag and conveyor. When the two men did not return in 60 minutes, other mill hands went out into the night to find a small mountain of chat had avalanched down over the place where the charge was to have been set. Since no sound of explosion was heard, mine officials believe the chat suddenly dropped down upon the men before they could set off the charge and run to safety.

When the Peru-Laclede Mill crew learned the fate of their fellow workers, a squad of shovelers was mustered to dig away the chat, but three hours elapsed before the bodies were recovered. Two Todd ambulance drivers from Picher helped with the rescue and took charge of the bodies. Records show that seven men have been killed in the last three years by chat slides where re-milling of tailings was being done, all under circumstances similar to the tragedy Wednesday night. [This is probably referring to Carl Thompson, Walter Warren, Roy Wilson, Clifford M. Jameson, Charles I. Branum, Thomas Cross and John Richard Dixon]. Bodies of the two men are being held at the Todd undertaking company, of Picher pending funeral arrangement.

Jameson is survived by his wife, Mrs. Gladys Jameson; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harley E. Jameson of Baxter Springs Kansas, and two brothers, Charles Jameson and Frederick Jameson, of Baxter Springs.

Branum is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mary Branum; three children, George Branum, Lulu Branum and Nelson Branum, all of the home; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Branum of Washburn, Missouri; four brothers, Walter Branum of Theyer Kansas, Noah Branum of Okmulgee Oklahoma, Roy Branum and Fred Branum of Washburn, and two sisters, Mrs. Emma Pendergraph of Osage Oklahoma, and Mrs. Myrtle Rumley of Cosmon Colorado.

Picher Oklahoma, Nov Funeral services for Clifford M. Jameson, 26 years old, residing northwest of Baxter Springs Kansas, who was killed Wednesday night in a chat slide at the Peru Mine, five miles northeast of Picher, were conducted at the Christian church in Baxter Springs at 2 this afternoon. Burial was in Hill Crest cemetery at Galena Kansas under direction of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete for Charles L. Branum, 40 of Picher, a second victim of the accident. Coroner J. S. McAuley of Cherokee county Kansas, after an investigation yesterday of the tragedy, announced that no inquest was necessary. The body of Branum is at the parlors of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher.

Picher Oklahoma, Nov. 7--an investigation was held today into the deaths of Charles I. Branum, 40 years old, of Picher Oklahoma, and Clifford M. Jameson, 26, residing one and a half miles northwest of Baxter Springs Kansas, who died from suffocation when they were buried today in a chat slide at the Peru-Leclede Syndicate Mill, situated five miles northeast of Picher. The investigation was conducted by an official of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher. The accident occurred shortly before 10 and the bodies of the two men were not recovered until after 1 o'clock, following three hours of frantic work of a rescue party composed of mill employees and a Todd ambulance crew.

Branum, who operated a drag at the mill, and Jameson, foreman of the mill crew, were engaged in making arrangements for the discharge of a shot to break loose the tailings along the pathway of the drag at the time of the accident. Fifteen or more tons of gravel suddenly swept upon the two men, burying them alive without a moment's warming.

Jameson is survived by his widow, Mrs. Gladys Jameson; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harley E. Jameson of Baxter Springs Kansas, and two brothers, Charles B. Jameson and Frederick D. Jameson, both of Baxter Springs. Funeral services for Jameson will be held at 2 tomorrow afternoon at the Christian church at Baxter Springs. Burial will be in Hill Crest cemetery at Galena Kansas. Funeral arrangements for Branum are incomplete.