Thomas, Robert

Joplin, Missouri, June 27--Three men were killed in the Acme Mine of the Missouri-Kansas Zinc Company, near Waco, Missouri, this morning when 75 tons of rock fell upon them from the mine roof. The dead are: Robert Thomas, 32, Carterville Missouri; Stephen Grant, 43, Purcell Missouri, and Elmer Jess Ware, 26, Lawton Kansas.

Three men were killed instantly at 7:45 am this morning when fifty to seventy-five tons of rock fell upon them from the roof of a drift in the Acme Mine of the Missouri-Kansas Zinc Corporation, a short distance southwest of Waco Missouri. The three were Robert Thomas, 32 years old, of Carterville Missouri, a shoveler; Stephen A. Grant, 43, of Purcell, a machine man, and Elmer Jess Ware, 26 of Lawton Kansas, a shoveler. Two other hard rock lead and zinc miners were in the drift at the time, but were standing at the border of the falling mass and escaped injury.

The fall came without warning and crushed the three miners. They were removed within a few minutes' time. An inspection late yesterday of the drift, known as No. 1, failed to reveal the slightest trace of an impending fall, which caused L. M. Banks, mine manger, to advance the opinion this morning that the fall was due to a hidden fracture. According to information furnished Coroner J. W. James of Columbus Kansas, who made an investigation following the mishap, the men led by Roy Williams of Purcell and accompanied by another miner, entered the ground shortly after 7:30 am and descended to the 280 foot level. The had pushed their way out about seventy-five feet from the shaft when the roof gave way without warning. At the time Thomas had been pushing a small car along the rails and Ware had been cleaning the track in advance of the car.

Some blasting had been done in the hard rock lead and zinc mine yesterday, and an inspection at the close of the day failed to show any fractures at any part of the drift. Banks said this morning. The mine has been well worked, and recently the miners have been taking up stopes working back toward the shaft before abandoning the mine.

Workmen assisted in removing the bodies and all miners were ordered out of the mine as a safety measure. The bodies were held until the arrival of Coroner James and then brought here in a Frank-Sieyers hearse.

Grant had been working at the mine about five years, and Thomas and Ware had been in the company's employ about two years. Surviving Grant is a widow and three children; surviving Thomas, is a widow and three children, and surviving Ware, is a widow and two children. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

James Sherwood, chief mine inspector of Kansas, and Frank Fenix of Joplin Missouri, deputy state mine inspector in Missouri, inspected the mine later this morning. They estimated that a space about forty feet long had been covered by the rock. They said that no doubt there had been some "spitting" of tiny pieces of rock during the night, but that the impending break could not be discovered this morning because an inspector had not had time to investigate conditions thoroughly after the mine opened. They said the accident was "one of those unfortunate things that occur and for which no one is responsible."

Funeral arrangements have been completed for three men who were killed about 7:45 am yesterday in a drift at the Acme Mine of the Missouri-Kansas Zinc Corporation when rock fell out of the roof upon them.

Funeral services for Stephen Grant, 43 years old, of Purcell, a machine man, will be conducted at Purcell Sunday afternoon. Burial will be Purcell cemetery. Rites for Robert Thomas, 32 years old, a shoveler in the drift with Grant, will be held at 2 pm tomorrow afternoon at the Webb City Missouri funeral home. Burial will be in Mount Hope cemetery. A widow and three children survive.

Services for Elmer Jess Ware, 26 years old, of Lawton Kansas, a shoveler, will be held at 2 pm tomorrow at the Methodist church at Lawton. Burial will be in Pleasant View cemetery.

No blame was fixed for the accident, it was announced last night by James Sherwood, chief mine inspector of Kansas, and Frank Fenix of Joplin, chief state mine inspector of Missouri. The two said that the impending break could not have been discovered yesterday morning because an inspector had not had time to examine the drift.

An accident which occurred at the Acme Mine of the Missouri-Kansas Company near Waco Missouri Wednesday, in which three men lost their lives, happened in Kansas, outside the field in which the Missouri Bureau of Mines has jurisdiction, Frank Fenix, state inspector of mines, explained in a statement yesterday afternoon. Inspector Fenix's statement follows:

"There seems to be some misunderstanding as to the accident at the Missouri-Kansas Company Mine in the Waco field, where three men lost their lives last Wednesday.

"The mine where the accident happened is in Kansas. Kansas has no metal mines inspection law. The mine was not inspected prior to the accident by any state inspector, and I was never in the mine until after the accident.

"Whatever inspection was made, was by the mining company or insurance company, which is all the inspection that is ever made in any Kansas zinc or lead mines.

"A number of mining people have asked men about the accident and the foregoing is in explanation that I know nothing of the safety condition in the mine and have no authority to speak, or make any report concerning it."