Ferguson, Henry
Oklahoma City Oklahoma, Oct 20 Four men, killed at the Aztec Mine at Hockerville Oklahoma, Oct. 4 met death when the "can" in which they were being rapidly lowered struck a shoulder of rock 180 feet from the surface, turning the bucket upside down, throwing the miners 138 feet to the bottom of the shaft, Miller D. Hay, chief mine inspector, said today in an official report. Five reasons were given by Hay for the accident. The shaft was not properly timbered, he said. The mine engineer failed to place a speed indicator on the engine and lowered the men into the pit too swiftly. Insufficient ventilation caused smoke and steam to be omitted from the shaft on the day of the accident, preventing the engineer from seeing the position of the bucket. The system of lowering and raising miners in the "can" has been condemned by the chief mine inspector. Hay said that he had not placed responsibility for four deaths on the shoulders of any one person and he had not yet decided whether further action would be taken in the case.
Picher Oklahoma, Oct 4--Four miners plunged to their deaths in a mine shaft at the Aztec Mine of the Smith-Davis Company, half a mile south of Hockerville Oklahoma, early this afternoon. The disaster was one of the worst in the history of the Picher zinc and lead field. The Dead: H. Stroyick, 45 years old, of Hockerville, a shoveler; Henry Ferguson, 55 years old, of Hockerville, a machine man; Levi Robinson, 33 years old, of Hockerville, a bruno man; Leslie Parks, 24 years old, of Zincville, machine helper.
Three of the men, Stroyick, Ferguson and Robinson, were killed instantly, while Parks died at the American hospital at Picher Oklahoma at 2:30, two hours after the Accident. The four men were being lowered into the mine shaft in an ore can when suddenly they were thrown out headlong to the bottom of the shaft. It is presumed that the can, in its descent, struck the side of the cribbing, causing it to up-end. The bodies of Stroyick, Ferguson and Robinson were badly mutilated. Parks was the only unmarried man of the quartet. Immediately following the accident three Todd ambulances from Picher were rushed to the mine. The injured man was taken to the hospital and the bodies of the other three were taken to the Todd undertaking establishment. No funeral arrangements have been made for any of the men.
An investigation of the accident was made this afternoon by Riley Clark, district mine inspector, who found the hoisting machinery to be working satisfactory. He thus far has been unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. Inspector Clark will continue his investigation tomorrow more extensively. He said that in his opinion, such accidents can be avoided and that he is going to exercise every effort possible to ascertain responsibility for the disaster.
Three men were killed and another probably fatally injured at 12:30 pm this afternoon when a can being lowered into the Smith-Davis Company's Aztec Mine shaft one-half mile south of Hockerville Oklahoma, began bumping against the sides of the shaft. The three men were instantly killed and the injured man, still unconscious, was rushed to the American hospital in Picher Oklahoma in the Todd ambulance from Picher, where he was found to have a broken shoulder, broken hip, and possibly a fracture of the skull. The dead: H. Stroyick, 45, a shoveler, living at Hockerville; Henry Ferguson, 55, a machine man living at Hockerville and Levi Robinson, 33, son-in-law of Ferguson, who worked as bruno man and also lived at Hockerville.
Leslie Parks, Zincville Oklahoma, machine man's helper, the only one of the four occupants of the can to escape death, was still unconscious at 2:15 pm this afternoon. Whether or not any of the men fell from the can to the bottom of the shaft when it began bumping could not be learned before press time. The report was sent out however, that the holsterman had made a statement that he believed all the men were killed by the blows received when the can struck the shaft walls.
Picher Oklahoma, Oct. 5--Preliminary Investigation of the mine accident yesterday at Hockerville, in which four lead and zinc miners lost their lives, failed to fix responsibility for the accident, Riley Clark, district mine inspector, said today. The inspector was continuing his investigation today. The hoisting apparatus at the Aztec Mine, into which the four men, Henry Stroyick, Henry Ferguson, Levi Robinson, all of Hockerville Oklahoma, and Leslie Parks of Zincville Oklahoma, were being lowered, apparently was working satisfactorily, according to Clark. The bodies of Stroyick, Ferguson and Robinson, badly mutilated, were found at the bottom of the shaft by fellow workmen. Parks, his skull fractured and a shoulder and hip broken, was alive when found. He died in a Picher hospital two hours later.
The four men were being lowered into the mine shaft in an ore can when suddenly they were thrown out and to the bottom of the shaft. It is thought that the can, in its descent, struck the side of cribbing, causing it to up-end. The tragedy was one of the worst in the history of the Ottawa county Oklahoma lead and zinc field. Clark said he would sift the facts thoroughly in an effort to fix responsibility for the deaths.
S. H. Davis of Baxter Springs Kansas, manager and one of the owners of the mine, said he investigated the qualifications of O. O. Morris of Zincville Oklahoma, hoisterman at the mine two weeks ago and found him apparently dependable and well qualified. He said his inquiry at that time showed the hoisterman was complying with the provision of the mining code requiring that speed in lowering men into mines not exceed 590 feet a minute, equivalent to five miles an hour.
It is understood that statements, of E. K. Weir of Galena Kansas, safety engineer are to the effect that recent tests of the several hoistermen employed by the Smith-Davis Mining Company, owners of the mine showed Morris to be among the most careful.
The funerals of Ferguson, who was 58 years old, and Robinson, 24, are expected to be held Sunday. Other arrangements are incomplete. No arrangements have been made for the funerals of Stroyick, 54, or Parks, 24. The bodies of all four men are at the morgue of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher Oklahoma. Ferguson is survived by his wife, Mrs. Hattie Ferguson; five daughters, Mrs. Pauline Friends, 1708 Missouri Ave., Joplin Missouri; Mrs. Ethel Hayman, 1921 Bird Ave., Joplin; Mrs. Louise Castner, Misses Lena Castner, Mary Castner and Nancy Castner, all of Hockerville; and two sons, Arthur Castner and Mack Castner, also of Hockerville.
Robinson is survived by his mother, Mrs. Ann Porter of Hockerville and a sister, Mrs. Arch Ferguson, also of Hockerville.
Parks is a son of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Parks of Zincville Oklahoma. He is also survived by a brother, F. H. Parks, whose address is unknown.
Stroyick is survived by his wife, six daughters, Mrs. Grace Hall, Mrs. Fern Malberg, Misses Mary Stroyick, Eva Stroyick, Dorothy Stroyick and Pansy Stroyick and two sons, Henry Stroyick and William Stroyick, all of whom reside at Hockerville.
Leslie Parks, 33, Zincville Oklahoma, the only one of the miners to be taken from the shaft alive, died at 2:30 pm, at the American hospital at Picher Oklahoma.
Three men were killed and another probably fatally injured at 12:30 pm when a can being lowered into the Smith- Davis Company's Aztec Mine shaft one-half mine south of Hockerville, began bumping against the sides of the shaft. The three men were instantly killed and the injured man, still unconscious, was rushed to the American hospital in Picher Oklahoma in the Todd ambulance, where he was found to have a broken shoulder, broken hip, and possibly a fracture of the skull.
Whether or not any of the men fell from the can to bottom of the shaft when it began bumping, could not be learned before press time. The report was sent out, however, that the hoisterman had made a statement that he believed all the men were killed by blows received when the can struck the shaft walls.
Oct. 4. Four miners plunged to their deaths in a mine shaft at the Aztec Mine of the Smith-Davis Company, half a mile south of Hockerville, early this afternoon. The disaster was one of the worst in the history of the Picher Zinc and Lead field.
H. Stroyick, 45 years old, of Hockerville Oklahoma, a shoveler, Henry Ferguson, 55 years old, of Hockerville, a machine man. Levi Robinson, 33 years old, of Hockerville, a Bruno man. Leslie Parks, 24 years old, of Zincville Oklahoma, machine helper.
Three of the men, Stroyick, Ferguson and Robinson, were killed instantly, while Parks died at the American hospital at Picher Oklahoma at 2:30 pm, two hours after the accident.
The four men were being lowered into the mine shaft in an ore can when suddenly they were thrown out headlong to the bottom of the shaft. It is presumed that the can, in its descent, struck the side of the cribbing, causing it to up- end.
The bodies of Stroyick, Ferguson and Robinson were badly mutilated. Parks was the only unmarried man of the quartet.
An investigation of the accident was made this afternoon by Riley Clark, district mine inspector, who found the hoisting machinery to be working satisfactory. He thus far has been unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. Inspector Clark will continue his investigation more extensively. He said that, in his opinion, such accidents can be avoided and that he is going to exercise every effort possible to ascertain responsibility for the disaster.
Oklahoma City, Oct 5--Blaming the death of four men yesterday afternoon at the Aztec lead and zinc mine of the Smith-Davis Company near Hockerville Oklahoma on failure of some lead and zinc mine companies to properly equip their mine elevators, Miller D. Hay, chief mine inspector, announced today that he would go to Miami to make a personal investigation of the accident.
Although state mining laws have been altered to require lead and zinc mines to have lifts with proper safety devices, only a few of the mines have complied with the law for the reason that the general mining laws were written before the lead and zinc industry developed and were designed to apply chiefly to coal mines, Hays said. It would be necessary for most of the mines to alter and enlarge their shafts to put in the proper lifts equipped with safety devices, the mine inspector said.
"I believe the Legislature will have to act before we can force all the lead and zinc mines to remove this hazard, and I am going to put it before the next session, he said. "It has been a common thing for men to be killed in the Miami mine area through accidents to the buckets or tubs in which men are raised and lowered in most of the mines. Fatal or serious injuries occur easily by the tubs being thrown against the walls of the shaft, and if the lift rope breaks there is almost certainly to be a fatality."
Picher Oklahoma, Oct. 6 Funeral services for Henry Ferguson, 58 years old, of Hockerville, and Levi Robinson, 24, also of Hockerville Oklahoma, who were killed Thursday in an accident at the Smith-Davis Aztec Mine, will be conducted at the first Baptist church at 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon with the Rev. Powell Smith, pastor of the south Joplin Missouri Christian church, officiating. The body of Mr. Ferguson will be buried in Hill Crest cemetery at Galena Kansas, and Robinson's body will be buried at Lowell Kansas cemetery. Funeral services for Leslie Parks, 24, of Zincville Oklahoma, will be held at the Union church in Zincville at 10 o'clock Sunday morning with the Rev. D. W. Brashear, pastor of the First Methodist church, officiating. Burial will be in G.A.R. cemetery at Miami. The funeral of Henry Stroyick, 54, also of Hockerville, the fourth man to lose his life in the accident, will be held at the Union church in Hockerville at 11 o'clock Sunday morning with the Rev. Denton officiating. Burial will be in the Hill Crest cemetery at Galena Kansas. The funerals of all four victims of the accident will be under the direction of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher Oklahoma.
Not less than a half dozen mining men are working on plans for building some kind of safety can for lowering and hoisting miners in and out of the mines. Out of all these plans one will no doubt be developed that will be practical and safe. While accidents in hoisting and lowering men have not been frequent, they have usually been of a serious nature. The tragic accident at the Aztec Mine last week, while it cannot be attributed to any fault of the hoisterman or any defect in hoisting equipment, has spurred mine operators and miners alike to devise some method whereby such accidents can be averted.
Article of Interest: Picher Oklahoma, Oct 17 Mrs. Myrtle Stroyick, 40 years old, died at 8 o'clock this morning at her home in Hockerville Oklahoma. Death was due to complications of ailments and resulted after a long illness. Mrs. Stroyick was the widow of Henry Stroyick who, with three companions, was killed at the Smith-David Aztec Mine two weeks ago when thrown from a can in which they were being lowered into the mine to resume work following the noon meal. Mrs. Stroyick is survived by six daughters, Mrs. Grace Hall, Mrs. Fern Malmberg and Misses Mary Stroyick, Eva Stroyick, Dorothy Stroyick and Pansy Stroyick, all of Hockerville Oklahoma, and two sons, Henry Stroyick and William Stroyick, also of Hockerville. No funeral arrangements have been made. The body is at the morgue of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher.
As sequel to the hoister tub accident at the Smith-Davis Company's Aztec Mine near Hockerville, Oct 6, in which four men lost their lives, suit was filed against the company yesterday afternoon in the district court here by Mrs. Shirley Parks, widow of Leslie Parks, who died in the American hospital at Picher Oklahoma shortly after the tragedy. The petition asks for $70,000 damages from S. H. Davis, W. N. Smith, Wilbur Ball, and O. L. Leith, members of the Smith-Davis Company, and alleges negligence as the cause of the accident. The document filed with the court clerk states the shaft was not properly cribbed, the mining company had not supplied a proper hoisting appliance and the men were being lowered into the shaft too fast when they were killed. The plaintiff asked for $35,000 for actual loss to dependents of the dead man and $35,000 pecuniary loss to the estate, of which Mrs. Parks was named administratrix.