Smith, William Vernon

Picher Oklahoma, April 15--William Vernon Smith, 43 years old, a machine man, and Robert E. Yocum, 23, helper, were killed by an underground explosion at 2 am this morning at the Stebbins Mine of the C. K. & E. Mining Company, two miles northwest of Treece Kansas. Circumstances under which the fatal accident occurred were not learned as the two killed were the only men underground at the time. Gilbert E. Clark of Picher, ground foreman, left the two men after they had drilled out their round of 11 holes and had loaded them for blasting. They were wet from the damp condition of the pull drift and Clark prepared a warm fire for them in the change house.

Subsequently he heard and counted blasting reports from six of the 11 holes, and after waiting 20 minutes for the men to appear, he reentered the mine and found the two dead. Yocum had been blown by the force of the explosion more than 60 feet from the pull drift heading, in which the blasting holes had been drilled, and Smith had been carried between 40 and 50 feet. The pull drift had been driven about 120 feet north of the working face, and its heading was about 650 feet north of the mine shaft on the 392-foot level.

G. L. Childress of Joplin Missouri, operator, of the mine, and Dow Downing of Baxter Springs Kansas Deputy mine inspector, accompanied by William Anderson inspector for an insurance company, made an investigation of the accident this morning. Childress said they were unable to determine definitely what had occurred. Smith, who lived at 418 South Connell avenue, Picher, is survived by three sons, L. C. Smith, Richard Eugene Smith and Raymond Vernon Smith all of Picher Oklahoma, and a daughter, Mrs. Marjory Spradlin of Poplar Bluff Missouri.

Among those surviving Yocum, who lived at Cardin Oklahoma, are three half-brothers, Vernon Van Vebber, who is in the army and Stone Van Vebber of Cardin Oklahoma, and four half-sisters, Mrs. Irene Hammon of Kansas City, Mrs. Hazel Clark and Mrs. Dorothy Clark of Picher and Mrs. Elsie Bullard of California. The bodies were removed to the Durnil funeral home of Picher Oklahoma.

A premature blast at the Stebbins Mine...northwest of Picher in Kansas, claimed the lives of two Ottawa county Oklahoma miners early Saturday morning. William Vernon Smith, 48, a machine man living at 418 South Connell Avenue in Picher Okla-homa, and Robert Yoakum, 22, of Cardin Oklahoma, Smith's helper, were killed instantly when a charge of dynamite they had prepared exploded unexpectedly, mangling their bodies, it was reported. Circumstances, under which the fatal accident occurred were not known as Smith and Zoakum were alone underground at the time.

Yoakum, it was said, had been blown more than 60 feet by the force of the detonation while Smith had been hurled about 50 feet from the pull drift where the men had been working. The pull drift had been driven about 120 feet north of the working face and its heading was located about 650 feet north of the mine shaft on the 392 foot level...

Smith was a veteran of World War I. He is survived by three sons and a daughter. Funeral services for Smith will be conducted at 3 o'clock Monday afternoon at Poplar Bluff Missouri under direction of the Durnil funeral home of Picher Oklahoma. Yoakum is survived by his father, Bill Yoakum of Missouri; five half-brothers. Funeral services for Yoakum will be announced by the Durnil funeral home. Note: Miami paper spelled Yocum as Joakum.

Note: Article give the name of Yocum's father as Willie Yoakum. Yocum was buried in Cowgill Missouri.