Report of the Bureau of Mines of the Department of Internal Affairs of ...

430 REPORT OF THE INSPECTORS OF MINES. Off. Doc.
Number of fractures of clavicle 14
Number of dislocations, 7
Number of burns, 12
Number of gun shot wounds, 4
Number of spinal injuries, 13
Number of fracured skulls, 3
Number of major amputations, 5
Number of minor amputations, 16
Miscellaneous injuries, 67
Number of deaths, 2
Total number of days in hospital, 3,565
Greatest number of
•
days, one patient, 319
Average number of days, each patient, 35
Physicians: Dr. Henderson, Dr. Andrews.
Nurses: Miss Phoebe Gibson, Mr. Thos. Crawshaw.
M. A. FISHER,
Superintendent.
Report of Fatal Accidents During the Year 1897, With Causes and
Suggestions.
A fatal accident from an electric wire caused the death of Mike
Lopik, Slavish nationality, aged 22 years, and being in this country
only three months. He was at work as a miner, in company with an
elder person of the same nationality, the latter speaking broken English,
in Eureka No. 22 mine. No. 4 drift, first right heading and No. 8
room, on the 4th of March. He had to run a loaded car out of his
room about 11 A. M., and place it on the cross heading in front of the
room, and, thinking he had time to spare, started to pull a 12-pound
T iron rail otT the cross heading into his room, but he could not get
around the curve, owing to the full car being in the way. Instead of
moving the car, he raised one end of the iron rail on the car and the
other he put on his left shoulder, going into his room backwards,
having his left arm over the rail. When he had pulled the rail around
at right angles to the heading it came in contact with a live electric
wire, charged with 500 volts, the shock forcing him to the ground and,
according to the evidence of his partner, who was in a straight line
and only 200 feet away, and who said he did not hear any noise, shows
that he was rendered unconscious. Having his arm over the rail,
he failed to release liimself, thus pulling the rail down on his left
breast and falling on the road rail in one-half inch of water, which
made a perfect circuit, because the opposite end still rested on the
live wire. It was proven by John Burns, the engineer in charge of
the generator, that the circuit breaker flew out at 11.05 A. M., and
when it was put in again by him, for some unknown reason, the cur
rent continued in its pro])er course. When tlu^ engineer and con