Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1878 — Terrible Death in a Mine. [ARTICLE]

Terrible Death in a Mine.

Michael Comerford, a Virgima (Nev?) miner, met a terrible death a few days ago by falling into the hot water below- the shaft of the Hale & Norcross mine. He was missed about half-past two o’clock, and search was made for him along the incline below the 1,900 level. At a point forty-five feet above the 2,000 level a mark was found on one of the rollers on which the pumprod moves, which indicated that his foot had slipped there. J.ust below were mtfrks where his hands had grasped'Hie slimy sides of the rack and slipped away again. The marks of his struggles were traced dpwn to the water below the 2,000 level. Here a timber was found protruding from the hands. As the miners held their lanterns over this cauldron of hot water, death which had overtaken their comrade. The body was not in sight, and the surface of the pool was .^till,. except where the gases broke in bubbles, and the water, heated at 152 degrees Fah renheit, sent up continual volumes of steam. Afterit became certain that Comerford must have fallen into l the water, a long iron rod, with a hook at

the end, was procured and the pool exEiored for the body. After considerale work the rod (truck against something movable about twelve or fifteen feet below the surface. . The hook caught and it was slowly drawn up. The miners bent breathless over the spot, and as the body came above the surface they were horrified at the ghastly spectacle which the swollen andoooked corpse presented. The body was almost double its natural size, being jnified up with the intense heat, ana n many places the . skin of the face and chest, which was as white as snow, had burst open. A bruise in the farehead showed that the unfortunate miner had struck something in his fall and was doubtless stunned. The body was wrapped up in a piece of canvas, and then strapped to a board and placed upon tne case, where it was held upright by three or four of the miners ana slowly hoisted to the surface, and the brother of the deceased, who works in the Savage mine, and who had been sent for, met the remains at live mouth of the shaft, and was nearly crazed with grief.— Hryvnia CWy (Nev.) Chronicle.