Accidents & Death in the Mines
Mining in the old west, as it is today, could be a very dangerous occupation.
Falling rock, unexploded rounds, broken cables, falling cages, bad air, worn out tools, poor timber, excess water and dozens
of other causes could leave a man or boy wounded or killed.
Wounds
could vary from the minor, to the very sevier; broken bones, amputated limbs, lost eyesight. All these were hazzards that
any miner could face on any day.
This section of the eMuseum
is dedicated to telling some of the stories of those who were wounded or killed in the mines of Utah. Accident documents of this type are extremely rare, and
though they relate to a difficult subject matter, they tell the story that without question is a part of Utah's mining history,
albeit a sad and lamentable part.
In 2012, I was given access to a private archive,
a portion of which contained a number of Accident Reports. They include reports from the Weber Coal Company at Coalville,
Utah, and the Daly West Mining Company, and Ontario Silver Mining Company, both of Park City, Utah.
The
type of accidents vary, as do the results. Though these reports are from a small number of properties, they give a clear picture
of the hazzards of working in Utah's early day mines.
Special thanks to our Private Donor
for access and permission to share these records.
ACCIDENTS in UTAH MINES
DEATH in UTAH MINES
_____________________
