Mountain King Mine , Merced River Canyon
California
1917
Merced Express, May 5, 1917
Accident at Mountain King
Mine Causes Death of
Seven Miners
An accident which caused the death of seven men occurred at an early
hour last Saturday morning at the Mountain King gold mine in the Merced
river canyon on the Yosemite Valley railroad fifty-five miles from
Merced, the accident being caused by the breaking of a flume which shut
off the motive power and prevented the pumping of fresh air into the
mine.
The miners who lost their lives are:
Petter DeFau, foreman of the mine, aged 42, of San Francisco; Carl
Frank, aged 40, of Mariposa; John Esclose, aged 40, of Mariposa; Joseph
Garino, aged 42, of Coulterville; John Locher, aged 36, of Bagby; Ili
Clayton, aged 26, of Lodi; Peter Bruschieo, aged 40, of
Stockton.
The men were at work in the first level of the mine and a blast had
been fired in the 1400-foot level shortly after midnight Saturday
morning. Because of the breaking of the flume Superintendent Austin and
Foreman DeFau had give orders to the miners to stay out of the lower
level , and were shortly followed by their foreman, and all were over
come by the poisonous gases and died of suffocation.
Frank Stehr, another miner, made a heroic effort to rescue his comrades
and almost lost his life in the attempt. He descended into the lower
level, found the foreman and endeavored to carry him up the ladder.
Feeling himself becoming affected by the impure air he fastened the
body of DeFau to the ladder and came up for air. Again he descended and
found the body of another miner, which he succeeded in bringing up
twenty feet before he was again compelled to seek fresh air. In
descending the third time he was over come and dropped. A rope was
dropped to him and he was brought out in a weakened condition. Stehr is
still suffering from the effects of the gas, and he was brought to the
city Wednesday for further treatment.
A call for help was sent from the mine to Bagby, El Portal,
Coulterville and Mariposa, and 300 men responded and at once began the
work of repairing the flume so that fresh air could be pumped into the
mine. A hand pump was also put in operation, but it was not powerful
enough to clear the mine of the poisonous air. The bodies were
recovered and brought to the surface shortly after the flume repairs
had been completed at 3 o'clock Sunday morning.
Dr. D. W. Zirker of Merced and Dr. D. I. Aller of Merced Falls were
summoned to the mine to render medical aid to the miners as they were
brought to the surface, but all had been suffocated before the bodies
were found.
Following the inquests held by Coroner Johnson of Mariposa county the
bodies were taken care of by W. N. Griffin of the undertaking firm of
Welch & Co. of this city, several of the bodies being brought to
Merced and prepared for shipment to burial places.
The mine is owned by the Mountain King Mining company, of which H. T.
Harper of San Francisco is secretary, and it has been extensively
operated especially during the past year. transcribed by Tom Hilk
-------------------
Modesto Evening News, November 30, 1917
Miners Children Are Granted Sum of $3,386
Emilie, Josephine and Virginia Escloses, minor daughters of John
Escloses, a former resident of Modesto, who as among a list of eight
men killed in a mine explosion in Mariposa County in April of this year
have been awarded $3348 by the United States Casnnity Company,
according to word received yesterday by Attorneys Griffin,
Carlson, Boone & Boone, representing the children. The claim is to
be paid at the rate of $60 a month. Escloses met death in the
Mountain King Mining Comany's mine in Mariposa County when an explosion
occurred, killing eight workmen. The children are at present
living in Modesto with their mother-transcribed by c feroben