Explosion at 3,000 Feet- Accidental Deaths at the Kennedy Mine

Many years ago, I became fascinated with the history of the Kennedy Mine in Jackson, Amador County, California. I had lived up in Amador County off and on for several years throughout my life, and my dad was really big on local history. I remember as a kid, on my way home from school, many times we would drive up and down the highway and stop at every single historic marker and read about what had happened at that certain spot back in time. You could say that these adventures helped interest me more and more in local history as the years went by.

Well, dad was always intrigued by the history of the Argonaut Mine Disaster that happened just across the highway from the Kennedy, and for years he had a framed superimposed photo of the miners and a copy of the Stockton Record together, hanging in our hallway at our house in Pioneer, California. I read that article over and over and also became interested in the mines.

Years later, I thought about how there is not a lot written about the history of the Kennedy Mine just across the highway from the infamous Argonaut, due to it not being thrown into national headlines like the Argonaut mine was back then. That didn't mean that the Kennedy Mine's history was any less tragic or less interesting, for that matter.

I have written a few blogs touching on some of the deaths that have occurred at the mine, as well as a short history of the mine itself. However, I have recently decided to write a book about all of the deaths associated with the Kennedy Mine and so, this is my little introduction to that book. In all there has been a total of 39 deaths at the Kennedy Mine.

Today, I will share with you one of those accidents that took place at the mine which will also be in my upcoming book. As with every story I share, my sole purpose is to give a voice to the voiceless. To remember those forgotten in the great abyss of time. These men, who died so long ago, and under such horrific circumstances, have been forgotten. Their names for decades upon decades left unspoken, but now, will be remembered by sharing their stories with you.

On Monday, November 17, 1913, just before 1 p.m., three people were killed in a horrific accident at the mine. When I first looked into the story, I found an article in the Sacramento Union, dated May 2, 1914, mentioning only two people who had died on that date, Janko Acimovich and Maksim Rupar. But, during my research I uncovered one more death associated with this accident. The third man wasn't mentioned in the article I originally found because, as it turns out, he was the cause of the explosion.

The miners had just come back from their dinner, and were going back to work. They were working at the 3,100 foot level in the mine, about 800 feet west of the main shaft. As two of the miners were cutting timber for a cap, the other two were in a drift, going to fetch powder.  Per the article in the Amador Ledger Dispatch dated November 21, 1913, all four men were within about 20 feet distance from one another. At the time it was believed that Schance or Rupar were responsible for the accident. Later on though, it appeared it was more than likely Schance who accidentally caused the explosion.

When the explosion occurred, B.F. Denton and Janko Acimovich were sawing timber, while Maksim Rupar and George W. Schance were in the process of getting the powder ready to blast.

Kennedy Mine

The publication, "Engineering & Mining, Volume 97," reads as follows:

"Schance intended to blast at 3:30 o'clock, and he was intending to get his primers to take to his place of work in order to save him a trip back to the powder magazine. He worked about 900 or 1000 ft., from the magazine. It was the habit to go to the magazine for powder  caps and fuse before quitting time when it was necessary to have them. Schance had two holes to drill in hard, tight ground, and had to carry his tools back and it would keep him busy. He evidently intended to save time by getting the powder and the fuses on his way. Rupar went to the bench where there were five full boxes and a half box; after the explosion there were four full boxes and  a box with some powder in it. Evidently, Rupar took one of these boxes of powder to take to near where he worked.....Joseph Hicks stated that he and his partner left the station at 12:30, and in going to into the crosscut he saw Schance sitting on the cap and fuse bench. Schance borrowed his knife. He saw Schance getting ready to walk toward the powder magazine. It was almost 12:35 when he gave Schance the knife and the explosion occurred about 3 to 4 minutes after they had passed him. He could not see whether Schance was in the magazine or not, and did not see Rupar there at all. Denton was sawing a timber.  

C.W. Hintmann said that he passed Denton who said he wanted him directly to help put up a cap which he was sawing. He went around the turn and sat down to wait when Hicks and his partner came along and in a second or so the explosion occurred. It took Hintmann's cap off his head and the lights were all out. There was no powder on the timber or timber truck when he talked with Denton. He believed that whoever took the powder out of the magazine had it on his shoulder.

All of the witnesses testified that they believed the explosion was wholly accidental."--

A foreman of the mine, Alex Ross, claimed "that he heard an unusual report while at the 2,700 foot station; that he got off the skip at the 3,100 level when he was met by J.E. Hicks who said Denton and two others had been killed; witness went to the spot and found the smoke very dense, and had a platform knocked out of a near by raise, for the purpose of ventilation; tried to break the airpipe but failed; heard Denton say twice, "What struck us?" felt around and found him and helped carry him to the station; witness was of the opinion that the timber found at the entrance to the drift leading to the powder magazine was cut in two by the explosion of the powder; he also showed the jury by a diagram the position of the four men when found; gave orders to clear up the cross cut; also explained that it was Schance's turn to blast at 3:30 o'clock and in order to save time he  (Schance) went to the magazine to take the powder back to where he was at work in the level, and that he (Schance) was drilling 900 or 1000 feet from the  magazine; witness detailed the position of the powder as it as usually stored and the fuse bench where the fuse and caps were kept and primers made; that there were five and a half boxes in the magazine during the forenoon and after the explosion four full boxes were in there with a few sticks over; the missing box weighed 50 pounds; that the temperature was 67 or 70 degrees, and in his opinion the 12 x 12 timber was cut in two by the exploding powder; that the powder in the magazine was fully 20 to 30 feet from where the timber lay on a truck in the level; he believed the explosion to be a pure accident."

Maksim Rupar's Grave

As the story went on, it explained that the powder would not have exploded by Rupar dropping it, or by the temperature of the mine, so it appeared that a charge went off while priming the clip, and that it accidentally set off the powder.

Sadly, Janko Acimovich was hit so hard, it removed his head and upper part of his shoulders. "The head was entirely gone. From shoulder to shoulder the flesh was ragged and torn and the right leg almost flattened between the body and knee. More properly speaking, the limbs were crushed and flattened instead of broken."

Acimovich was only 22 years old at the time of his death. He was a native of Austria, and was earning $2.50 per day at the mine.

Denton was alive when he was found, though his injuries were so bad, the newspapers claimed that if he survived his injuries he would be blind for life. He was the only one who survived the terrible accident, as the Amador Ledger Dispatch dated February 27, 1914, claims that he was going to San Francisco to see a specialist for the treatment of his eyes.

In 1914, a lawsuit was brought on by Chris Begovich on behalf of Rupar and Acimovich as the "administrator" of their estates against the Kennedy Mine and Milling Company, and judgement was rendered by Judge Wood, allowing for the compensation of $250 for funeral expenses and $500 for damages.

Janko Acimovich's grave

George W. Schance was found with his right arm "torn off" and his right leg crushed. His face was "practically  gone and the left side, torn away."  George's family were originally from El Dorado County, and he was only 23 year years old when he died. He had been earning $3 a day in wages.

Maksim Rupar has lost his left eye, and his right leg was broken. He was only 26 years old and had only just started working at the mine 3 days earlier.  He was also a native of Austria.

Recently, I visited the St. Sava Serbian Cemetery in Jackson, and searched for Janko Acimovich and Makism Rupar's graves. Both men were buried and services held on November 21, 1913. The funeral was delayed due to the fact that Acimovich's brother had to travel from Montana to attend. They are both buried side by side, in the back of the churchyard in the Miner's Graves section of the cemetery.

George W. Schance was buried at the Jackson City Cemetery on November 19, 1913, under the "auspices of the local order of Moose, the interment being in the city cemetery."-

Photo Credit: Steve Jones (Find-a-grave)

I have searched for B.F. Denton's obituary and his grave, and have yet to find either of the two, although we do know that he survived the accident per this article in the Ledger Dispatch, February 27, 1914. If and when I find more information about Denton, I will share it here. 

Amador Ledger-Dispatch, 2/27/1914

In ending, I hope that you enjoyed this deep dive into just one of the many stories I cover in my upcoming book "Down Below: A History of Deaths at the Kennedy Mine," which details each and every one of the tragic the deaths at the Kennedy Mine during its years of operation. This publication will be released sometime in the Summer of 2023.

In ending, please remember, each one of those individuals were young, hard working men who died before they even had a chance to really live. Just the thought of them never having reached any of their goals they might have had in life makes it all the more tragic. So many of them rest at the various cemeteries in Amador County, forgotten and unvisited for so very long. If you decide to visit any of these men's graves please remember their stories and please share it with the world so that they will be forgotten no more.

(Copyright 2022 - J'aime Rubio,  www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

Photos: 

Photos of Acimovich and Rupar's grave, miner's graves shot, and Kennedy Mine photo, copyright J'aime Rubio

Photo of George Schance's grave, copyright Steve Jones (Find-a-grave)

Sources:

Sacramento Union,  11/18/1913

Sacramento Union, 5/2/1914

Amador Ledger Dispatch, 11/21/1913

San Jose Mercury News, 11/18/1913

Amador Ledger Dispatch, 2/27/1914

Engineering & Mining, Volume 97, published by Western Co., 1914

Three Men Killed In the Kennedy Mine - Peter Garcia, Sam Martinez & Liberto Mendes

 

No matter what I do, my work always seems to come full circle. Almost 11 years ago, I published my first historical non-fiction book, "Behind The Walls." based on the history of the Preston School of Industry (a.k.a. Preston Castle), little did I know that while researching for my 5th historical non-fiction book "Down Below: A History of Deaths at the Kennedy Mine," I would find stories that are intertwined with Preston in one way or another.

One such story is the horrific explosion at the Kennedy Mine that took place on February 13, 1932, when four miners: Peter Garcia, Sam Martinez, Liberto Mendez and Felix Achavan were victims of an unfortunate dynamite accident.

According to the Amador Dispatch, it was an explosion at the 4800 foot level of the mine that took place around 4 a.m. in the morning on Saturday, February 13, that caused the fatalities.

The miners were prepping the area for blasting, and while rounding the holes, they found that the water leaking down the walls of stope was preventing several of the fuses to ignite. So in order to fire the fuse, they had to re-cut them. Unfortunately, they re-cut them too short, and since they had about 46 fuses to fire, by the time they lit the last fuse, the first one went off.

According to the only surviving witness, Felix Achavan, the supervisor on duty overseeing their work, Peter Garcia, had warned them he thought it was time to go, and just as he spoke those words the explosion went off. Both Peter Garcia and Sam Martinez died instantly, while Liberto Mendes and Felix Achavan were rushed to the hospital at the Preston School of Industry, in Ione. Sadly, within hours of arriving to Preston, Liberto succumbed to his injuries. Felix stayed several days at the hospital but recovered.

The dead were brought to Daneri's Funeral home and the funerals for the miners were all held individually at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Jackson. Sadly, none of the miners have marked graves, and you can only know they were buried there because of the newspaper clippings and cemetery records showing they were buried there.

Peter Garcia was only 39 years old and was a native of Spain. He had lived in Amador County for many years and was very much a beloved member of the community. Sam Martinez was only 23 years old at the time of his death, and was also a native of Spain. while Liberto Mendes was 36 years old and a native of Mexico.

You can visit their virtual graves here on Find-a-grave and leave them virtual messages and "flowers" here:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176567415/peter-garcia

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176567489/sam-martinez

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176567551/liberto-mendez

After recovering from his injuries, Felix was interviewed for the Coroner's Inquest and his story was published in the local newspaper which is posted below.

Amador Dispatch – 2/26/1932

“Lone Survivor Tells Story of Mine Accident—

At an inquest conducted on Monday evening by Coroner J.J. Daneri, Felix Achavan told the story of the recent accident at the Kennedy mine when three miners lost their lives and Achavan miraculously escaped a like fate.

According to the story told by the witness at the hearing, he was working in a stope on the 4800 foot level of the mine and with companions had prepared a round of 46 holes for blasting. He stated that after loading had been completed, he was assisted by Foreman Garcia in lighting the fuse. Samuel Martinez and Foreman Garcia standing by to give assistance that might be needed; that difficulty was experienced in lighting some of the fuse because of dampness from water that had dripped upon the fuse, making it necessary to again “spit” them, at operation causing considerable delay. Finally Garcia made the statement “we have been here too long, let’s get out” and barely had the word been uttered when an explosion occurred.

Mr. Achavan stated that all were thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion. His position on the opposite side of the stope from the first explosion afforded him a measure of protection and probably accounted for his escape from death. He expressed the belief that the others were in the direct path of the flying rocks rendering escape impossible. He immediately crawled from the scene. Peter Garcia and Samuel Martinez were killed instantly and Liberto Mendez died a few hours following his removal to the Preston Hospital. Achavan gave a vivid recitation of the experience but the recollection of the unfortunate accident was one that unnerved the man and caused him to leave the room sobbing. 

Following the hearing of the testimony the following verdict we rendered by the jury: “The cause of death was the discharge of powder when the deceased were delayed in their work by damp fuses while they were employed in blasting in the north drift of the 4800 foot level of the Kennedy mine near Jackson.”---

May these miners, and the rest of the 43 miners who have all lost their lives at the Kennedy Mine during its years of operation rest in peace, never forgotten. 

TO READ MORE STORIES ABOUT THE MEN AT THE KENNEDY MINE, PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK HERE! 

(Copyright 2023- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

Sources:

Amador Dispatch – 2/26/1932

Amador Dispatch – 2/19/1932

Amador Ledger - 2/13/1932

Colusa Herald, 2/13/1932;

Healdsburg Tribune 2/13/1932

Claude Smith's Tragic Death at the Argonaut Mine

In all the years of living in and around Amador County, I have always been enamored by the history of both the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines. In previous blogs and even in my podcast, I have dedicated a lot of time and research into sharing the horrific details of the Argonaut Mine Disaster of 1922, but that wasn't the only time that the Argonaut miners had met with fatalities. In fact, there are several documented stories of deaths at the Argonaut.

In the past year, I have been spending much of my spare time working on my latest book, "Down Below: A History of Deaths at the Kennedy Mine," and so far I have discovered over 40 deaths during the years of operation at that mine that sits literally across the highway from the infamous Argonaut Mine. This book should be out in the next several months.

The Argonaut Mine also saw death, not just during the time of the mine disaster itself. One such story that comes to mind is the story of Claude Smith and Harvey Jones. I briefly mentioned it in my blog on the Argonaut and Kennedy Mine history back in 2017. 

Because their story is just as important to share with you as that of the other miners who perished in the Argonaut Mine Disaster, I am going to share it with you in greater detail today, so that Claude and Harvey's story will no longer be forgotten.

Claude Smith was born on June 10, 1902, while Harvey "Tex" Jones was born on September 16, 1879. Not a lot can be found about Claude's personal backstory, but we do know that both he and Tex worked in the mines, and that "Tex," was obviously from Texas. 

According to the Amador Dispatch, it states:

"A blast on the 5400 foot level of the Argonaut mine resulted in the death of Claude Smith and the serious injury of his companion, Harvey Jones, last Sunday morning at two o'clock. The men had completed their round of holes for blasting and Jones was engaged in igniting the fuse when the explosion took place.

Smith died instantly from the effects of the injuries that he received, his body being badly mangled. Jones, who was a short distance away, suffered fractured wrists, injuries of the chest, a dislocated knee cap, facial lacerations and the possible loss of an eye. In spite of his injuries he had the presence of mind to make his way to the station and summons assistance.

To do this he was compelled to climb a distance of about fifty feet, making his way in the darkness, his carbide lamp having been extinguished by the force of the explosion. Surprise is expressed at the ability of the man to accomplish the feat considering his physical condition."-- Amador Dispatch, 3/21/1930

Let's stop and think about this for a moment. The fact that Harvey had just survived a terrible blast from an explosion, with several severe wounds and injuries and yet he forced himself to climb up over 50 feet in complete darkness up a mine shaft speaks volumes on his will to live.

Another interesting thing about this story is that instead of being removed to the Jackson Hospital which was just down the road, they moved him all the way to Ione, which was 10 miles away, in order for him to be treated at the hospital at the Preston School of Industry. 

I have written two books on the history of the Preston School of Industry a.k.a. Preston Castle, and the only reason I can imagine they brought him there was because the local doctors in the county would often make their rounds to Preston on certain days of the week, which is possible that the local doctor was at Preston at the time of the accident and they brought Harvey there because of that reason. It is also possible that Preston's hospital had better equipment at that specific the time, in order to treat Harvey for his injuries. Due to the fact there are no documents that say either way, we are only left to speculate as to why he was brought there instead of the original hospital in Jackson.

Claude Smith's remains were brought to Daneri Mortuary where John Daneri performed the autopsy and prepared him for burial. An inquest was held on his death on the evening of Wednesday, March 19, where the verdict was reached that: 

"Claude Smith came to his death on March 16, 1930, by accidentally being blasted, while working in a cross-cut on the 5400 level of the Argonaut mine, near Jackson, California."-

Claude was only 27 years old at the time of his death, on March 16, 1930**.  His remains were brought back to Placer County where his wife lived, and he was buried at the Newcastle Cemetery, in Newcastle. 

(** Although his headstone states his date of death was March 15, and he went to work the nightshift the night of March 15th, it was actually at 2 a.m. on March 16th that his death occurred, and the coroner's inquest report reflects that.) 

Click here to visit his Find-a-Grave Memorial: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111639898/claude-smith

(C/O Little Orange In the Big Apple; Findagrave)

Because it was believed that the explosion was caused by a defective fuse resulting in Claude's death and Harvey's critical injuries, the Argonaut Mining Company filed a lawsuit against the Coast Manufacturing and Supply Company for $20,821.00 in damages.

According to the Dispatch, the Argonaut Mining Company settled with Claude's widow, for the amount of $5000, and also paid Harvey Jones the same amount for compensation for his injuries, however due to the fact it was determined that Harvey would be incapable of working for the rest of his life, the Argonaut Mining Company was to pay Harvey double, in the amount of $10,000 for additional compensation. 

Sadly, Harvey would never be able to recover enough to live a somewhat normal life, or to have any enjoyment in his newfound retirement paid to him by the mining company. Only two years after such a horrifying accident, Harvey would succumb to illness, passing away on Friday, February 12, 1932 at the Weimar Sanitarium in Weimar, California (near Auburn). 

This facility was originally for the treatment and care of patients with Tuberculosis, and only in 1957 was it opened as a complete medical facility and hospital, so it is the writers belief that Harvey had "miners phthisis" or silicosis, and more than likely succumbed to that that as opposed to the original injuries from the accident.

His remains were brought back to Amador County, where he had many friends within the community. His funeral was held at Daneri Mortuary on Wednesday, February 17, 1932 with Reverand Upton Partridge conducting the services.  He was later buried in Section 5 at the Jackson Public Cemetery in Jackson, but sadly, there is no marker for Mr. Jones. 

Click here to visit his Find-a-Grave Memorial:   https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/160994191/harvey-jones

In ending, may these two men never be forgotten, and may their stories be known to all who seek the history of the Argonaut mine. Although these two men didn't die in the infamous Argonaut Mine Disaster that has become so widely known in history, doesn't mean that their stories are less important to share with you. I roam cemeteries all over the state and I believe everyone of those graves, markers or not, have a story to tell. I have spent the last 17 years doing that, and it brings me such peace and complete joy knowing that those people who have been forgotten for so long are now being remembered. Their names that hadn't been spoken out loud in so many years, are being talked about now. To me, this is how we keep their memories alive. I am a firm believer that we have an obligation to preserve the past, and to remember those who came before us, and with that, I choose to share those stories of the forgotten with you so that they will be forgotten no more.

Thank you for reading!

(Copyright 2023- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com) 

Some of my Sources:

Amador Dispatch (3/21/1930; 5/30/1930) Healdsburg Tribune (3/17/1930); Blue Lake Advocate (3/22/1930) Findagrave Photos: (Little Orange In the Big Apple & Steve Jones); Family Search.

Deaths At The Kennedy Mine

Kennedy Mine, Jackson, California

Last year, I wrote a brief history of both the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines located in the historic gold country town of Jackson, California. I have lived in Amador County at different times in my childhood and teenage years, and even during my adulthood.  I have always been passionate about local history and Amador County is has plenty of history just waiting to be told.

A lot has been written about the Argonaut Mine, especially due to the Argonaut Mine Disaster of 1922.

To learn about each of the miners who are buried at the Jackson City Cemetery please check out the video below: 

Back to the Kennedy Mine

Because the Kennedy Mine did not gain a lot of publicity for any large mining disaster like the Argonaut did, most of the history written about it is brief. No one had ever written about the various deaths that took place there, besides the newspapers mentioning these events at the time they occurred, until I wrote a blog about it last year.

Even though there have been many deaths at the Kennedy, the only mention of some of these fallen miners are scattered between the pages of archived newspapers just waiting to be retold. I wanted to share with you some of the details of the deaths that I have uncovered over time, like I mentioned in my last blog, but this time with copies of those newspaper clippings so you can read the headlines for yourself. As my research allows I will continually update this blog with more names, newspaper clippings and photos of grave sites for these forgotten souls. So far I have uncovered 43 deaths and counting.

 UPDATE: my latest book titled, "Down Below: A History of Deaths at the Kennedy Mine," is now available on Amazon.

(Note: click on each photo to enlarge)

David De Ricci 

On March 15, 1902, miner David De Ricci made a misstep, falling backward down into the east shaft 2,600 feet. “In his descent, his arms, legs, the back portion of his head and every vestige of clothes were torn from his body.”—

Los Angeles Herald, 3/16/1902

Francisco Giovannoni 

May 26, 1902 -- "A miner named Francisco Giovanoni [SIC] lost his life at the Kennedy Mine shortly after midnight on the night of May 26. The fatality was purely accidental. It occurred at the 2300 foot level of the north shaft. There were from fifteen to twenty men around there at the time. A plank 18 inches wide was in position for the men to walk to and from the shaft, and below this was a chasm thirty feet deep, made by the excavation of ore. Deceased was in the act of carrying the lunch bucket to the station when he was seen to make the fatal step off the planking, and fell to the bottom of the chute.”—Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902.

Amador Ledger, 5/30/1902

Walter Williams

June 12, 1902 - 30 year old Walter Williams was instantly killed when about 200 feet from the top of the shaft, his body came in contact with a shaft timber. He was caught on it and dragged out of the skip. His head and body were crushed between the skip and timbers. His companions C. Parker and B. Allison could not explain how the accident happened because the shaft was so dark. Williams had only worked at the mine three weeks and was new to the area. No one knew where he came from and he had no family to contact. All that was known was that he was a member of the Knights of the Pythias and was living with Henry Osborne at Kennedy Flat.

Amador Ledger, 6/13/1902

Edward Hallam

March 6, 1905 – Edward Hallam was killed at the Kennedy Mine today. He was descending a shaft from the 2400 foot level when a skip came down in another compartment. It is believed he got scared and let go his hold. He fell, breaking his neck.” – Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905

Los Angeles Herald, 3/7/1905

Luigi Reviera

December 7, 1909, Italian immigrant Luigi Reviera was crushed to death by several tons of rock falling on him while working at the 3,150 level of the mine with Fred Hicks. Engaged in placing a butt cap in the hanging wall above the tunnel timbers, the rocks gave way and a huge slab came down on him, killing him instantly.

Amador Ledger, 12/10/1909

James Baldwin

On February 27, 1911, James Baldwin was crushed to death while working at the 3400 level of the mine.  Baldwin and his co-workers were told to be careful working in the area that had been blasted earlier. While cleaning out the loose dirt a large mass of rock fell from above, crushing him.  Baldwin’s helper claimed he could hear Baldwin hollering that he was stuck, but given the massive amount of rock and dirt that covered him, the coroner felt death was almost instantaneous.

Amador Ledger, 3/3/1911

Janko Acimovich & Maksim Rupar

November 17, 1913 – Miners, Maksim Rupar and Janko Acimovich died from a premature explosion while in the mine shaft.  Janko Acimovich is buried at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cemetery in Jackson.  To read more about this story please click on the link to the story here:  Explosion at 3000 ft.- Accidental Deaths at the Kennedy Mine

Sacramento Union, 5/2/1914

Mike Vijovich

Mike Vijovich died in 1916, after falling 300 feet down a shaft. After straightening a mine can that had fallen on its side, he lost his footing and slipped. 

Sac Union, 6/14/1916

William Harvey & A. Targo

On December 20, 1915, the timber boss William Harvey and A Targo both met their death when they fell down the main shaft of the mine, a total of 3,900 feet.  According to the newspaper accounts, Harvey had been working in compartment 37 since 8 o’clock in the morning. As he was descending a ladder at the entrance of the shaft he became dizzy and slipped, falling. As his body was going down the shaft, just below was A. Targo, who was standing on the edge of the shaft. Harvey’s body smacked Targo’s knocking him off the edge and down the shaft with Harvey. Both died and their bodies were “badly mangled.”

Press Democrat, 12/21/1915

Peter Garcia, Liberto Mendez and Sam Martinez

On February 13, 1932, after setting up over 46 holes with dynamite (with too short of fuse) and not allowing themselves ample time to light the fuses and leave the area to safety, four men went on to spit the fuse, and by the time they lit the last fuse, the first one went off setting into motion an horrific explosion and ultimately killing three of them. Two were buried by the explosion, Garcia and Martinez dying immediately. Mendes was rescued along with the fourth miner, Felix Achavan, who were both taken to the hospital at the Preston School of Industry, but Mendez later died of his injuries. Achavan was the lone survivor of that terrible accident. 

Colusa Herald,  2/13/1932

(Copyright 2017 & 2018- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com  )

Sources: 
Los Angeles Herald, March 16, 1902

Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902

Amador Ledger, June 13, 1902

Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905

Amador Ledger, December 10, 1909

Amador Ledger, March 3, 1911

Sacramento Union, May 2, 1914

Press Democrat, December 21, 1915

Sacramento Union, June 14, 1916

Roseville rail yard explosion revisited

By: J'aime Rubio 

It was the morning of April 28, 1973, when Phoebe Astill was violently awakened from her sleep, having been thrown literally out of bed by a terrible concussion that rocked her house.

"At first I thought it was a plane that had crashed,”  the lifelong Roseville resident remembered. “I thought it may have been one of the planes headed for McClellan, but it turned out that wasn’t it.”

In fact, that explosion would be the first of many that would wreak havoc on the Southern Pacific Rail Yard and adjoining areas for the next 32 hours, and leave a terrifying mark on their memories that would last a lifetime. “It was a hot wheel that caused it,”  explained Locomotive Engineer David Epling, who is familiar with the historic catastrophe. “As the train made its way down the pass the wheel overheated, building friction.”

The wheel overheating led to sparks and initially set the oak floors of the railcar on fire. Once one those first flames started, they led to the additional cars catching ablaze. That is when the 7,000 MK-81 bombs that the Naval Ammunition train was transporting en route to the port in Concord, and headed for Vietnam, became dangerously hot and started the chain reaction explosions. “These were thousands of 250 lb. bombs, very destructive,” Epling added. 

The bombs were armed with 90 lbs. of explosive, and were said to be lacking the two fuses necessary to detonate. However, they did ignite — in a massive disaster that destroyed the rail yard, leaving it riddled with craters. The explosions started out sporadically but then became more frequent and powerful. The more significant blasts shot debris hundreds of feet into the air and lasted for nearly five hours. 

Throughout the day, thousands of explosions continued to rock the area, some large, some small — all very destructive. A number of train and rail yard workers were thrown in upwards of 100 feet or more.  Confusion and panic began to set in. People were hurrying to find cover. Others were wondering if it really was an accident. 

The State Capitol building, nearly 17 miles away, was not immune to the sounds of the blasts either. Worrying of the possible damage and danger to visitors, the State Police Captain gave orders to close the Capitol for their weekend tours. Countless buildings, homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed from Roseville to Citrus Heights. The community of Antelope was completely leveled as well as the Citrus Heights Firehouse. There were fences blown down from the blasts, fiery shrapnel flying and landing everywhere as well as other heavy debris scattered for miles. The blasts blew out nearly every plate glass window along downtown Roseville streets. 

Hundreds of people were injured though no one died. When asked about some of the things she remembered that day, Astill recalled, “I remember the explosions were so powerful that my mother’s ‘57 Chevy Station Wagon was lifted from one lane into the next, on the road heading back to Roseville.” Astill also remembered that — out of all the injuries — the one that just with her was a young girl who had lost an eye.

“It was a miracle that no one died,” the museum curator said. 

When the smoke cleared and the skies returned to its powder blue color, there were many questions left unanswered. After this accident, it became a requirement that all railcar wheels have non-sparking brake shoes and spark shields installed. The circumstances surrounding the magnitude of the event also led to Congress passing the Transportation Safety Act, which implemented numerous regulations and safety protocol from various agencies into one publication, specifically placing responsibility and accountability on all parties involved in transporting hazardous materials.

Many years later, after Union Pacific took over the rail yard, more bombs were unearthed from the ground during their remodeling project. One of the remaining bombs that had not exploded in the disaster is now on display in the city’s Carnegie Museum, by way of the Roseville Historical Society’s exhibit, “Roseville, A War Zone.” The exhibit will remain on display until the end of May (2014) and features newspaper accounts, photos and other memorabilia from the disaster.

(Originally published on May 29, 2014 in the Roseville Press Tribune, written by J'aime Rubio. Photo: Archival Photo)

Publisher/Editor's Notes: This is one of a series of articles that I wrote for the Roseville Press-Tribune/Placer Herald several years back when I used to write the historical articles for them.  According to my old editor, since I wrote the content I can repost the articles. I have also obtained permission by Gold Country Media a few years back to republish my stories, too. 

History of the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines - Amador County

While traveling down historic highway 49 through Jackson you cannot miss the rusty remnants of the old Kennedy mine off in the distance. It is also impossible to ignore the towering shell of what is left of the Argonaut mine on the side of the hill as you drive down into Jackson as well.  Both mines share some pretty interesting and also tragic history. Here is just some of the history I have dug up over the years about these two amazing historic landmarks in Amador County. Enjoy!

ARGONAUT MINE

Discovery

The Argonaut Mine, which was originally known as the Pioneer Mine, was discovered around 1850, by James Hager and William Tudor, who according to the 1860 Census show were freed slaves living among the Chinese in Township 1, Amador County.  At some point around 1857, the property was acquired by George Stasal, Frank Hoffman, Peter Laubersima, William Slaughter, Charles Weller, Otto Walter and Louis Mentzlen to form the Pioneer Mining Company. It would later become The Argonaut Mining Company in 1893.

Infamous Robbery

December 1^st, 1921--- According to the Sacramento Union newspaper, at approximately 1:30 a.m. the Argonaut Mining Company was robbed after bandits overpowered the two night watchmen, James Podesto and Reese Williams, blew the company safe and escaped with nearly $100,000 ($50,000 of which was in gold). The robbers wore red bandana hankerchiefs over their faces and carried pistols and shot guns.

“The mill safe then was wheeled to the convenient point and the bandits leisurely drilled a hole in the door, filled it with nitro-glycerin and blew it open. After removing all the gold inside they escaped in a waiting automobile…..Upon investigation it was found that the bandits had cut the telephone lines leading directly into the mill….The wheel tracks of a large car were plainly visible in the road to Ione, 12 miles distant. Rain began falling early, however, and when the posse reached that point it was forced to turn back.  Sheriff Lucot stated the robbery evidently had been planned by someone familiar with the methods employed by the company.”

It was believed that it was an inside job, and involved possibly eight men who worked at or were familiar with the mine. Two men were eventually arrested and at least one of men, Hiram Baker, was acquitted of the crime.  At that point Argonaut Consolidated Mining Company was owned by John T. Smith of New York, who was President, along with co-owners  E. A. Stent of S.F. and John Raggio of Stockton.

Mine Disaster

On August 27, 1922, the worst mine disaster in California history took place, when a toxic mix of gas and fumes caused a fatal fire 4,650 feet deep, trapping the miners below. There had been rumors that the fire could have been started by arson, from a rival employee at the Kennedy Mine, but there has never been any proof to substantiate the claim.  The fire lasted for 2 days, and rescue efforts lasted for weeks. All but one of the miner’s bodies were recovered and they were buried at the Jackson Cemetery. The 47^th miner was not found until over a year later, when the mine shaft was being flushed out, the remains were accidentally discovered. It was the body of the man who wrote the message on the wall “3 o’clock, gas getting strong, Fessel.” The man was Edward William Fessel, and he was finally buried next to the other fallen miners. The fatalities of this disaster were Amador County residents, of Italian, Serbian and Spanish ancestry.

It was surveying work done years prior by Kennedy Mining Engineer, Walter Ephraim Downs that directed the rescuers to dig through to the Argonaut mine shaft in an attempt to rescue the trapped miners in 1922.  Although the effort was futile, his work gained national attention for giving the rescuers a fighting chance to reach the Argonaut shafts.  On another note,  Mr. Downs was the son of Robert Carleton Downs’ the superintendent of the Union Mine (later Lincoln Mine) in Sutter Creek and owner of the Hanford & Down’s stores which were located in Sutter Creek, Jackson and Volcano.  Walter Ephraim Downs’ brother, Fred, was the one who tragically drowned in the Preston Reservoir in Ione, in 1902.

Wife of Argonaut Mine Disaster Victim Attempts Suicide

Allegedly the widow of miner Charles Fitzgerald, attempted to take her own life on September 18, 1922, when she swallowed poison.  Amador County Physician, Edwin Eugene Endicott came to her aid and successfully saved her life. Interestingly though, it wasn't his wife that attempted suicide, but instead it was his mistress who did so after learning that her beloved had perished in the disaster. Learn more about the details of this story in Episode 3 of my Season 2 podcast on the subject.

Sac Union, 9/19/1922

Deaths At the Argonaut Mine


Besides the 47 miners who were tragically killed in the Argonaut in the Summer of 1922, there have been many others who met their demise at this infamous mine.  To date, I have found the stories of Raphael Giannini, Frank Goss, Claude Smith, Guiseppi Isarti and John Mitchell who all died in the mine at different times over the years of operation. I can guarantee you there are more that I haven't found, yet.....

CHARLES FRANK GOSS

Amador Dispatch, 5/20/1904

GUISSEPI ISARTI

Amador Dispatch, 6/16/1916

JOHN MITCHELL

Amador Dispatch, 3/1/1918

CLAUDE SMITH

Another Tragic Death – “The ill-fated Argonaut Mine, scene in 1922 of the disaster in which 47 men were killed, today claimed the life of another. Claude Smith, 22, was instantly killed when a dynamite cap he had set blew up prematurely because of a defective fuse. A companion, Harvey Jones, was badly injured.” – Healdsburg Tribune, March 17, 1930.

To learn more about that tragic death at the Argonaut Mine, Please click here to read:

"Claude Smith's Tragic Death at the Argonaut Mine."

RAPHAEL GIANNINI  

Amador Dispatch, 5/19/1932

KENNEDY MINE

According to Amador County history, the Kennedy Mine started in January of 1860, when Andrew Kennedy filed a mining claim along with four other men who were associated with the Oneida mine, to the north. Kennedy had dug a prospecting shaft approximately 100 feet deep, using a bucket attached to a winch. Within a year or so, Kennedy sold his interest in the mine for $5,000, due to the fact it wasn’t doing very well.  By 1869, the mine was sold to eleven businessman from Jackson in the amount of one dollar. The men formed the Kennedy Mining Company. 

“So named from its discoverer was developed by John Fullen, James Fleming and James Bergon, working the rock at the Oneida Mine. In 1871, it was taken by a joint-stock company, the Richlings being large owners. The mine has hardly been a success, and in 1880 it was closed down. The vein is close to the foot-wall and has pitched rapidly to the east, following a pitch of nearly forty-five degrees, which is considered very flat. It is believed that it will eventually join a vein about six hundred feet to the east, called the “volunteer.” The lode does not follow the rift of the slate and consequently is not a true fissure vein.” – Page 149 “History of Amador County” by Jesse Mason

July 1872- In a record 9 days, the Kennedy Mine made nine thousand dollars (equivalent to about $170,000 today). The mine made over $300,000 between 1870 and 1878.

“September 18, 1874 – Boarding House at the Kennedy Mine was destroyed by fire.” –History of Amador County, 1881.

The mine was sold in 1886, for $97,500 to bay area investors, and the company changed its name to “Kennedy Mining and Milling Company.” The mine operated until 1942, when all mines were closed by the U.S. Government to support the war effort. At that time, the Kennedy Mine was listed as the deepest gold mine in all of North America, with a vertical distance measured at 5,912 feet, and 50 miles of underground excavations. In 1961, Sybil Arata purchased the property to live out her retirement. She resided in the Manager’s Residence “Bunkhouse” for the rest of her life.  Her final wishes for her property were to keep the area open for wildlife to roam, and for the mine to be preserved for historical posterity.

An interesting tidbit -- In 1904, an escaped ward, Dan Gillette, from the Preston School of Industry made his way up to the Kennedy Mine property and tried to fit in with the employees there at the new boarding house. He managed to get himself a free meal and hide out for a while, and just as he was going to head down into the mine along with the other miners, Constable Kelly from Ione, who was hot on his trail, arrested him.

Deaths at the Kennedy Mine

Obviously this is not a list of every man who died at the Kennedy Mine, but here is a list of the few stories I have been able to dig out of the archived newspapers of the time period. So far I have found a total of 41 deaths, and counting. Obviously, I am saving some of the stories to publish at a later time, and on other blogs but here are just a few of the deaths I have uncovered during my research:

On March 15, 1902, miner David De Ricci made a misstep, falling backward down into the east shaft 2,600 feet. “In his descent, his arms, legs, the back portion of his head and every vestige of clothes were torn from his body.”—

May 26, 1902 -- "A miner named Francisco Giovanoni [SIC] lost his life at the Kennedy Mine shortly after midnight on the night of May 26. The fatality was purely accidental. It occurred at the 2300 foot level of the north shaft. There were from fifteen to twenty men around there at the time. A plank 18 inches wide was in position for the men to walk to and from the shaft, and below this was a chasm thirty feet deep, made by the excavation of ore. Deceased was in the act of carrying the lunch bucket to the station when he was seen to make the fatal step off the planking, and fell to the bottom of the chute.”—Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902.

June 12, 1902 - 30 year old Walter Williams was instantly killed when about 200 feet from the top of the shaft, his body came in contact with a shaft timber. He was caught on it and dragged out of the skip. His head and body were crushed between the skip and timbers. His companions C. Parker and B. Allison could not explain how the accident happened because the shaft was so dark. Williams had only worked at the mine three weeks and was new to the area. No one knew where he came from and he had no family to contact. All that was known was that he was a member of the Knights of the Pythias and was living with Henry Osborne at Kennedy Flat.

March 6, 1905 – Edward Hallam was killed at the Kennedy Mine today. He was descending a shaft from the 2400 foot level when a skip came down in another compartment. It is believed he got scared and let go his hold. He fell, breaking his neck.” – Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905

December 7, 1909, Italian immigrant Luigi Reviera was crushed to death by several tons of rock falling on him while working at the 3,150 level of the mine with Fred Hicks. Engaged in placing a butt cap in the hanging wall above the tunnel timbers, the rocks gave way and a huge slab came down on him, killing him instantly.

February 27, 1911- James Baldwin was crushed to death while working at the 3400 level of the mine.  Baldwin and his co-workers were told to be careful working in the area that had been blasted earlier. While cleaning out the loose dirt a large mass of rock fell from above, crushing him.  Baldwin’s helper claimed he could hear Baldwin hollering that he was stuck, but given the massive amount of rock and dirt that covered him, the coroner felt death was almost instantaneous.

November 17, 1913 – Miners, Maksim Rupar and Jako Acimovich died from a premature explosion while in the mine shaft. 

On December 20, 1915, the timber boss William Harvey and A. Targo both met their death when they fell down the main shaft of the mine, a total of 3,900 feet.  According to the newspaper accounts, Harvey had been working in compartment 37 since 8 o’clock in the morning. As he was descending a ladder at the entrance of the shaft he became dizzy and slipped, falling. As his body was going down the shaft, just below was A. Targo, who was standing on the edge of the shaft. Harvey’s body smacked Targo’s knocking him off the edge and down the shaft with Harvey. Both died and their bodies were “badly mangled.”

June 12, 1916 - Mike Vijovich also died after falling 300 feet down a shaft. After straightening a mine can that had fallen on its side, he lost his footing and slipped.

February 13, 1932 - Peter Garcia, Liberato Mendes & Sam Martinez  perished after a terrible explosion at the Kennedy Mine. After setting up over 40 holes with dynamite  with too short of fuses for each, not allowing themselves ample time to light the fuses and leave the area to safety, the three men went on to light each fuse one by one, and by the time they lit the last fuse, the first one went off setting off a domino effect of explosions and ultimately killing them. The three were buried by the explosion with Garcia and Martinez dying immediately. Mendes was rescued but later died of his injuries.

You can find some of the men mentioned above in the Jackson City Cemetery, St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cemetery or the Catholic Cemetery in Jackson.

You can read about more deaths at the Kennedy Mine here!

J’aime Rubio, Copyright 2017 – (www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Some of my sources

History of Amador County, - Jesse Mason, 1881.

History of Amador County, - Federation of Amador County Women’s Clubs, April 1927

Los Angeles Herald, March 16, 1902

Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902

Amador Ledger, June 13, 1902

Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905

Amador Ledger, December 10, 1909

Amador Ledger, March 3, 1911

Sacramento Union, May 2, 1914

Press Democrat, December 21, 1915

Sacramento Union, June 14, 1916

Sacramento Union, September 19, 1922

Sacramento Union, December 2, 1921

Los Angeles Herald, December 7, 1921

Sacramento Union, December 9, 1921

Sacramento Union, April 20, 1922

Sacramento Union, May 13, 1922

Sacramento Union, August 29, 1922

Sacramento Union, September 19, 1922

Healdsburg Tribune, March 17, 1930

Amador Ledger, April 22, 1904

Amador Ledger, April 29, 1904