Colorado Labor Wars Stratton's Independence Mine and Mill

in 1903 there major strike western federation of miners. many miners throughout cripple creek district walked out of mines shipping ore mills @ colorado city, in order support strike mill workers there.

cage mishap kills fifteen

on night of january 26, 1904, non-union replacement workers coming off shift in independence mine when cage riding in had serious mishap. cage drawn sheave wheel @ top of shaft. cable supported cage severed, , cage fell. fifteen miners fell shaft, 1500 feet deep.

the investigation focused on safety arrangements, , qualifications of hoisting engineer. 1 miner, james bullock, survived accident. testimony coroner s jury describes disaster:

. . . kept going right along kept slipping; go little ways , slip again; took 6 feet above collar of shaft, lowered down.

q. did stop 6 feet above shaft?

a. stopped second or two; lowered , must have gotten beyond control, dropped sixty or seventy feet, going pretty. [sic] said each other gone. raised ten feet; stopped , slipped again, , went sheave wheel fast go. when going there, began crouch save myself hard blow. seen piece of timber 1 foot wide, , grabbed hold , held myself there , pretty cage dropped , began holler ladder down.

the hoisting engineer s testimony quite descriptive of incident:

i tried several times, time cage @ collar of shaft. reversed engine , sent cage 100 feet. again tried brakes, reversed engine, , brought cage surface. brake still stuck; not move it. again reversed engine , sent cage same distance , stepped on other side , took hold of other brake, , in same condition. second time cage came surface, called 3 times shift boss, god s sake come , me put on brakes. in meantime, reversing engine backwards , forwards. mr. macdonald came , 2 other men him. said come , me put on brakes, , discovered hood of cage above collar of shaft. reversed engine, late.

the coroner s jury found brakes had been inspected 6 hours before accident, , brakes working after accident. coroner s jury questioned hoisting engineer stratton mine qualifications of engineer operating hoist. learned employer had taken man s word – nothing more – qualifications. engineer involved in fatal accident, however, had been recommended former employer.

the coroner s report stated engineer had lost control because of management s negligence, having failed install safety device prevent overwinding. also, [backup braking system consisting of] disk brakes on hoisting engine had been detached.

the western federation of miners echoed coroner s charge of mismanagement. although property @ time guarded soldiers , enclosed main militia encampment, providing no access union members, management accused union of tampering machinery.

one hundred , sixty-eight non-union men reportedly quit independence mine because of incident.

just few months later, after several violent incidents occurred in district, wfm driven out force of arms in struggle came called colorado labor wars.