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Story
June 6, 1884
Morning Appeal
Carson City, Ormsby County, Carson City County, Nevada
What is this article about?
Matthew Curnow, an English miner in Comstock, fell 1600 feet down the C. & C. shaft yesterday afternoon, resulting in his instant death. His mangled, naked body was recovered from the sump below the 2500 level after several hours.
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A TERRIBLE FALL
A Comstock Miner Drops Down a 1600 Foot Shaft.
Yesterday afternoon Matthew Curnow fell down the C. & C. shaft and was dashed to pieces. The Chronicle of last evening says:
The men were standing on a platform constructed by placing a three-inch plank across the pump shaft, when Curnow thoughtlessly stepped backward into the shaft.
His horrified comrades, on seeing him fall, instantly rang up the cage and gave the alarm.
A party of miners was formed and in a few minutes Curnow's mangled and lifeless body was found in the bottom of the sump below the 2500 level, having fallen a distance of 1600 feet. His body was found to be stark naked, every vestige of clothing having been stripped off during the terrible fall. The mutilated corpse was taken out at 2500 station, but could not be brought to the surface until the tanks were taken off and cages substituted. To remove the tanks it became necessary to finish the repairing of the pump and start it up.
This was not completed until about an hour afterward, and it was 12 o'clock before the body was brought to the surface.
The remains, when brought to the surface, presented a horrible sight. The head was nearly twisted off the trunk and the features were totally unrecognizable.
One leg was also twisted completely around, and the trunk was mangled out of all semblance to a human form.
He was a native of England and leaves a wife and four children.
A Comstock Miner Drops Down a 1600 Foot Shaft.
Yesterday afternoon Matthew Curnow fell down the C. & C. shaft and was dashed to pieces. The Chronicle of last evening says:
The men were standing on a platform constructed by placing a three-inch plank across the pump shaft, when Curnow thoughtlessly stepped backward into the shaft.
His horrified comrades, on seeing him fall, instantly rang up the cage and gave the alarm.
A party of miners was formed and in a few minutes Curnow's mangled and lifeless body was found in the bottom of the sump below the 2500 level, having fallen a distance of 1600 feet. His body was found to be stark naked, every vestige of clothing having been stripped off during the terrible fall. The mutilated corpse was taken out at 2500 station, but could not be brought to the surface until the tanks were taken off and cages substituted. To remove the tanks it became necessary to finish the repairing of the pump and start it up.
This was not completed until about an hour afterward, and it was 12 o'clock before the body was brought to the surface.
The remains, when brought to the surface, presented a horrible sight. The head was nearly twisted off the trunk and the features were totally unrecognizable.
One leg was also twisted completely around, and the trunk was mangled out of all semblance to a human form.
He was a native of England and leaves a wife and four children.
What sub-type of article is it?
Disaster
Tragedy
Extraordinary Event
What themes does it cover?
Catastrophe
Misfortune
Tragedy
What keywords are associated?
Mining Accident
Fatal Fall
Comstock Mine
Shaft Plunge
Mangled Body
What entities or persons were involved?
Matthew Curnow
Where did it happen?
Comstock, C. & C. Shaft
Story Details
Key Persons
Matthew Curnow
Location
Comstock, C. & C. Shaft
Event Date
Yesterday Afternoon
Story Details
Matthew Curnow stepped backward into the shaft from a platform, fell 1600 feet to the sump below the 2500 level, body mangled and naked, recovered hours later after pump repairs.