Mulcahy

"THE PIOCHE WEEKLY RECORD"
Saturday *** March 19, 1881

    FATAL ACCIDENT -- Last Saturday a fatal accident occurred at Washington &
Creole shaft whereby Maurice Mulcahy lost his life.  Mr Mulcahy accompanied
by his son John, a boy of about 16 years of age, on Sunday morning about 9
o'clock, went up to the Washington & Creole mine, where he was chloriding, to
work.  They went down the shaft and on reaching the station, Mulcahy stepped
off the ladder, telling his son not to be afraid, that the trap was down and
everything secured, and that he would get a light, taking a step and reaching
to the place where he kept his candle.  The step was a fatal one, for the
trap was up and he stepped into the shaft, falling to the next station, a
distance of about 110 feet.  His son, seeing that his father had fallen down
the shaft, commenced yelling for help, and a couple of chloriders working in
the mine went to his assistance and down to the next trap, where they found
Mulcahy, and although he was bruised, lower limbs paralyzed and fatally
injured internally, he was conscious.  The boy was sent to town for
assistance, which was soon at the place of the accident.  Mulcahy recognized
every person before him, called them by name, and shook hands with many.  He
said that he knew his time had come and he was going to die, for he could
feel a stream of blood flowing around inside of him and requested that he not
be removed for he wanted to die there with as little pain as possible.  He
was rolled in blankets, then tied to planks and carefully hoisted to the top,
then conveyed to his residence.  He breathed his last at eight minutes past
12 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon.  Maurice Mulcahy was Australian by birth and
was 41 years of age, and had resided in Pioche about 8 years.  He lived for a
number of years at Sacramento, Folsom and San Francisco, California and is
well known by the inhabitants of those cities.  He leaves a wife and seven
children, the oldest being a son of about 18 years, and also two brothers
residing in San Francisco.