I have just added a webpage on this miner to the St. Francois Couinty MoGenWeb site. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mostfran/miners/dallas_cook.htm In reviewing his death certificate, I found that his date of birth was given as May 8, 1878, with an age at death of 47 years, 10 months, 16 days. This is different than the date stated in the newspaper article of May 29, 1879, with an age at death of 47 years, eight months and 24 days. I'm not related so I don't know which is correct, but thought that the difference should be noted. I added a scan of his death certificate to the above webpage. Bettye On Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:21:16 -0500 "B. Warner" <bkwofc@i1.net> wrote: > THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, Missouri, Friday, >February > 25, 1927. > > DALLAS COOK KILLED BY CAP EXPLOSION. > > Dallas Cook, of Esther, a driller employed by the St. > Joseph Lead Company in their No. 16 shaft, Rivermines > Division, was terribly mangled by an explosion of >blasting > caps about eight o'clock Wednesday morning and died in > Bonne Terre Hospital, shortly after noon. Funeral > services will be held from the family home in Esther >today > (Friday, but details had not been determined in time for > publication in this issue). Cook was born May 29, 1879 > and was 47 years, eight months and 24 days old when he >met > his tragic death. > > Details of the accident will never be known as the >victim > was alone at the time the explosion occurred. Other > workmen hearing the detonation and his frantic calls for > help, rushed to him and found both hands shot off at the > wrist, his abdomen terribly injured and apparently >injured > about the chest and face. They rushed him to the >surface > and procured medical and surgical aid for first aid > treatment, after which he was hurried to the Bonne Terre > Hospital. He was conscious to the last, but was unable >to > give any explanation of the explosion as the shock >seemed > to have impaired his memory. It is known that a full >box > of blasting caps, 100 in number, exploded in his hands >but > whether this explosion was caused by attempting to >remove > a cap from the box with a sharp instrument or from some > other cause cannot be determined. > > Cook was one of the most careful drillers in the employ >of > the company. He enjoyed an enviable reputation for the > manner in which he handled and cared for his explosives, > always exercising the greatest care in keeping his > dynamite and caps at the proper distance apart and the > surroundings carefully cleaned. Wednesday morning he > entered the heading which he was drilling and found that > the shots from the previous shift had left the rock in > such a manner that it would be difficult for the >shovelers > to get to it without extra efforts because of uneven > floor. He decided that it would be a help to them if he > would drill several "nifters," or small holes in the > floor, using them to shoot away the uneven portion in > order that the shovelers could lay additional track and > get close to their rock. He had drilled four shallow > holes and talked to his companions for a few minutes > before going back to prepare the light charges for these > small shots. It was at this time that the explosion > occurred. Evidence indicated that he had removed the >box > of caps from his storage box, closed the larger box and > was standing a few feet in front of it when the accident > happened. These caps, one of them of sufficient power >to > cause serious damage when it explodes, are packed in >metal > boxes of one hundred each and are packed snugly to >prevent > friction. They are loaded with fulminate of mercury, an > exceptionally powerful and sensitive explosion, which > responds instantly to either friction or heat, a slight > prick with any sharp instrument or the touch of a >flowing > coal being sufficient to fire them. It is presumed that > Cook either attempted to remove the first cap from the >box > with some instrument or that he was thinking of other > things at the time and forgot to remove a cigarette from > his mouth, thus allowing a portion of the hot ashes to > drop into the box as he held it against his abdomen and > pulled the lid off. Which theory is correct will >probably > never be known. > > The eldest son of the unfortunate man, who was working >on > the underground transportation lines, was in the heading > with his crew at the time and was one of the first to > reach the victim. He assisted in getting him to the > surface and accompanied him to the hospital. Mrs. Cook > and other members of the family were notified and taken >to > the hospital also, all being with him as he passed away. > He leaves his widow and five children, Elmer, Truly > [Trudy?], Bernice, Geraldine and Glenwood, a number of > more distant relatives and a large number of friends. > He > was one of the most congenial and best liked men in the > district and was always ready to go out of his way to >help > someone else. > > [Note, This miner's name is listed as "William Dallis > Cook" on his death certificate. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >MOSTFRAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' >without the quotes in the subject and the body of the >message