Crowley v. Croesus Gold & Copper Mining Co.

86 P. 536, 12 Idaho 530, 1906 Ida. LEXIS 74
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 6, 1906
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 86 P. 536 (Crowley v. Croesus Gold & Copper Mining Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crowley v. Croesus Gold & Copper Mining Co., 86 P. 536, 12 Idaho 530, 1906 Ida. LEXIS 74 (Idaho 1906).

Opinion

STOCKSLAGER, C. J.

This appeal is from the district court of Blaine county. Bespondent as plaintiff commenced his action in that court, alleging that he had been damaged in the sum of $5,000, by reason of certain injuries sustained by him while working in the mine of defendant — appellant.

The first allegation is that defendant is a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the state of Wyoming, and is engaged in the business of mining in Blaine county, Idaho.

The second allegation is that defendant is the owner and operator of that certain mining property called the ‘ ‘ Croesus Mine.”

Allegations numbered 3, 4 and 5 are as follows:

‘ ‘ III. That plaintiff was, on the thirtieth day of June, 1904, an employee of defendant, was then set to work mining in said mine, and was by the defendant set and placed at work at the bottom of a deep shaft, about eleven hundred feet bet-low the surface of the earth and collar of said shaft, and as such miner and employee was, on said thirtieth day of June, 1904, employed, set to work and placed by defendant at bottom of such said shaft, where the work and duty of plaintiff as such employee, and he was so directed by defendant, was to help to fill the hoisting bucket used and then being used to hoist the rock, dirt, ore and materials from the said bottom of said shaft up through the shaft to the top of the shaft and surface of the earth, and plaintiff was then and there so employed by and working for defendant, and under its direction, control and order. That it was then and there the work and duty of defendant, and a duty it owed this plaintiff so employed in carrying on such mining and in remov[534]*534ing rock, earth, material and ore from said mine, to use, provide, maintain and employ, safe, suitable and proper machinery, plans, appliances, apparatus and materials for and in so doing and to employ competent, careful and skilled engineers, superintendents and foremen to make, set up, operate, install and keep in order said mine, shaft, machinery and all appliances and apparatus used and to be used for the purpose of removing rock, dirt, material and ore from said mine, and of lifting and elevating them in said shaft from lower to higher levels and especially in lifting large quantities of heavy material from great depths to the surface of the earth when its employees and this plaintiff were at work beneath the hoisting bucket, and appliances containing said materials and connected with the same; and when the hoisting bucket was loaded or filled with earth, rock, ore or other heavy materials, and was to be lifted or hoisted over and above plaintiff and other persons at work in bottom of said shaft, and was being so hoisted, it was the duty of defendant to use, employ, provide and allow used suitable, and only suitable, and safe plans, means, machinery, apparatus and appliances for such conditions and work and lifting, and to keep and maintain all in such suitable, safe and proper working condition, working properly and safely and working and operating in such manner as not to be likely to upset, or to fall, or to spill out the contents of said hoisting bucket when the same was above plaintiff and those working at bottom of said shaft, and to attend to and see to and effect that the earth, rock and dirt could be and was so being removed, raised and handled and by such appliances that it would not be apt to spill out or fall, and would not spill or fall and thus endanger the life and limb of plaintiff or of any person so working below.
“IV. That on said thirtieth day of June, 1904, plaintiff liad been employed in said mine but five days and knew little .of the conditions, state, safety or operation of said mine, or in said mine, or concerning the machinery, appliances or apparatus used and employed in said mine or in said shaft, and had little knowledge of the hoisting works therein or of the [535]*535operation of the hoist or of the acting and operating of the hoisting bucket; and plaintiff is not an engineer, is not a mechanic, is not a millman, and is not skilled in or concerning such or any machinery, or the operation thereof, and has had no experience in making, placing, using or operating the same, and then and there had no use of, control over, work with or in connection with any of the machinery of said mine, or in or about said shaft, or concerning said hoist, or any of the apparatus for hoisting in said shaft, and had nothing to do, and never had had anything to do, with the operation of said hoist or of any of the machinery in, of or about said or any mine. But plaintiff did then and there and at all times rely upon his reasonable expectation and belief, which belief he then had that defendant would use, install, employ and operate only safe, suitable, proper and properly operating machinery, apparatus and hoist, and not be negligent thereabout so as to render life and limb of himself and others so then employed reasonably safe. That plaintiff did not knowingly assume or undertake any place, work or occupation of extra hazard to life or limb and did not assume knowingly any risk or hazard at all, of, or concerning the hoisting apparatus not being safe or not operating properly and safely or the upsetting for any cause or reason of the hoisting bucket while in shaft high above him, and that no such risk was known of or to plaintiff or presented to mind of plaintiff or assumed by him. Plaintiff was so employed by the defendant to use pick and shovel, and as a miner in the earth simply and not to do with, use, have control of or connection with any of the plans, machinery, apparatus or operation of any such in any way; and plaintiff was then and there digging and shoveling earth, rock and dirt at bottom of said shaft, which was of the mature of his employment by the defendant. And at said time, on said thirtieth day of June, 1904, the time of the occurrence of the accident and injury herein complained of, the plaintiff was in the prudent and careful discharge of the duties of his said employment, and wholly without fault or blame at such work at bottom of said shaft. And plaintiff was then and there ignorant of any defect or [536]*536of any incompetence, or of any want in any machinery or in operation of the same in said shaft, and had no fear of, and knew of no cause for fear of, any accident due to the upsetting of hoist bucket or of the falling of the same, or its contents, due to any defect.
“V. Yet the defendant corporation, not regarding their said duty on the said thirtieth day of June, 1904, at said mine in Blaine county, carelessly and negligently.suffered and allowed the hoisting apparatus, the hoisting bucket and the means of controlling and guiding and lifting the same in and up said shaft in said mine to be and to remain unsafe, defective and insufficient, operating badly, unfit for use, and dangerous to those working below said bucket at bottom of said shaft, the cross-bar or cross-head and apparatus for guiding said bucket when being hoisted not working properly and not properly constructed and adjusted and adapted, but was so and such that it might and was apt to hang up and not follow the bucket so as to be in place to guide and control it, and the hoisting bucket was so hung, moved, lifted and used, and not properly guided and governed so that it might, .could and was apt to catch, tip, upset and spill out its contents and endanger the life and limb of the persons below.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 P. 536, 12 Idaho 530, 1906 Ida. LEXIS 74, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crowley-v-croesus-gold-copper-mining-co-idaho-1906.