Introduction
Eleven men are buried at Boothill Graveyard due to mining accidents, and another three are in the Tombstone City Cemetery. This post is the story of one of those men, Mr. Albert Bloomquist, who died in a freak accident on December 9, 1906.
Bloomquist, Albert
A Tragic Death At The Big Shaft
The Big Shaft of the Tombstone Consolidated Mining Company was the scene of a sad accident yesterday that caused the death of Albert Bloomquist, a miner in the employee of the company. The deceased was working on the 100 foot level of the mine and got on the cage on top of a loaded car and started for the surface. The cage was at the 100 foot level, and Patsy Holland was at the station intending to get on, but Bloomquist, not knowing this, gave the signal to hoist, thus a second fatality was miraculously averted. The fated cage shot up at a lively rate, and from some cause was not stopped at the surface, but the cage with its human cargo was landed with a terrible force into the shive-wheel and the life of Bloomquist ruthlessly crushed out. It is doubtful if he ever knew what struck him, as his body was badly crushed, most of the bones being broken. His neck, back and legs were broken besides a number of ribs. The force of the terrible impact was so strong that his body was half buried in the car of ore. The cage, gallows and the shive-wheel were so badly damaged that it was with difficulty that the cage was finally released and lowered to the chairs on the surface.
Engineer James Walker, who was on shift at the time, was greatly overcome on account of the accident, and realized as the cage came out of the shaft that he was unable to stop it in time to prevent the accident that was bound to cause the death of his fellow workmen.
The deceased was a man 43 years of age and leaves a wife and two children to mourn the loss of a loving husband and kind father.
Mrs. Bloomquist was greatly overcome when the news of the accident was brought to her, and it was thought for a time that she would not survive the shock. Bloomquist was a man of steady habits and had made many friends since he came to the city, nearly a year since.
The solemn funeral services were held this afternoon from the Episcopal Church, Rev. Carroll officiating, and were attended by a large number of friends and acquaintances of the deceased. The miners employed at the Big Shaft attended in a body, the mine being closed down this afternoon so as to allow the fellow workmen to pay their last tribute of respect to one whose life was sacrificed to the dangers and impending perils that continually beset the hardy miner.
The tragic accident has caused a deep gloom to be cast over the community.
A coroner's jury was summoned and will investigate the case tomorrow.