Micheal "Mike" Griffin
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page p1 - August 11, 1939
[ Mike Griffin Meets Death in Mine
CAUGHT BY AVALANCHE OF ROCK AND BURIED IN ORE CHUTE DEATH IS INSTANT . 1 Mike Griffin was killed while working in the mine at Oilman last Tuesday , August 8 . Mr . Griffin was using a bar to loosen a large boulder in the mine wall , when it suddenly gave away permitting a large tonnage of loose ore to run , catching him before he could escape , and crushing him under many tons of heavy ore . Uis body was carried into an ore chute leading to a level below , already partly filled with ore , and buried between the two masses of
rock . Fellow workmen hurriedly removed the ore from the chute from below taking out thirty or forty tons before they recovered the body , which was horribly crushed . It was the opinion of Dr . Knepper , company physician , that death wa 9 instant , as Mr . Griffin s neck was broken . Michale Griffin was born in Crosswell Parish , Killignct } County Sligo , Ireland , in 1882 , making his age as 57 at the time of his death . It is not known just when he migrated to this country , but he was naturalized in New York City and came to Eagle in 11 ) 13 , having lived at Burns Hole a short time prio rto coming here . He was drawn to Eagle by the discovery of silver on Horse Mountain in 11 ) 12 , and remained here to engage in farming . He worked as a ranch band for a time and then leased and farmed on his own account . For a number of years he leased and farmed the George Wilkinson ranch on Brush creek .
He abandoned farming a few years ago , and secured work in the mine at Oilman , where he has been steadily employed . Mr . Griffin had many friends both in the valley and 011 Battle mountain . He was highly respected by his fellow workmen and his employers , and that his life should be snuffed out so suddenly is to be regretted . Mr . Griffin was not given to talking of Ilia personal affairs , and little was known of his family . In his personal effects was found a letter , received in 11932 fdom a brother , Con Griffin , written from 1410 East 55 th street , Brooklyn , N . Y . A telegram stent to this address Tuesday evening , had not been responded to at this writing . The body was cared for by Paul Andre of the Andre Funeral Home in Eagle , where it is held while effort is being made to locate relatives . In case no other instructions are received , funeral services and burial will be held in Eagle at 10 o clock Saturday morning from the Catholic church . Fatalities are rare in the Empire Zinc company s mine at Oilman , considering that approximately 500 men are employed , Mr . Griffin s death being tl ยป - fh-st to occur there underground in three years . O
