Hoover Dam

The Story of Hoover Dam - Essays

Fatalities at Hoover Dam: 1931 and Earlier

The following information was taken from Volume One of the Hoover Dam Project History, pages 342-345. The information is presented here in the same format as it is presented in the history.

Industrial Fatalities

Heat Prostration Date Name Employer June 25, 1931 Raymond R. Hopland Six Companies, Inc June 28, 1931 Mike Madzia Six Companies, Inc June 27, 1931 Pat Shannon Six Companies, Inc July 8, 1931 Robert Core Newberry Electric Corporation July 10, 1931 A.E. Meredith Lewis Construction Company July 10, 1931 Thomas Murray Anderson Brothers Supply Co. July 11, 1931 Joe Lyons (Or John Lane) Anderson Brothers Supply Co. July 13, 1931 Earl Parker Six Companies, Inc July 15, 1931 John Swensen Six Companies, Inc July 20, 1931 Charles Allen Six Companies, Inc July 20, 1931 Grace Mitchell (Residing on Reservation but not employed.) July 22, 1931 A.A. McClurg International Truck Company July 23, 1931 Tom Noonan Six Companies, Inc July 24, 1931 Joe Ganz Anderson Brothers Supply Co. July 24, 1931 Clara Baxter (Residing on Reservation but not employed.) July 26, 1931 Lewis Starnes Anderson Brothers Supply Co.

Drowning Date Name Place Employer May 15, 1921 Harold Connelly Colorado River Bureau of Reclamation Dec. 20, 1922 J.G. Tierney Colorado River Bureau of Reclamation July 5, 1931 Joe Rolland Colorado River Six Companies Inc. July 5, 1931 Martin Pulewski Colorado River (Living on Reservation but not employed.)

Blasting Date Name Place Employer May 17, 1931 Harry Large Black Canyon, Arizona side Six Companies Inc. May 17, 1931 Andrew Lane Black Canyon, Arizona side Six Companies Inc. May 18, 1931 Fred Olson Railway Const. Lewis Construction Company Jun. 20, 1931 J.P. Sweezy Six Companies Inc. Jun. 20, 1931 Wm. Bryant Six Companies Inc. Dec. 15, 1931 M.J. Sidmore Tunnel Six Companies Inc. Dec. 15, 1931 Frank Manning Tunnel Six Companies Inc.

Falling Rock or Slides Date Name Place Employer Sep. 11, 1931 H.H. Kidd Tunnel No. 3, Arizona side Six Companies Inc. Sep. 29, 1931 Jack Seitz

(Possibly Jack Stanvitis) Black Canyon, Arizona side Six Companies Inc. Oct. 8 1931 Lauri Lehto Arizona Tunnel 4 Six Companies Inc. Oct. 17, 1931 Joe Doyle Arizona Tunnel 4 Six Companies Inc. Oct. 17, 1931 Ralph Henderson Arizona Tunnel 4 Six Companies Inc. Oct. 17, 1931 M.C. Stuckey Arizona Tunnel 4 Six Companies Inc.

Other Industrial Accidents Date Name Cause Employer Jul. 27, 1931 Roy Plummer

(Not on duty) Automobile Collision Six Companies Inc. Sep. 21, 1931 Jack Russell Fell 400 feet from Canyon wall while stripping. Six Companies Inc. Nov. 7, 1931 W.R. Elston Struck by truck outside lower portal tunnel 4. Six Companies Inc.

Natural Causes Date Name Cause Employer May 16, 1931 Clarence Parker Meningitis Anderson Bros. Supply Co. Jul. 24, 1931 Steve Win Appendicitis Six Companies Inc. Sep. 5, 1931 S. Ruark Acute gastroenteritis Six Companies Inc. Sept. 29, 1931 J.B. Regan Spinal meningitis Six Companies Inc. Oct. 8, 1931 F.H. Wolff Bronchial pneumonia Six Companies Inc. Oct. 7, 1931 Lorin E. Tilley Spinal meningitis Six Companies Inc. Oct. 19, 1931 H. Needham Pneumonia Six Companies Inc. Nov. 17, 1931 Wm. H. Minton Pneumonia Six Companies Inc. Nov. 21, 1931 Charles C. Cliff Coronary Occlusion Six Companies Inc. Dec. 4, 1931 William Dorr Pneumonia Six Companies Inc. Dec. 11, 1931 E.F. McCarthy Pneumonia Six Companies Inc.

The total fatalities from the beginning of the project to December 31, 1931 was forty-seven, 16 of which were due to heat prostrations, 4 from drowning, 7 from blasting operations, 6 from falling rocks or slides, 3 from other industrial accidents and 11 from natural causes.