The Forty-Seven

Alphabetical listing of the 47 miners trapped in the Argonaut Gold Mine, Jackson, CA, August 27, 1922, including biographical information.

Bacheller, Elmer Lee – Protestant; Age, 56; birthplace, California; wife, name unknown; no children. Bacheller was not a regular miner at the Argonaut. He volunteered to work for a friend who went on vacation.

Bagoye, Peter – a.k.a. Bajoge; Catholic; Age, 24; birthplace, Austria; wife, name unknown; no children. Bagoye had been in America for only four months. He had previously served in the Austrian Army during World War I, and was expecting his wife to join him from Austria soon.

Baldocchi, Rafaelo – Catholic; Age, 29; birthplace, Italy; single.

Begovich, Rade – Greek Orthodox; Age, 36; birthplace, Yugoslavia; single.

Boleri, D. – Catholic; Age, unknown; birthplace, Italy; single.

Buscaglia, Eugene – Catholic; Age, 25; birthplace, Italy; wife, Clotilda; no children.

Caminada, John – Catholic; Age, 24; birthplace, Italy; single.

Cavaglieri, Peter – Catholic; Age, 40; birthplace, Italy; wife, Emilia; three children, John, Josephine, Agrentina.

Clayton, James – Protestant; Age, 36; birthplace, California; engaged to Myrtle Richards. Clayton’s two brothers, Charles and Valentine, worked on the rescue crews. His fiancé was the widow of a miner killed in another local mine.

DeLonga, Paul – Catholic; Age, 31; birthplace, Austria; single.

Ely, Evan – Mormon (interred in Protestant cemetery); Age, 29; birthplace, Texas; wife, Etta; four children, Bobbie, Hilda May, Eugene, Emma. Ely’s brother-in-laws worked on one of the rescue crews.

Fazzina, A. – Catholic; Age, 37; birthplace, Italy; single.

Fessell, Edward William – Protestant; Age, unknown; birthplace, Germany; wife, Ruth; child, Spencer. Fessell was a former chemist in Germany and interpreter for the U.S. Government. His wife was the sister of Harry Liversedge, later famous as the commander of conquering forces at Iwo Jima in World War II. As the missing 47^th miner, and the man whose name appeared on the “last message” wall, Fessell would become the biggest mystery of the Argonaut disaster.

Fidele, V. – Catholic; Age, 38; birthplace, Italy; single.

Fitzgerald, Charles T. – Catholic ; Age, 27; birthplace, California; wife, Francis; children, Donald and Janet.

Francisconi, Simone – Catholic; Age, 48; birthplace, Italy; single.

Gamboni, Battista – Catholic; Age, 33; birthplace, Switzerland; single.

Garcia, Timothy E. – a.k.a., Enrique Harismendez; Catholic; Age, 48; birthplace, California; widower; children, Lorenzo and Mary.

Gianetti, Maurice – Catholic; Age, 44; birthplace, Italy; single.

Giorza, Giuseppe – Catholic; Age, 36; birthplace, Italy; wife, name unknown; five children, Louie, Mary, Nilda, Annie, and Madelina.

Gonzales, Lucio – Catholic; Age, 28; birthplace, Italy; single.

Janovich, Marko – Greek Orthodox; Age, 35; birthplace, Serbia; wife, Stane; no children.

Jovanovich, Milos – Greek Orthodox; Age, 36; birthplace, Montenegro; single.

Kosta, Manuel – Catholic; Age, 47; birthplace, Portugal; single.

Kovac, Jefto – a.k.a. Kovacevich; Greek Orthodox; Age, 42; birthplace, Herzegovina; wife, Rista; three children, Jovanka, Novica, and Manojlo.

Lajovich, Rade – Greek Orthodox; Age, 33; birthplace, Montenegro; single. Lajovich had just started working for the Argonaut after returning from military service in World War I.

Leon, Antonio – Catholic; Age, 33; birthplace, Spain; wife, name unknown; three children, names unknown. Antonio Leon’s son was en route from Spain with his brother’s wife.

Leon, Luis – Catholic; Age 42; birthplace, Spain; wife, Maria; four children, names unknown. Luis Leon’s wife was en route from Spain with his brother’s son.

Manachino, Battista – a.k.a. Maracino; Catholic; Age, 40; birthplace, Italy; single. August 27 was Manachino’s last shift at the Argonaut. He planned to return to his former work as a baker.

Marinovich, Steve – Age, 46; birthplace, Serbia; marital status unknown; four children, names unknown.

Maslesa, John – Greek Orthodox; Age, 32; birthplace, Herzegovina; single.

Miller, Ernest – Protestant; Age, 37; birthplace, Illinois; wife, Catherine; two children, names unknown. Miller was a survivor of the greatest metal mine tragedy of the early 20^th century at Granite Mountain Copper Mine, Montana, in 1917, where he was trapped for four days.

Miljanovich, Todore – Greek Orthodox; Age, 37; birthplace, Herzegovina; single.

O'Berg, Arthur William – Protestant; Age, 27; birthplace, Washington; wife, Anna; child, Florence. Son of Charles O’Berg (see next).

O'Berg, Charles – Protestant; Age, 55; birthplace, Sweden; widower; children, Arthur, and Elmer. Charles and Arthur O’Berg arranged their schedules so that they could work together

Olobardi, Emanuel – Catholic; Age, 27; birthplace, Italy; wife, Amelia; no children. Before going to work that night, Olobardi told his wife, “I fear something awful is going to happen.”

Oliva, Pio – Catholic; Age, 25; birthplace, Italy; single. Oliva’s brother, Luigi, was a miner on the same shift, but had taken the weekend off to visit friends in San Francisco.

Piagneri, Aldino – Catholic; Age, 27; birthplace, Itay; single.

Pavlovich, Elia – Greek Orthodox; Age, 40; birthplace, Dalmatia; wife, name unknown. Pavlovich’s wife was pregnant at the time of the disaster.

Ruzzu, Giovanni – Catholic; Age, 28; birthplace, Sardinia; single.

Simonde, Domenico – a.k.a. Domenic Simone; a.k.a. Domenic Simmons; Catholic; Age, 47; birthplace, Italy; single.

Seamans, Bert – Protestant; Age, 38; birthplace, California; single. Seaman’s father had been unaware of his son’s whereabouts until hearing of the disaster.

Stanicich, Niko – Greek Orthodox; Age, 40; birthplace, Serbia; wife, Mary; three children, Mary, George, Bobby.

Steinman, George L. – Catholic; Age, 48; birthplace, Michigan; wife, Linda; four children, Harold, George, Lester, and Warren George, an infant. Steinman’s pregnant wife told the press that her husband verbalized a feeling of foreboding about going to work that night.

Villia, Daniele – Catholic; Age, 43; birthplace, Sardinia; single.

Vujovich, Mike – Greek Orthodox; Age, 28; birthplace, Herzegovina; wife, Maria; two children, names unknown.

Zanardi, Cesare – a.k.a. Lanardi; Catholic; Age, 26; birthplace, Italy; single.

 

Compiled from Amador County records, articles in the Amador Ledger and San Francisco Bulletin, and the records of the Amador County Red Cross. Name spellings are based on research into multiple sources, including information from descendents, but are not necessarily correct in every case.