Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1875-06-29

N fOWuer LA PAOSAOAh SEVEN mum
dred Feet UmdcrgrOund-Panie
I'm the Consolidated Mine-FOuH
Men Badly Injured "A Narrow
Escape from n F%rightful Death
The Wounded Men,.
Yesterday morning, at 1880 o'clock,
an explosion occurred at the 70O-foot
station of the Lawton shaft, Eureka
Consolidated mine, which though for
tunately did not prove of fatal result,
badly injured four men, who hap
pened to be at the station when the
explosion occurred. A carman named
Patrick Ferry had just rolled up a
loaded car to the station landing, and
being troubled with an injured finger,
stopped a moment to dress it. He
needed a piece of tape to tie the band
age on the wounded finger, and none
being handy he betLought himself
that it could be obtained from a piece
of fuse kept at the station for the use
of miners in blasting. In its natural
state the tape on fusing is somewhat
difficult to take oil, and Ferry procured
q candle, lighted it, and commenced to
warm the fusing to enable him to Sc
cure sufficient tape for his use. Above
him was a keg of Black powder, hold
ing when full % pounds; one-third of
the amount had been previously used,
leaving about Is pounds in the can.
Ferry was busily engaged in warming
the fusing when suddenly becoming
heated by the candle, it began to
"spit," the sparks flying about at ram
dom, when unluckily one found its
way to the can of powder. A terrific
explosion followed, a sheet of flame
filling the station, covering the four
men there and burning them seriously,
setting fire to their clothing. At first
it could not be told whether they were
alive or dead, but as the smoke cleared
away through the drifts and upwards
through the main shaft, it was discov-
cred that none were dead. Richard
Williams, a timberman, is the worst
injured, being badly burnt about the
face, neck and hands. 1t seems a mir
acle that his evesight was not totally
destroyed. s. G. Bigelow, the station
keeper, was badly burned about the
face and hands.
VIM. Hale, a miner, who was at
the station at the time, escaped with
his left hand being badly burned,
his face receiving no injury. The
above men were brought from the
mine Il this town aud taken to the
Cosmopolitan where their wounds
we're dressed by DR.. NJ. X. Chainblin,
who was summoned to attend them.
Patrick Ferry, by whose careless
ness the lives of his fellow-workmen
and his own were placed in the ut.
most peril, was also badly burned
about the face and hands. lie was
brought to the San Francisco Lodg.
ing House, at this place, where he is
being attended by DR.. Chamblin.
When the explosion occurred the
greatest excitement prevailed in the
mine and ION top" The truth was
exaggerated until the most absurd ac-
counts we're told of how many had
been injured, how many killed and
how the explosion occurred. Whetli-
er Ferry WAS aware that powder was
in such close proximity we did not
learn, but the serious result attending
his carelessness will no doubt prove a
lesson to him aud all others in the
matter Of handling fuse without first
ascertaining whether powder is in the
vicinity. The wounded men are all do
ing well and no fatal result Is antici-
pated.