Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-02-10
THE WARD ACCIDENT.
Cause of the Catastrophe The XIII
ed and Injured.

The Ward Reflex publishes an account
Of the recent accident in the main tunnel
of the Martin White Company:
1t appears that the 7 o'clock shift had
seven holes and informed the three o'clock
shift that they heard six go off. After the
dirt had been cleared away, the three
o'clock shift set up the drills and went to
work. As is usual, they commenced at the
top, and put in six holes by eleven o'clock
at night, when they were relieved by the
eleven o'clock shift, leaving the bottom
aud drain holes to be put in by the fated
eleven o'clock shift, composed Of Ira W..
Logan, Richard P%ilkington, George Trow-
bridge and Thomas Edwards. Trowbridge
had charge Of the drill on the south side of
the tunnel, with Richard Pilking ton as
helper. and Thomas Edwards the north
side with Ira W.. Logan as helper. Taking
up the work where il was left off by the
three o'clock shift they put in three or
four holes and then it came to the last.
Thomas Edwards had started a hole for the
drain and his helper, Ira W.. Logan, neces-
sarily too up a position in front, hose in
hand, as did ~Pilkington a short time after,
when George Trow bridge set his drill to
converge on the hole already started by
Thomas Edwards, it being the intention
for both holes to meet at or near the center
of the drain. The hole being driven by
Thomas Edwards having reached nearly
the required depth, he drew the drill back
a short distance for the purpose of allowing
| the water to reach the bottom Of the hole,
and then armed it on again slowly, but be-
fore it had reached the bottom the drill on
the opposite side, which was in hard rock,
and given a full head. suddenly came in
contact with the charged hole which ex-
ploded.
The explosion put out all the lights and
all was darkness for a minute or two. j.
@. Campbell and James Innis, who were a
short distance of, struck a light and made
for the face where the unexpected explosion
had occurred. The sight they saw beggars
description. Ira W. Logan was half buried
and ~lifeless. Richard Pilkington had been
thrown to the end of the car track, helpless
and grooming the heavy drill columns lay
across Thomas Edwards and George Trow-
bridge, who were thrown back d~iagonally
across the tunnel
Ira W. Logan got the full force of the
charge. and was instantly killed. His chest
WAS CTu5utQ anu ktiu INV "a ba'itNr bio
head crushed like an eggshell, the spinal
column broken, a large portion of the right
thigh and half of his face blown off, and,
in fact, there is hardly a bone in his body
which is not broken. Several rocks enter
ing his chest, passed through him, coming
out near the right shoulder. tits supposed
| that he was thrown against the roof of the
tunnel, and that the force with which he
was thrown crushed his skull, as his brains
were spattered over the roof.
Richard P%ilkington was fearfuliy cut up
about the hands and face. Both eyes and
| several teeth were blown out, his nose liter
| ally riddled by small fragments of rock, and
his face otherwise rendered a shapeless
mass. Several fingers on his left hand, up
to the second joint, were torn and LAGER
ated, and will have to be taken on. He re-
ceived a severe cut across the lett forearm,
| and il is also thought that his skull is frac-
tured. 1t is difficult to tell whether he will
live or not.
George Trowbridge's injuries, though not
so numerous. are quite as severe as those
of Mr.. Pilkington. He was in charge OF
the drill on the south side OF the tunnel,
and, in addition to many scalp wounds,
was struck on the right cheek bone by
rock weighing a pound or more, thai
crushed the bone, a portion passing into
| the mouth and right nostril. large piece
| of rock was also taken out Of his mouth.
1t is not known, to a certainty, whether he
will lose his right eye or not.
Thos. Edwards was running a drill on
the north side. Almost the full force 81
the explosion came directly at him, but he
being behind the column and drilling APP
paratus, and at the same time being in .
stopping position, watching the drill, is al
that saved him from instant death. His
injuries consist Of sprains and bruises
caused by the conclusion, and the drill
column falling on him.