The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-09-19
MINING ACCIDENTS.
At the Wake-Up-Jim, Black
Rock and Josephine Mine.
The Sad Deaths Of Denis Nevin and
John Bryant at the Wake-Up-
Jim Mine Yesterday.

Last evening, about o'clock, Denis
Nevin, foreman of the Wake i'm, and
John Bryant, miner, employed at the
same mine, met their death in the follow
ing shocking manner: It appears that Mr..
Nevin, after supper, went up to the mine
some work of an important nature that
was being done. Nevin, Bryant and another
miner named Holland, got on the bucket
| and gave word to the engineer to lower
them to the bottom. The bottom OF tho
shaft is 80 feet down, and in its descent,
the cross-head of the bucket, in some unac-
countable manner got
STUCK IN THE SHAFT
and remained 80 until the bucket with the
three men in it had reached the bottom Of
the shaft. When the bottom was reached.
the rope, in rolling around the shaft. caused
the crosshead to move from the place
where it had "set," and the huge piece OF
timber went down the shaft at lightning
speed and struck the three men on their
heads, killing Nevin and Bryant instantly
and seriously injuring Holland. A miner
at work at the bottom got the men out OF
the bucket and sent word to the surface OF
what had happened. The bodies of the two
men were sent to the surface at once, and
tidings of the sad accident sent to the FAM
lilies and friends OF the unfortunate men.
Mr.. Nevin has been in this city almost a
year. coming here from Virginia City, Ne
vada, at which place he held the important
position OF
TREASURER OF THE MINERS UNION
for several years. Subsequently, he went
into the wholesale and retail liquor busi-
ness and by his strict attention to business
and his honest dealings with all all with
whom he came into contact, made host
Of friends for himself. So popular was he
with his fellow men, that in 1882 he was
elected Treasurer OF Storey county,
Nevada, and in the middle of his term of
office, while in the discharge OF his duties
one evening two masked men entered his
office, and drawing revolvers on Nevin,
succeeded in binding him and after taking
about IS, 900 OF the county's money from
the safe, threw the unfortunate treasurer
into the safe, and closing the door, got
away with the money. Denis Nevin was
always u man in every sense of the word.
and there are thousands Of men scattered
all over the Pacific coast who will lament
over his untimely taking off. He leaves a
wife and seven small children in this city to
mourn their loss.
Immediately after the accident DIR. C. s.
Whitford the county coroner was notified
of the sad affair, and that official repaired
to the Wake-up-Jim mine to hold an in
quest over the bodies.
The following jury was sworn: Pat Boil
and, Evan Jones, T. H. Carroll, Walter
Wynne, Pat Conlon and one of the miners
at Walkerville. After hearing the testimony
OF five or six witnesses they returned
as their verdict that the deceased
car,e to their deaths by the falling OF a
ing to the faulty construction of the cross
boa,n The witnoasas woro ned in pri-
vate and the examination was very minute.
Nevin sustained fracture OF the base of
the skull and Bryant had his back broken
in the cervical region. Death was instan-
taneous in both cases. Holland is severely
wounded on the scalp and is otherwise
bruised and is lying in a critical condition.
ANOTHER ACCIDENT.
Yesterday afternoon. three miners en-
gagged at. the Black Rock mine, fired eight
holes near the bottom of the shaft and
took the ladders for the purpose OF going
up out Of reach Of the blasts. When they
had got up about 35 feet from the bottom,
J ohm Stanus, one of the number, lost his
hold on the ladder, and fell clean to the
bottom. He fell on a stull, about six feet
from where the holes had been drilled, just
as the blasts went off, and portions OF
the burdens OF every one OF the holes
SUTuCk lHe uulOTCuIldte Llluef Ill dlIuOSV
every portion of his body. His escape
| from instant death is most remarkable
one. AS it is it is thought he cannot re-
cover. Several bones are broken, one eye
has been blown out, and he has received
severe internal injuries. Stanus is a we'll
known citizen of Butte, and formerly kept
| saloon on East Park street. He is a
| genial man and is much respected by his
! fellow workmen and acquaintances.
STILL ANOTHER.
Yesterday evening William Head, a miner
employed at the Josephine mine, while
| climbing to the surface, at the close Of his
| days labor, fell down the shaft, the cause
of the accident being the breaking OF one OF
| the slaves OF the ladder. Head fell about
| thirty feet and received some very painful,
but not necessarily fatal. injuries.