Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-09-13
Death in a Tunnel.
Hardy Miners Blown to Atoms
by the Premature Explosion
Of a Blast.
The Worst Accident Ever Re-
corded in Mon
tana.
A TUNNEL HORROR,

IDltrt III
Wickes Tunnel
The most fearful fatality ever rec
orded in Montana took place on
Tuesday morning about O'Clock, by
which II is reported ten men lost their
ives, while number Of Others were
more or less seriously MANNED. The
story of the accident as told by the
Helena Herald special correspondent
at Wickes. Is as follows:
The tunnel, upon which work has
been going on for about two years. Is
nearly completed, and this morning
the north and south headings were
only about twenty feet apart. the
contractors expecting TO make the
connection in day or two. At about
8 O'Clock this morning the night shift
were engaged in putting In their last
charges. There were about thirty or
forty men at the south heading and
twenty-five in the north. the side fac
ing Helena. Charges of giant powder
had been put in at both ends and il
was the calculation TO set them both
of at once. The men In the south
end were just leaving the heading,
having finished tamping the charges,
and had began to move out TO get In q
place Of safety, when fearful explo-
sion shook the mountain, over
whelmed the work men. blew some OF
them to atoms and buried a number of
others under rocks and earth. Those
who were in the lead on the way out
were blown forward ty the concus-
sion, hut escaped serious injury, but
the rear OF the crowd caught the full
force Of the explosion and suffered a
terrible mutilatiou. Several were
killed outright and number Of others
severely wounded. The survivors es-
capped to the outer air aud gave the
alarm, when the work Of rescue was
begun. Dense clouds Of sifiipg smoke
filled the tunnel, Sd il was long time
before il could be entered with SAFETY
This clearing away gradually, the res
cuers penetrated into the grimy cbasm
and brought their dead, dying and
wounded fellows to the light of day.
Then the appalling character Of the
calamity appeared in all it's hideous.
ness. Blackened, bleeding and mutt
lated corpses were borne from their
underground tomb aud ranged along
the track underneath the n. p. trestle,
where they presented a ghastly spec.
tacle. Here face blown out of all
semblance TO human yissge, there q
lifeless trunk minus legs and arms, In
one place q mangled form begrimed
with dirt and powder, in another a
nude form with fragments of bloody
cerements clinging to ii. Such was
the swful sight, that stroug men shud-
dered at it, horror and made haste TO
screen the revolving spectacle 10y GOV.
ering Ii from human gaze. Another
and another body was added to the
railroad norgue until at noon ten life
less figures, that few hours before
were healthy men, lay ranged side by
side in front Of the black. yawning
portals Of the smoking tunnel. Six
wounded men were also taken from
the debris. Only one is seriously hurt,
having compound fracture Of the
arm, The Others are but slightly in.
ured and will recover. They were
brought into Helena this afternoon by
the returning special aud will receive
medical attention at the hosp pital.
At last reports no more bodies had
| cen recovered and II Is probable that
the number stated, ten killed, will b,
the extent of the fatalities. The cause
OF the accident is somewhat difficult
to ascertain. The blast went of pre-
maturely and IL is supposed that tn,
conclusion produced by the firing Of .
signal cap IN the north end set of thu
blasts in the south end. As the head
ings were 90 near together this theor,
isquite plausible. At all events 1t Il
the only one we have heard advanced
LATER PARTICULARS.
Mr.. Keefe, OF the contracting firm o
Larson, Keefe a. Co., authorizes the
following statement; "Tbe prematul
explosion occurred from the firing OF .
signal cap In the north heading OF the
tunnel. The headings are only twenty
feet apart aud one hole drilled nom
the south heading extended almost
clear u rough. This was charged with
powder and the men In the north end
not knowing where the hole was
placed the cap over II. When the car
was exploded the powder In the loul
hole was iguited and set on all tn,
orhers" "