The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-04-28
EATEN BY SULPHUR FUMES,
John Sandberg's Charred Bones Found
in Boston 4 Montana Flue-All
That is Left of Him.
He Must Have Run a Fiery Gauntlet
Of Ninety Feet After a Fall
of Twenty.

John Sandberg's remains we're found
Sunday night in the main fiue of the
Boston e. Montana company's works.
Heat and sulphurous gases had de-
stroyed the clothing and flesh, leaving
nothing save his bones, the corroded
frame of a jack-knife, and a buckle in
like condition. His friends came to the
city for a coffin yesterday morning and
in this, with the aid of a rake and shovel,
the scanty remains were placed to await
the viewing of the coroner Acting Cor
oner j. p. Fitzgerald was notified and
after empanelling a jury went down to
the works yesterday forenoon.
1t will be remembered that John Sand
herg was last seen on the 3D. of this
month, when he was known to have en-
tered one of the Bruckner furnaces.
Since then he has not been seen orheard
of. On the 9Th or 9th his friends, be-
coming alarmed, sought the county at
torney with a petition that the fires be
ordered drawn and search made. Mr..
Freeman, not considering the evidence
sufficient and doubling his authority to
make such an order, denied the request.
This is substantially the report which
appeared in The TRIBUNE at the time.
j. r.. Earl, foreman of the smelling de-
partment, was the first witness called
and he testified that shortly after I
o'clock on the morning of the Sd he sent
Sandberg to cut out the smelted charge
in the Bruckner furnace, No. o; that he
asked leave to go to his boarding house
to obtain his muzzle, or inspirator, which
request was granted; that be next saw
him between 8 and 10 the same morn
ing coming from the Buckner floor, say
ing that he had loosened the charge and
was going back directly to break up the
Jumps. He did not appear drunk or in
any but his natural condition. AT 4
p. m. be made the rounds to take The
time of the employees aud was told that
SandberC was not at work and had not
been seen since about IL in the morning,
and it was minated that Sandberg had
been drunk. Witness concluded that
Sandberg had gone off to sleep away his
drunk. but as a prec tutionary measure
sent a man named Carlson with a lantern
into the furnace to investigate. Carlson
reported the work as finished and no
trace of Sandberg. Witness felt his first
conclusion confirmed and dismissed the
matter from his mind. The next morn
ing there was some talk about the mat
ter and he lowered a lantern into the
down-take, but saw nothing. On the
9th that particular cluster of furnaces
was closed for the purpose of investiga-
ton and Mr., Case and the witness went
up the f1ue some forty feet to the junct-
ure with the main tiue, but found no
signs of anything outside of the usual
tlue dust. The main flue was filled with
sparks and sutfocating gases, preventing
further exploration. Meanwhile search
had been made through the jails and
other places in the city. Deceased had
been accustomed to this kind of work
and was expert ut it. Had done it al
most exclusively IN the works.
Victor Carlson testified practically the
same, with the addition that he entered
the furnace sometime shortly after din
ner and hunted for Sandberg without
there was 10 way by which he could
have fallen in; he must have passed the
manhole into the tiue voluntarily.
Other witnesses testified to his having
drank heavily hat morning and vaguely
identified the knife. One man testified
to looking into the furnace and seeing
Sandberg asleep at about II o'clock.
The jury was out but a few minutes
returning a verdict that the man came
TO his death by accident caused by his
W carelessness. The theory of his
death, which seems most plausible is
that after the deceased had finished his
labors he took a zap. Waking in II con
fused condition due to drinking, dust
and possibly gas, he mistook the man
hole into the tiue for the one through
which he had entered, and crawl ng half
way through this he lost his balance ann
fell down the "down-take' which is an
inclined passage five feet square leading
to a branch flue. The fall aroused him
and he made a dash through the branch
tiue to the main. The fall was one of
twenty feet, the branch hue forty and
the distance in the ma n fifty feet, 80 af-
ter a fall of twenty feet he must have
ran ninety more before he was overcome
by the heat and gases and fell outstrctch-
ed face downward. These forces reduc.
ed everything save the calcined portions
OF the homes, 4. { rther fact is that the
boneH were found within SLY feet of a
door which, however, would have af-
forded nc escape as It could be opened
only from without.
The deceased was a single man with
out relatives here. but has two sisters
and ID brother in law named Charles
Greenwall in Anaconda. 1t is under
stood that there was a thousand dollar