The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-18
CAUSE OF The DEATH
The Co1Oner's Inquest Over the Body
of d. A. McCloud.
THEY WERE ALL CARELESS
After Inspecting the Surroundings
Mr.. Miles Says the System OF
Lowering Timbers Down the
Chute Was a Safe One.

An inquest was held before Coroner
Richards at the Butte undertaking
rooms last evening on the body of II.
A. McCloud, who was almost instantly
killed by falling timber in timber
chute at the Mountain Con mine
Thursday afternoon. Thomas Chat
ham and Richard Burns testified that
they were lowering timbers into chute
at the 600-foot level and that McCloud
was taking them to the bottom OF the
chute on the fifth floor of the 700. They
lowered the timbers in the loop OF
chain. They said that just before they
lowered the timber. which killed Nc
Cloud. into the chute. they both called
out, Look out below" and that he re-
piled, "All right" They frightened the
| chain around the timber and let 1t
| down and after going about two sets
| IL slipped out of the loop and fell to the
bottom. They could not tell how the
timber happened to slip out of the loop.
| Andy Higgins, McClouds partner,
| testified that he did not hear anyone
calling down from above. He heard
| the timber strike his partner and
| jumped back.
James Keegan, the mine foreman.
swore that If the chain had been tight
ened around the timber ii would have
/
| loop. He said that Chatham and Burns
| were both experienced and very care
/ full men. He was at a loss to account
/ for the accident The evidence OF
Frank Cassiday, the shift boss, and T.
| Harrington, the level boss. was sub
| stantially the same as that of Keegan.
John H. Miles, deputy state mine in
| spector, testified that he arrived at the
| mine about half an hour after the ac-
| cident and made a careful examination
of the chute and surroundings. The
chute is perpendicular for about 81
feet and he found the chain with which
the runaway timber was being lowered
on a level with the platform at the 60s
foot level He found everything in 9
perfectly safe condition and considered
the manner Of lowering the timbers the
safest he had ever seen. There was nj
possible chance for the timber to have
been hung up" In the chute, and HI
believed the accident to be due to Chat
ham and Burns not having taken up thu
slack in the chain before lowering tn,
timber into the chute. The timber haS
consequently, he believed, slipped out o.
the loop before 1t exerted any weight oil
| the chain.
After a lengthy elaboration a yer
dict was returned stating that. Gin tn
opinion of this jury. Chatham an,
Burns were careless in adjusting tn
chain and McCloud was premature Il
! giving the signal all right before h
had got out from under the chute afte
he had loosened the lower chain. Tn
, verdict of this jury is that the death o
. II. A McCloud was in one sense acct
dental, but partially the result of care
lessness on the part of himself as we
as Chatham and Burns"
McCloud will be buried from Ridgel
hall, on Main street, at 2 o'clock TO
morrow afternoon, and the funeral wi
proceed to the cemetery on street car
from the corner of Park and Mai
streets. The I. o. o. F. will hav
charge of the funeral. The youn
mans father, c. A. McCloud of Cher
{ okee, California, telegraphed yesterda
s to bury him here.