The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-04-16

search may swell the list of the dead
The dead are:
BRIG KIRKNAN, Five Points, ogden
D. J. MORGAN, 100 Sixteenth street
Ogden.
GEORGE WEAVER, residence unknown.
NATE KENPToN, of Provo.
JEFF RUBY, of Huntsville.
Those seriously injured are;
ANDREW SPRowLE, Spanish Fork.
ALFRED ELLrNGFoRp, Morgan
Nick LEHMAN, Psoye.
SAM HATFIELD, Provo.
G.. y. STETsoN, residence unknown.
Sam Hatfield of Provo, is the most Sc
riously injured of those living.
The terrible accident was caused by
an explosion in an open cut Just this
side of the big tunnel.
Foreman Dan MORGAN was loading a
hole and had sprung it several times
with giant powder, 50 as to get in
large quantity of black powder 1t is
presumed that he put the powder in be-
fore the hole had sufficiently cooled, for
the powder exploded, playing dreadful
havoc with the men with which the cut
was filled. The accident happened at
about 40.
A telephone message came from the
Hermitage in the canyon, telling of the
accident and calling for three doctors.
Drs, Joyce, Gordon and Rich went up
at once.
In the canyon three wagons were met
bringing down the bodies and the
wounded
Jeff Ruby, transient, of Huntsville,
died soon after being put in the wagon,
and Michael Lehman of Provo died soon
after reaching the city hospital. Others
seriously wounded are Samuel Hatfield
OF Provo, Andrew Sprewle of Washing
ton county, Utah, who has wife and
five children living at Spanish Fork; AL
fred Ellington of Morgan, and G. n.
Stetson, residence unknown. The dead
were taken to Richey's undertaking par
lorS and the wounded to the city hos.
pita!
Frank Patton, the time keeper, seem
ed to have kept his wits and relates the
following
81 was but little way from the cut
when it happened. MORGAN was loading
hole and several men were about help.
ing him, He had sprung the hole with
giant powder, | think 1t was between
five and ten minutes aft-r giving it the
last spring before he began loading the
hole with black powder. | saw the ex-
plosion and saw the cloud of dust and
dark objects Aging through the air. |
went to the cut and helped get out the
wounded. am quite sure there are no
more in the debris. Two men quit at
noon and went down the canyon and
some who have just missed them think
thy are buried there. With the great
crowd at work, the cut was cleared by
dark, and no other bodies were found
If others are killed the bodies were
blown out of the cut down the cliff, and
have not yet been found, but 1t seems
quite certain at this hour QoI5) that
seven dead and Ave injured are the num-
Der.
A. j. Beckham of Nevada City, Cali
tornia, is probably the man who spoke
last to Morean just before his death,
Beckham was engaged in carrying
tools TO the blacksmith shop. Ne APP
preached MORGAN and asked If he should
take certain drills down to be sharpened,
The foreman said yes, and Beckwith
had got but IS feet away when the ex-
plosion occurred, He said MORGAN and
kirkman were at the hole. MORGAN was
tamping with long bar, but he did not
know whether 1t was wood or iron
kirkman, he thought was pouring pow
der into the hole as MORGAN tamped.
"When the explosion occurred, ran to
get out of the way the rocks | don't
see how escaped | saw two bodies
thrown on of the cliff,
After the rocks quit falling, rushed
back and was the 6rst man to reach
Sprowle. | helped carry him out, and
soon came back to help with others. |
remember Ruby as a man who spoke
Spanish but don't think he lived in this
state He was halfbreed Indian or
Mexican. had been at the camp only
three days. MORGAN was awfully good
to me-
Three men were working on a churn
Grill near at hand when the explosion
took place. One of these, William
Lehan, reported as follows: al saw the
explosion and ran TO the scene was
the first to get to Ellingford He was
conscious and muttering. | next saw
JeH Ruby. He was covered with rock.
all hut his head The next man reach
ed was kempton, who was dead. Dan !
MORGAN, the foreman, was an old anc
experienced hand at handling powder
and had the reputation of being a care
'ui man. He was very we'll thought OF
among the workmen, and by his EN-
pioyers. lie came to Ogden with Har
klns and Wilkerson, and has WORKED
steadily ever since. He was married
SINCE coming TO Ogden and hi
"te Is in very delicate health. The doc
TORS forbade that she be told of the dealt
Oh her husband Archie Bowman, fel
low foreman Of MORGAN, took DR.. Ric,
" the place and they partially broke tn
hewsto her, telling her that he husban,
was hurt and in the hospital.
Noroner Hall will hold an inquest To