The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-14
ALL THE BODIES OUT
Last Of the Six Unfortunate Miners
Taken From the St. Lawrence.
BEGINNING OF THE INQUEST
On Deputy Inspector Miles Sug-
-gestion 1t Is Continued Until
April 25-Told by Witnesses
Theories Advanced.
BEGINNING OF THE INQUEST


nizable body of Edward Shields was
taken out of the st. Lawrence mtne
about half past o'clock yesterday
morning and the disagreeable task OF
searching for the victims of Saturday
mornings explosion was finished.
Shields body and that of Pat
ORourke, which was recovered about
two hours previous, were the most ter
ribly mutilated of them all. and 1t was
only by their build and O'Rourke's
mustache that they were identified.
Their faces were crushed into unrec-
ognizable pulp. and when the bodies
were dressed at the Butte Undertaking
| rooms what remained of their heads
was thickly wrapped in cloths Their
| arms and legs were broken and their
bodies were blackened and bloated.
| Shields body was found about 20 feet
beyond those of McVeigh and
| O'Rourke.
The positions in which the six bodies
| were as follows: Lowney and Quin-
Ian were found close together, about As
feet west from the powder magazine
and towards the shaft O'Rourke's
| body was found almost directly under
that of McVeigh, about 10 feet away
from the magazine and on the east
side of 1T. Dryers was found about
| 10 feet east of ORourke's and Shields
| Is feet farther on.
The body of John Quinlan will be
shipped to Ishpeming, Mich. this even
ing. The body will be escorted to the
depot by six first cousins of the dead
man, who will act as pallbearers. Ed
ward Shields will be buried from No.
GAL East Park street at O'Clock this
afternoon. The funeral of Patrick
O'Rourke will take place at o'clock
this afternoon from Miners union hall.
The inquest on the six bodies was
commenced at the Butte undertaking
rooms at z O'Clock last evening before
Coroner Richards and the following
jury: B. Z. St. Charles. George Brown,
c. L. Harris, F. c. McWilliams, Will
lam knight and H. H. Cullom. All of
the witnesses that had been summoned
were examined. Deputy State Mine
Inspector Miles did not finish his tes-
timony. He stated that before ex-
pressing any opinion as to the cause
of the accident and the manner in
which the explosion occurred, he de-
sired to inspect the location of the
powder magazine. He said that the
magazine, or what is left of IT, Is buried
under about 20 feet of broken timbers
and fallen ground and that 1t will prob
ably take at least two weeks to reach
1T. Three eight-hour shifts are being
worked clearing away the debris and
Mr.. Miles said that no more men could
be worked to advantage. For this rea-
son, after examining the rest of the
witnesses, the inquest was continued
until Saturday, April rs.
Jerry O'Donnell was the first witness
called and testified as follows: II work
at the st. Lawrence and knew Con
Lowney, John Quinlan and James
Dwyer. 1 am powder man at the mine.
1t Is my duty to look after the powder
and keep enough on each level for the
use of the shift / take powder down
every day and take enough TO last "a
hours. l was off shift when the ex-
plosion occurred on Saturday morning.
1 should judge there was about two
boxes of powder at the 1100-foot level at
that time. 1t was stored about 100 feet
east and so feet south from the shaft.
1t was stored in a box with a door to
dt. The powder could be taken by any
of the miners. The last time / took
powder to the HOO foot level took one
box Of so pounds and found nearly two
boxes there. That was about IL hours
before the explosion and two shifts had
TO use out of the powder, and there
was some of 1t, don't know how much,
taken up to another level 1 don't
know anything about the explosion or
the causes Of 1t. / suppose that there
would be nearly box of powder used
on that level in IL hours 1 always fg-
ured on two boxes for "a hours. The
caps and fuse were kept about 20 feet
from where the powder was stored ON
the 1100-foot level. About six boxes of 4
powder are used On the ST Lawrencs
mine every "a hours !
Samuel Eckersley. night shift boss
at the st. Lawrence, was the second
witness. He gave the following testi-
mony: II had charge of the shift that
was working at the time of the ex-
plosdon. was in the shaft somewhere
between the 500 and 1100-foot levels
when the explosion occurred. I had
been on the 1100-foot level, where the
explosion occurred, about three or four
minutes before. / did not notice how
much powder was stored on that level
just prior TO the explosion, but / had
noticed two boxes there within a week
and think that was about the amount !
usually kept there"
AT this point, at the request of Coun- |
" Attorney Wines, who was conduct
Ing the examination of witnesses. Mr.. |
Eckersley drew a diagram of the HOO \
foot level, showing the location of the \
and the places where the four
men were working. Continuing, he |
said: Before / started on top, Just be-
fore the explosion, Quinlan told Hugh
Rafter that he had no oil to grease the
fuse and Ratter went to the surface
after a can of oil. Lowney was in the
at that time. i said to Quin-
Ian: You are almost ready to blast
and he said, Yes, we will blast before
we go off shift Then Quinlan went
on into the magazine and l got on the
sage and started for the surface. That
was about 20 minutes after 4 O'clock.
The 1O-hour shift went off at 4:3O
)'clock. The men usually commence to
shange their clothes or 10 minutes be-
tore going off shift. / was in on the
100 about 10 minutes before the ex-
Dlosion and passed within three feet OF
h powder. I don't think there was a
iafer place for the powder on that level
han where IL was kept. II was about
70 feet from the shaft to where the
powder was kept and about 200 feet
rom the magazine TO where Shields,
, Rourke. McVeigh and Dwyer were
working. Powder will freeze on the
vest side Of the 11OO-fOot level About
/ week ago a change was made in the
magazine on the 100 and instead Of |