The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-19
fsnecfal TO The Heraid.O

BUTTE, Mont, Aug 18.-The St
Lawrence mine was the scene of an
other fatal accident this evening, by
which three and probably more mem
lost their lives.
The accident occurred just before the
men quit work, about $50 o'clock
Foreman Peter Ryan came up from the
his custom to come up few minutes
before the miners. He had just reach
ed the surface and was about to step
off the cage, when it dropped down
the shaft with the velocity of light
ming, carrying him with it An Instant
later the big hosting engine went to
pieces, the brake reel and Other por-
tons of it going through the roof and
landing on the hill side a hundred feet
from the engine room
Jim Murphy was the engineer on duty
at the time, and Tim Warren, the
brakeman. Warren says that after
Ryan had been hoisted to the surface
he put on the brake, at the same time
unclutching that side of tine engine
H[tt USED IL w OfSh-
The brake for some reason refused
to work, and before he could think a.
second time he was Mortified to see the
east reel travelling at a. terrific speed.
A few second later, it had attained
such momentum that it flew to pieces.
In the shaft below were four Of the
sinking crew, two of whom were work
ing in the east shaft. The last station
is cut at the 1,200-foot level, and the
men were about thirty feet below the
station. They were John Manning and
John Campbell.
At the 1,2OO-foot level there is a stout
bulk head, but it is believed that it
would yield to the weight of the cage,
falling a distance of 1000 feet, and in
all probability the two men who were
at work underneath were killed. The
shaft from the 1.2OO-foot level down to
the bottom is covered with
DEBRIS AND BROKEN TIMBERS,
which will have to be cleared away be-
fore the bodies can be reached
The shaft house presented dilapi-
dated appearance after the accident.
The engine had made big holes in the
sides and roof of the building, and it
seems miraculous that nobody was hurt
on the surface.
Immediately after the accident, the
west side of the engine was fitted UP by
the machinists, and Chief Engineer
Kent and crew Of miners began the
descent of the shaft.
They were unable to go very far at
a time. being compelled to stop every
few feet to clear out some obstruction.
The cable on the east reel has gone
down the shaft, adding to the general
destruction. The bodies will not be
recovered before morning. There is no
doubt as to the fate of Peter Ryan.
He was undoubtedly dead before the
cage struck the bulkhead at the 1900
Of the other men in the shaft, it
is more than likely that they met death
from the debris which fell down the
shaft after the cage struck the bulk
head.
Superintendent Jack O'Nein was I'M
able to state just how many were dead.
but gave the coroner the names of the
above three.
Ryan was the foreman Of the st. Law
renee. He was a married man. Camp
bell is also a married man. Manning
was unmarried 1t is said that this was
his first shift at the mine, and he only
went to work at o'clock this after
noon.
Deputy Mine Inspector Miles and Cor
oner Richards are at the scene Of the
accident, and the former will make a
minute investigation of all the circum-
stances attending the terrible affair.