The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-13
STILL ANOTHER ONE
Three Deaths in Shafts Within Thirty
Six Hours.
CHRIS BENEFITS THE LATEST
1t Is Supposed the Descending
Bucket Struck Him and Threw
Him into the Stump of the
Magma Charta Mine.

There was another fatal mining ac-
cident yesterday, the third within a
period of less than SO hours. The third
victim was Christopher BENEFITS, for
16 years a resident of Butte and Walk
erville. and one of the oldest and best
known miners in the camp. BENEFITS
was employed in the Magma Charta
mine of the Alice company at Walker
VILE. The company is doing little
work in the mine at present, but is try
ing to make connection between the
Magma Charta and the Alice. The
Magma Charta is down 700 feet, the
stump having four or five feet of water
in IL. The water tank was being used
yesterday TO get the water out.
At las o'clock yesterday afternoon
BENEFITS was at the 700-foot level
alone attending to the pump engine.
At that time the water tank was low
cred. How the accident happened is
not known and can never be known for
certain. 1t is supposed that Benefits
stepped to the edge of the shaft just in
time to be struck on the head by the
descending water tank, and knocked
into the stump.
At the surface II was suspected that
something was wrong from the fact
that the water tank did not return
to the surface at the usual time and
no signal was heard. They waited Is
minutes and then two men went below
10 the ZOO TO discover that BENEFITS
was missing. They then went over TO
the Alice to notify Foreman John Rich.
Mr. Rich and Messrs. Bingley, Trevar-
then and Richard Paul went down TO
the bottom of the Magma Charta shaft
and fshed benefits dead and crushed
body out OF the water in the stump. The
skull was crushed. the left ear cut OF,
the upper part of the body badly man
gled. several ribs broken and the back
broken. Death had evidently been in
Simultaneous. The body was taken to
the surface and carried to the Alice
hospital. Coroner Richards, Assistant
Coroner Harris and state Mine In
spector Miles soon arrived and made
an examination. Coroner Richards I'M
paneled a jury and will hold an inquest
at Z o'clock Tuesday evening at the
Alice hospital. They body was removed
20 the Butte undertaking rooms to be
prepared for burial.
CHRISTOPHER sBennetts was 80 years
old and born in England. He had been
30 years in the United States and 10
! years in Butte. He leaves a wife and
daughter. both OF whom left for Liver
! pool, EnEidTu, StpN. AS' " i1iN 80
/ friends and relatives there. A cable
| gram was sent TO them at Liverpool
/ last night. notifying them OF the sad
/ accident. The daughter, Amy, was
well known I'm Butte. having been en-
/ ployed for a long time as typewriter
/ in the insurance Office of Dugan *
/ Jones. and also for long time was
/ employed in the dressmaking depart
/ nnent OF the NJ. ]. Connell store.
The funeral will take place at
O'Clock Tuesday afternoon under tho
auspices OF Black Prince lodge, sons o
| St George.
| The inquest over the body OF Jacot
ID. Scheffer. killed in the Specie mine
near Silver Bow. was begun last even
| ing Only one witness was examined
| and the inquest was continued until II
O'Clock this morning. The inquest owe
the body or Matt Kelly. killed in tn
Mountain Con. mine. will be held thu
evening at Z o'clock.
| Spool thread. &c. at fire sale. III
y Main street. Butte
Home-manufactured Ready Nike