The Anaconda standard., 1896-05-27
KILLED IN THE J. l. c.
John Nolan and Peter Conroy
hangled Ey a Blast
HAD JUST FIRED THE HOLE
II Is Supposed That the Fuse
Burned Faster Than They
thought 1t Would he Evil
dence at the inquest
HAD JUST FIRED THE HOLE

Another, terrible mining accident oc-
CURED yesterday by which two more
miners lost their lives. The acciden,
this time was at the Ground Squirrel
mine in the Kemper addition, and the
victims were John Nolan and Peter
Connolly or Conroy. Exactly how
death happened to them can never be
known. as there were no witnesses to
the accident but the conditions Of the
remains show plainly that they got
caught in a blast
The two men were employed during
the night at the 400-foot level of the
| j. /. c. mine, which is part of the
Ground Squirrel property, on the north
side OF the shaft. There is a cross-cut
zoo feet north of the shaft to the ledge
on which a drift 20 feet in length has
been run, and 1T was in this drift that
Connolly and Nolan were working.
The men were to quit work at O'Clock
| in the morning, and about half hour
before that time they went to the turn
| sheet and notified the other miners in
| the vicinity that they were about to
fire the holes which they had drilled
They all met at the turn sheet. Nolan
and Connolly then returned to their
work. Soon the blast was heard, the
men did not appear and when their
comrades entered to search for them
| only their dead and mangled bodies
were found. Death had evidently been
instantaneous.
The bodies were lying only a few feet
from the holes. Nolan's face and arms
and upper portion of the body were
filled with small pieces of rock. Con-
nelly was terribly cut about the neck
and breast and one of his legs was
nearly torn from his body Nolan was
married, about 3S years old, and leaves
wife and child who reside near
Shields avenue in the Parrot addition
He was a member of the A. o. u. w.
and insured for $4,000 in that organiza-
ton. Connolly, or Conroy, was about
35 years old and unmarried His name
is Connolly on the time books and he
was known at the mine by that name.
Others who have known him longer
say his real name is Peter Conroy. He
boarded with Pat Wall. He has rela-
tives in England His funeral will be
held at 2 O'Clock this afternoon from
Mr.. Wallis residence in Duggan ave-
nue. in Dublin gulch.
An inquest was held last evening at
the Butte undertaking rooms by Coro-
ner Richards and jury. The follow
ing testimony was introduced: Bat
Shea, a miner at the Ground Squirrel,
said he last saw the two men splitting
holes and preparing to fire at $40
O'Clock in the morning. He had no
COllNSI StDlOIl WalH AlldS pOWQ6T
No. l was used in the mine. There
were occasionally missed holes in the
mine. He saw them cut extra long
fuses, six feet in length. II was not
more than two minutes after he saw
them spit the holes when he heard the
report.
Michael McGlynn, No. 20 East Wool
man street, a miner at the Ground
Squirrel, was at the station of the 400
when the explosion took place. He did
not see the men coming out and
thought something was wrong so he
went in with Bat Shea and William
Casey. They could not see, on account
of the smoke, but felt their way in and
came across Nolan's body. The men
had come and notified him and others
that they were going to fire and to
look out He was working about 60
feet from them. He saw them spit the
first hole and it was two or three min
utes after that when he heard the re-
port. Six feet of fuse ought to burn in
about six minutes. If 1t burned In two
or three minutes it must be quick fuse.
Very seldom have there been missed
holes there. The men had got the
powder and fuse at the 200 foot level.
1t is kept from the shaft about 35 feet
in a magazine which is situated north
of the shaft boarded up with a door
on 1t. There are no notices up at the
The men are cautioned not
to smoke or carry candles too near the
powder. The caps are kept away from
the powder on the outside.
William Casey of the Hale house, a
miner at 1.-THE Ground Squirrel and ]. 1.
c., knew the deceased men. At the
time of the accident he was about 75
feet from the shaft on the 4O0-foot
level. After five holes went off, not
seen anything of the two men they |
went into the drift ana found Nolan |
dead. He last saw them in the breast /
calling to them If IL was "all right" |
and they were answered: Yes, let'r |
CO." 1t was about two or three min |
utes after that that the first report was |
heard. The fuse was six or seven feet 1
long. He did not notice them loading !
the holes. He had had two missed holes |
since he worked at that mine. a period l
Of three months. The magazine is on /
the 200. about 80 to so feet from the |
south side The caps ana fuse are kept /
on the north side of the shaft, about /
700 feet from the shaft. He had seen no |
notice posted up at the magazine pro-
hibiting men from smoking He had re-
,eived no instructions on the matter
from Mr.. Boland. Sometimes two and
sometimes three boxes of powder are
Sept at the magazine. The foreman
and bosses are very cautious and care
'ul. The accident was about $50 feet
l.
ibout 20 feet from the scene of the ex-
olosion. He was lying on his side, with
his face towards the east. 1t looked
Is though he was walking off when the
explosion came. Mr. Connolly had told
him before the accident that he was GO
ng 10 blast six holes.
Pat Wall of Dublin gulch. miner and
acting shift boss at the Ground Squir-
el. knew the two men. Mr. Conroy
'oarded at his house. The witness was
IN the way to work at the time the
leeident occurred. The two men were
ying dead at the turn sheet Of the 400
When he got down there. Mr.. Conroy
vas about three or four feet away from
he explosion when picked up and No
an was about 10 or Is feet away The
'owder on the zoo is kept 11O feet from
he shaft. There are two notices post
q up there. one says: No smoking
llOwed." The other SAYS. place /