The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-19

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Neihart, April 1S.-Neihart has added
one more to the list of mine horrors
which have startled the state during
the last two weeks. At five minutes
past 1 o'clock a. m. the town was
awakened by a frightful explosion, fol-
lowed by the screech of the whistles
and the call of the fire bell. In a few
minutes the street was swarming with
people on their way to the mine from
which the ominous sound had proceed
ed. Scantily dressed men and women
and children clustered around the Sec
ond tunnel of the Broadwater. A babel
of questions and shouts arose, drown
ing all ineligible conversation. A few
more courageous than the rest dashed
in the midst of the smoke, splintered
timbers and fallen rock, and one by
one the slaughtered and injured miners
were brought out to the open air: some
of them mangled and crushed beyond
the recognition of friends, and others
groaning in mortal agony. The scene
was a pathetic one. as friends and rel
atives picked out the dead and wound
ed and carried them to the empty fur
niture store which was used as a
morgue. The dead miners are:
FRANK DORAN,
d. H. ROSS,
HUGH M'KENZIE,
JOHN CAIRNES,
DAN O'LEARY,
w. b. MORRISON.
The seriously injured are: George
Doran, back hurt and head cut; James
j. Connolly, arm broken and other in
juries; James Dearon, back hurt;
James T. Gallagher. injured in chest
and side; Charles Smith, injured about
the head; Mike Tobin, injured about
the head; ten others have less serious
injuries.
There appears to be some doubt as to
the actual cause of the tragedy, al
though the point of explosion is known
to be at a magazine where the dyna-
mite was stored. The three tunnels of
the Broadwater mine are along the
road leading up from the canyon over
old Badly. The second tunnel, where
the explosion occurred, was close to
the road. A short distance inside was
a branch tunnel about 30 feet long
leading to the magazine in the drift.
About 90 feet down the main tunnel
the miners were working, a shot hav-
ing been put in just before they went
to lunch at IL o'clock.
There were % miners working on the
level, about half of whom had gone in
or were going in at the time of the
explosion. Frank Doran had charge of
the magazine, which was used for
thawing out powder. He went in ahead
with a box of powder. The last seen
of him, he was kneeling on the ground
boxing the powder. 1t is supposed that
the fire from his candle ignited the
powder. Or ii may be possible that he
perceived his danger, for his body was
found in the main shaft fully so feet
from the magazine.
Immediately after the explosion, will
ing hands jerked the rope to the fire
bell and pulled the steam whistles wide
open and in a moment the sides of
the mountain were swarming with
miners and townspeople. The first
man taken out was Hugh Mckenzie.
He was breathing when discovered,
Out uleu peIOre ne reacned the open
air. Ross and Cairnes were alive when
found. but they lived only a few mo-
ments. Morrison was found with his
face frightfully smashed. He lived
but a short time after reaching the
hospital O'Leary was taken to the
lmprovised hospital and died at q
o'clock this morning. Gallagher was
found with a hole in his side and the
upper part of his body mutilated and
He cannot survive. George
Doran walked out of the mine, but is
in a very critical condition now. II
was at first thought that Dearon had
his back broken, but upon examination
Il proved to be not the case and IL Is
expected that he will recover Con-
molly had his arm broken and was Sc
verely injured by the conclusion. To- |
bins face was smashed to a jelly and |
Smith sustained serious injuries TO his |
side and head.
Frank Doran. who was instantly /
killed. was the only married man /
among the dead. He leaves a wife and |
wo children. The family formerly re-
Iided at Belt.
Morrison had been at the mine for
several months, but the others had /