The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-11
DIED FROM HIS BURNS
Death Relieves the Sufferings of
William Gilronan.
AN INQUEST WAS HELD
Several Witnesses Examined and Ad-
journment Taken-Flynn's DEPOSIT
o Taken-He Is in a Criti-
cal Condition.

miners who were badly burned on the
500 foot level Of the st. Lawrence mine
on Sunday. died at ; o'clock yesterday
morning at the Sisters hospital. His
partner. william G. Flynn. is still i'm a
very precarious condition and his re-
covery Is a matter of much doubt. Yes
terday afternoon Coroner Tremblay
empanelled a jury and proceeded to
hold an inquest into the cause of Gil
romans death. The jury first went
down to the hospital for the purpose OF
taking Flynn's deposition. Flynn. how
ever, was in bad shape and not able
to talk much. He remembered tina
they turned the water on and that
there was an explosion. He n Gil
roman had been working there for three
or o months.
The coroner and party then returned
to Sherman's undertaking rooms and
examined other witnesses. George
Montgomery testified that he is a miner
employed in the st. Lawrence. He
worked on the opposite shift from Gil
roman. in the same place. He was not
working Sunday. however. IL seemed
To him likely that they turne the wat
er n the steam came too quick
for them. The witness had been work
ing at the place OF the accident since
Oct. 1. He had noticed a little gas
there. but not much The rock was
warm at times. They were in the habit
of turning the water on occasionally to
keep the rocks cool. There was no fire
in sight there-just hot rocks. The wit
ness considered the place safe, or he
would not have worked there.
John Cannon was the next witness.
He had worked at the scene Of the ac-
atln.s G..Al - ~ -. IT, -.
Gilronan and Flynn. Everything was
all right then. He could not imagine
how TIE accident happened. The hose
was :here for the purpose Of keeping
the dust down and cooling the rock
as II was warm i'm there. AT the time
he left things were in as good shape
as he had ever seen them. He had
turned the water on occasionally to
cool things of. but there had been no
exploslon-just a little steam. There
were no signs of extra heat and IL was
not as warm In there Sunday as usual.
No fire was visible when he was there.
IL was usual for them when turning on
the water to get into the cage and get
out of the way Of the steam.
Deputy Mine Inspector Frank Hunter
said that he had examined the scene
of the accident. The ground was pretty
warm there. The old fire of 1883 is still
in that section of the hill. a new shaft
has been sunk to the 900 and the COM
pany is driving a crOss-cut north to
connect with a drift from ST. Lawrence
No. 1. Mr.. Hunter thought the miners
in driving this Cross-cut must have
come i'm contact with some fire or I'M
usually heated ground. There has al
ways been considerable heat in that
part of the hill since the old fire. There
IL no burning To be seen, but there is "A
great deal of heat in the ground. The
witness thought the water coming i'm
contact with the hot ground had pro-
duced steam and the miners had not
gotten out of the way quick enough.
There had been n similar accident not
hong ago to Superintendent O'Neill un-
der about the same circumstances and
his face was badly burned at the time.
Mr.. Hunter considered the accident I'M
avoidable. In his examination he could
see no fire. The rock is warmer at
some times thar at others and 1t must
have been extremely warm at this time.
IL was only a little ways from where
the men were working to the cage.
They had only drifted in II or II feet
from the shaft and these were the only
two men working at that particular
point.
Mr.. Hunter was asked whether there
might have been a powder explosion.
but secuted the idea. There had been
no powder i'm there since the old work
ings. If any had been left i'm there
when that part of the mine was aban-
doned because Of fire. IL would have
burned up years ago. Those were all
the witnesses subpoenaed by the coron-
er. After consultation the jurymen
said that they wanted to examine Shift
Boss Page. and so adjournment was
taken until this afternoon.