The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-07
BUTTE News.
SEARCHING FOR THE FIRE
How Sullivan and F1aherty Met
Death in the Never Sweat.
THE CORONER'S INQUEST
Leary, the Most Important Witness, Too
Drunk to Give Clear and Dst allied
Testimony Shift Boss Sulli-
van Tells What Was Done.


Coroner Tremblay began an inquest
last evening into the causes by which
J. F. Sullivan and NJ. c. FIaherty met
death last Tuesday from asphyNia in
the lateral DRIFT connecting the Ana
conda and Never Sweat mines at the
so0-.oot level. A jury mao been previ-
ously called and sworn, TO permit of
the burial of the bodies. ana an adj
journment was taken until O'Clock
last evening 10 take the testimony. AT
that time John Mccormick, one of the
jurors, was absent, ana IL was decided
III go ahead with the taking OF the tes-
timony and take an adjournment at It's
conclusion to enable the stenographer
TO read his notes TO the absent juror
AID meet Tonight to return verdict
James II. Leary, the FIRST witness
called. was drunk, ana made an eN-
hibition of himself, refusing 10 answer
questions ana using profant language
until it became necessary Ior tae cor
cner TO threaten him WITH line unless
he conducted himself properly. Al
length Deputy Mine Inspector ,Iunter
took him IN ensfge anu Succeeded III
getting the information that he and
his partner had been working in the
1o0-foot level Of line AndconGa the
morning the fire acc ,rrrL They
smelled smoke. and Sullivan and flah-
erty coming along they ala started 10
ward the Never sweat TO see II they
could locate 1t. Ieary led the way UNI
til his candle went out, and turning TO
Sullivan. VINO had lantern, lac asked
Tor a light. For some reason he WAS
unable to get 1t, and he said to Suln-
van that he would turn back. sullivan
said he would SO to the never Sweat
and started on. Witness and his part
ner turned back and reached the Ana
conda croSscut Leary was So belli-
cose in his manner that 1t was impossi-
BILE TO get out of him what became of
Flaherty, whether he and his partner
saw him again, whether they left HIM TO
his fate or what were The facts, and as
the partner was not present the point
was not brought out at all
Leary was finally allowed to go and
Shift Boss John ID. Sullivan was called.
He testified that he was on the 300
foot level when he first noticed a smell
of smoke and started to search for the
cause. After searching the 600 and ouo-
foot level he went To the 800 and finally
back to the 900, where he met Superln-
tendent O'Neill. While talking with
him Leary came un and SAID the fire
was on the 700-foot, and he thought
two men had suffocated. Summoning
a number of men. they all proceeded to
the ao0-foot, but found the smoke too
strong to get in, and Superintendent
0'Neill gave orders to nave the Never
Sweat shaft closed to let the smoke be
drawn out Then they went in and he
and some of the men went into the
third crosscut and attempted to put
out the fire with dinner buckets. In
the meantime Superintendent ONeill
took part of the men and went ahead
and found the body of Sullivan lying on
the track about 100 feet east of the fire
The body was carried out ana the wit
ness took mere men ana Went toward
the Anaconda to look for Flaherty
They found him about 200 feet further
on. and took him up the Anaconda
SHAFT. Both men were dead when
found. The witness had a man work
ing in the crosscut where the fire oc-
CURED the day before 1t was discov-
cred, cleaning out the crosscut. The
witness visited the crosscut after the
men got through. but saw no candle
burning and no indications of fire. lie
did not know whether the "firebugs'
went through the drift after the men
on day shift quit work that day or not
He understood the "firebags" on the
night shift did
Superintendent John =. ONeiil took
the stand and explained that Sullivan
and Flaherty attended to The water
pipes in the Anaconda, and II was his
understanding that they came TO the
.9a0-foot level. and. smelling smoke
his partner TO locate the fire. He sup
posed Sullivan thought as the smoke
and gas got stronger that he would
come to ii al every next crosseut and
he would be able to get past to good
air. till he was finally overcome The
witness thought that, finding he could
not get through. Sullivan finally
turned back, as he was found with his
head toward the Anaconda The Wit
ness, unon being notified of the fire
went To the 7oo-foot level. gave orders
for the closing of the Never Sweat
shaft to let the smoke escape, and then
headed the party that found sullivan
Both men had undoubtedly died from
the effects of the gas created by the
one fire.
Mr. o'Neiil stated that the yentila-
ton in the drift was always very
good. He could give no idea as 10 how
the fire started. The fire was undoubt-
eddy a new one.
NJ. r. Regain, Patrick Holland. Dan
Gahan. Nj. HI Burk. Jonn Mcdonald
and Foreman Patrick Eagan all gave
carroboratiye testimony and Deputy
Mine Inspector Hunter related the cir
cumstances of his investigation. after
which the jury decided it was not nee
essary to examine other witnesses and
adjournment was taken until this
evening at o'clock.