The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-16
ONE DEAD,THREEM AhGLED
Havoc Wrought by an Accident
In the Berkeley SHAFT.
HOW IT HAPPENED
At Midnight the Night Shit Fired Eleven
Holes and One OF Them. II Seems.
Hung Firs-Robsrt McFsdden
DIE OF His Injuries.

Three men were seriously and one
fatally injured in'the Berkeiy shaft
yesterday morning shortly after the
day shift went to work. Robert Nc
Fadden is the name of the man who
died at $40 o'clock yesterday after
noon at Murray & Freund's hospital.
whittier the four men were removed.
Yesterday morning at 3 o'clock there
was also an accident by which Andrew
Stromberg sustained a broken arm.
The cause of the accident to the -four
men was a missed hole" The night
shift at the midnight hour hred a round
of blasts. After lunch the men re-
turned to work and began clearing
away the debris. They were sinking
the shaft and were at a depth OF fS5
feet. At the hour OF changing shifts
the broken roc had not all been
hoisted. and the day shift resumed the
unfinished work OF the night shift.
The bottom of the shaft was consid-
erably shattered M after the loose
rock a been cleared away there was
more or less pick and CAD work to do.
The miners in the shaft were Robert
McFadden, william Henderson. John
Kelly and George Morgan. Mr.. Nor
kdHs NnO was dDfC W tofR cof1
he believed that McFadden's pick
struck the unexploded cap which
caused the fatality. The explosion tore
out a great quantity OF rock. much OF
which struck the men in the faces. NC
Fadden receiving the greatest force.
His right leg was torn away above the
knee and his face was horribly LAGER
ated. 1t is believed that both OF his
eyes were torn out. He was conscious
to the end, but suffered untold agony,
until 1:40 o'clock in the afternoon,
when he died.
The other three men are cut about
the head and body. but the surgeons
in charge believe thai all will recover
| and that they will not lose their eye
| sight. Henderson and Morgan are mar
ried, the other two single. McFad-
| den was 32 years of age.
Foreman Ed Finnegan relates the
| story of the accident as follows: Il
have been working for the b. d h,
which company is sinking the Berkeiy
shaft. for two and a half years and this
Is the first serious accident that has &C.
CURED in that mine. / was in the shaft
house at the time of the explosion. We
heard a faint sound, as of an explos-
ion some distance away. While we were
specializing as to its location. the smart
bell rang three and then six times. II
was a meaningless signal. n while we
i z u llk tAAAa ~
| signal-nine bells rang-and then our
surmises gave way to conviction. Men
were Immediately sent below and soon
they returned with the mangled forms
of the injured men. They were made
as comfortable as possible to MAKE
them in the ore house. and word was at
once sent to the hospital for an am
bulance. The men were all conscious
and talked about the occurrence. but
they. of course. could not give an ac-
curate idea of the exact cause more
than to suggest that II was a missed
hole. There are no machine drills In
the mine and comparatively small
charges of giant powder are used, about
two and a half or three sticks at the
most. The night shift had put in elev-
en- holes, and when counting the blasts
from the surface. no doubt made a mis-
AXE in the count. probably counting
two for one. which probably redoubled
the report"
1t is evident that the men were con-
ident that all the holes had been fired,
for they went to work clearing away
the rock. IL the accident to Strombere
la not occurred. IL Is more than prob
able that the night shift would have
been injured. as the delay In cleaning
out the shaft was caused by the acci-
dent TO Stromberg at 3 o'clock. and con
sequently the work was left unfinished
for the day shift
Henderson sustained an ugly cut In
the throat, besides suffering from grav-
ell imbedded in his face. Kelly has
broken leg and his body is cut in sew
eral places. Morgan's face n mech
is filled with particles of fine rock. Hen
derson's injuries are the most seriou:
of the living trio.
An inquest on the body of Robert Nc.
Fadden will be held this evening al
Richards undertaking rooms
Andrew Stromberg was injured In thu
same shaft yesterday morning at
o'clock and vas removed to Murray 4
Freund's hospital. He was struck by
splinter from the collar of the shaft
which was struck by the ascending
bucket. the piece OF wood falling to tn,
bottom of the shaft. where Stromberl
was working.
Mr.. McFadden's father lives in Nov,
Scotia and he has been telegraphed. 1
Is probable hat the remains will b.
shipped there for interment. but thii
will not be determined until word come
from Nova Scotia. McFadden had live
in this city for twelve years and wa
well known and liked. He had no rela
tives here.