Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03
BLEW Up THE GRIZZLY.
Beast Could Lick Man. hut Succumb-
ed to Dynamite.

&c 10 bS
From the New York sun
When John Greenough. miner. was
taken from the Spokane Falls and Northern
train recently at Spokane. Wash. it WAS
doubtful if he would live to reach the hos
ptal. but before he would enter the car
riage he made his partu,- look after a
grizzly bear pelt that can down from
Fort Steele on the same train. Greenough
is badly mangled that his best friends
did not recognize him, but DR. Goddard
now thinks he will live.
Ever since the first thaw about three
weeks ago Greenough and his partner,
Wesley Miles, have been developing their
claim about two miles from Fort Steele.
B. c. Last winter they lived in a small
cabin near by, and made living by hunt
ing The state OF Idaho and southern Brit
ish Columbia contain more bears than any
other part Of this continent. OF these the
black bear is the most common. but there
are many brown bears and number 81
grizzlies. Greenough and Miles have killed
thirteen bears this winter. Bear No. Is.
after almost killing Greenough met his
death in an extraordinary manner.
on Friday morning last the two miners
went to their claim as usual. II was just
growing daylight. The shaft is about ten
feet long and seven in width. In the last
two days of their work they uncovered a
peculiar gray rock about ten feet from the
surface Of the ground. Before they knocked
off work on Thursday evening they pre-
pared TO blast the rock, and put in a stick
of dynamite with a Illuminating cap APP
pliance.
Some time during that night a big grizzly
happened along and fell into the shaft He
big and cumbersome that he could
not get out but that did not worry him
great deal. Tor he lay down in one corner
of the shaft and went to sleep. The miners
usually jumped from the surface 10 the
bottom of the shaft. as 1t was only ten feet
deep. On Friday morning Greenough slid
down as usual. Instantly there came TO
the ears Of Miles roar and sounds of
scuffie. Between the growls of the bear
Miles heard his partner calling for help.
The cabin was 800 yards away. and the
men had no firearms with them. Miles
realized that his partner would be killed.
long before he could get back with the
winchester, and gave up thinking about
getting the gun.
When Greenough jumped into the shaft
be landed on the bear and made him fight
ing mad. The man had no weapon except
an Old-fashioned clasp knife. This he opened
as soon as he realized what had happened.
The bear made for him but he ducka-l like
a pugilist. and succeeded i'm wounding the
animal as ne passed him. The man had
drawn first blood. but IL was plain that she
contest was an unequal one and could not
last long under the circumstances Miles.
was frantic at being unable to help Green
oC&h but ii was useless to think about
Jumping into the shaft. This would have
merely furnished two victims to the bear
instead of one. and Miles made up his mind
that he would live and see at least that his
partner had a decent burial and a historian
to tell how he died.
Meanwhile the battle was raging. Tia
bear chased the man from one end of the
shaft to the other. and each time Green
ough got near enough he slashed at the
bear with his sharp knife The clothes had
been nearly torn from him, and lac was
bleeding from several scratches but a. vet
he had received no deep wounds He real
Va xfszT ina mia
eyes on the bear. told Miles that he had to
die. and warned him not to sacrifice his
life, too
The exigencies of the situation sharpsnea
the mems wits. and Miles finally thought
Of the blast they had prepared the day be-
fore. He had only to touch the lever of
little instrument to cause an explosion in
the shaft that would result in the tempo
rary suspension OF hostilities at least Just.
then the bear with one paw caught the man
and threw him to the other end OF the
sfaft. ten feet away from the charge Of
dynamite, directly over which the bear was
standing. Miles touched off the dynamite
promptly. There a shower Of stones
and dirt that almost blinded Miles but he
heard a yell and saw a streak of gray shoot
past him. An instant after he heard a
thud. and then he knew that bear was no
longer in the shaft. Guessing rightly that
bruln $ experience would so demoraliZe him
that he would not return TO continue the
battle at once. Miles slid down into the
shaft and found that Greenough had rolled
took place and was rot dead. He was
bleeding profusely from a number of
wounds made by the bears claws but the
explosion had not hurt him. Miles, as he
got his partner out of the shaft saw the
big bear lying a pile of rocks about
forty feet away, gasping hard. There was
a bewlldered expression about the bear,
ana ne tired TO keep lookout on all sides.
as If uncertain from which way his new
and powerful enemy might approach.
Greenough IS carried to the cabin where
Miles bound up his wounds after greasing
them thoroughly. This took an hour and
Greenough regained consciousness during
the proceeding. He was Historically fear
full lest the bear should escape 30 Miles
took the Winchester and went to the rock
pile, where the grizzly. was stlll lying. A
well-directed shot behind the ear put an
end to bruins life. When he was skinned
IL was found that his backbone and a hind
leg were broken. Greenough says II he gets
well he will never part with the bearskin.