Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-20
Anaconda Mine Accident Was
Unavoidable
But LITTLE TO BE TOLD
As Pollard Was Alone at the Time
Of the Explosion Compressor
Was III Good Condition.

The cause of the death Of Edward Pol
lard, the young man who was fatally in
jured by the bursting of an ain COM
pressor pipe at the Anaconda mine on
Thursday morning, was inquired into
officially by Coroner Phil Julien, at
Sherman's undertaking rooms last even
ing.
| DR.. MacNevin testified to the extent of
the mans injuries. He sale that Thugs
day morning the injured man was
brought to the Sisters hospital, and that
he and DR.. Alexander attended him. The
injured man was in a condition OF SEMI
consciousness, his pulse was feeble and
rapid and his breathing superficial, the
symptoms indicating conclusion of the
brain. He described the treatment. The
man rapidly grew worse n died about
1880 on the afternoon of the day he was
injured. He described the injuries. There
was a confusion on the back of the skull,
one on the right cheek n several
bruises on the chest. When Pollard was
asked if he was a Catholic he answered
feebly that he was, but did not reply
! when asked if he wanted a priest, and
when asked how he was injured, an
swered IAN accident" n said no more.
III tuO plAAlO Va An AN 49,
no doubt but that death resulted from
conclusion of the brain.
John LIE Sage, a machinist, who works
in the Anaconda mine machine shop, tes-
titled that he knew Pollard, who, he said,
was in charge of the compressor at the
mine. About Z O'Clock Thursday morn
ing witness noticed that the escape pipe
of the compressor was shaking. and
called Pollard's attention to it. Pollard
went to examine the pipe, which extend
ed outside the building, and a few Sec
onds later witness heard the report of
the explosion. He went toward the door,
but the place was so full of sand, water
and air that he could not get to it, but
in a few moments he managed to crawl
to the air compressor, which he shut
down. He then reached the door and
found Pollard lying at the foot of the
steps. He called for help n Pollard
was taken to the electricians room and
later to the st. James. hospital. The pipe
was of steel and of the best quality.
understood his business. If he consid-
cred the pipe unsafe he should lave re-
ported it to the foreman, who would have
had it repaired. Witness idea was that
the force of the air threw Pollard against
the building.
Foreman Jack Martin testified to as
sisting in carrying Pollard to the cleo
trician's room. The compressor was in
perfect order. His opinion was that the
blocking under the pipe had aused the
pipe to sag. He also considered that Pol
lard had been thrown by the force Of the
air against the building.
The verdict was as follows:
"That the deceased came to his death
at Butte, Silver Bow county, Mont, on
the 18th day of May, 1899, from concus-
sion Of the brain, produced by injuries
sustained by the bursting of an air pipe
at the machine shops of the Anaconda
mine, and, from the evidence, We, the
jury, find that the bursting of said air
pipe was an accident that was unfore-
seen and unavoidable, and that there
fore no responsibility attaches to any
one"