The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-21
An INQUEST WAS HELD
Investigation of the Death of
Thomas Bresnahan.
HIT BY A PIECE OF ORE
The Exact Cause OF His Death VIII
Probably Never Be Kaown-His
Companion Cannot Ac-
count for 1t.

! An inquest was held yesterday after
| noon on the death of Thomas Bresna-
| han, who was killed by fugitive rock
| which fell down a manway or chute
in the Never Sweat mine early last Fri
day morning. The exact cause of his
death will probably never be known,
| for he was struck down without warn
| ing. Even his companion, who was
standing close by him, cannot account
for it. It is evident that a stray piece
of ore fell down either the chute or
manway, which are closely connected,
and under which deceased was stand
! ing. The verdict of the jury was acci-
| dental death.
| Michael Dempsey, shift boss at the
Never Sweat, was at the scene shortly
| after he accident. Had known de-
| ceased about five months. He was a
| car ni~sx- s1d not a miner. He explained
| the construction of the manway, chutes
and other workings at that point in the
| mine.
Dr. Alexander of the staff Of the st.
| James hospital stated that Bresnahan
| was suffering from fracture of the skull.
He exhibited pieces of the skull which
had been removed, showing that they
had been depressed into the brain. The
/ gained senses. The injury indicated
that the man had been struck on the
| head with a missile.
! Patrick r. Flynn, a miner in the
| Never Sweat, stated that he was work
i ing on the sixth floor of the 700-foot
level. He was shoveling and a man
called up the manway to him to come
down. stating that man was hurt.
| He went down and saw B.esnrhan ~
ing near the manway, a cut in his
head. The man was unconscious. An
other man and myself went after a
truck and removed the injured man to
the station Homer Haggin was work
ing with me on the sixth floor. The
miners on the floor above We're picking
down ore and none was being shoveled
into the chute at the time. After we
removed the man we looked around for
the rock that hit him, but could lino 10
rock which we could identify as the
one. don't know what Bresnahan was
| doing at the time of the accident
Witness stated that he did not know
of any enemies Bresnahan might have
had.
near Bresnahan. 1 heard a barrowful
of dirt coming down the chute. looked
around and saw Bresnahan lying down.
as If struck. The rock must have come
from the sixth or seventh floor. None
of the rock struck me. The injured
|
whether the rock that hit the man came
down the chute or the manway. There
was no other person in the immediate
vicinity of the accident"
Answering Deputy Mining Inspector
Hunters questions, witness said that
/ the door of the chute was closed and
that the rock that struck deceased m 1T
| have come down the manway. After
the men came down from the upper
floors, witness did not remember hear
| ing any one say that he had dumped
| whee!harrow of ore into the chute.
1 Mr.. Flynn was recalled and stated
| that there was a barrowful of ore
| standing at the chute at the time of the
accident but he didn't know that it had
| been dumped
Recalled, Shift Boss Dempsey was
| asked to give his opinion as to whether
the fatal missile went down the man
| way or the chute. He said that he
could not give an opinion. In the light
of Harrington's testimony that the
chute door was closed he did not believe
Athat fugitive piece of rock could have
gone through it with fatal results. 1t
is possible that a piece of rock resting
on timber in the manWay might have
become dislodged with the result stated.
He knows of no enmity existing among
the men under his charge. He had
given orders before the blasting to
have the manway covered, and this Was
done.
Inspector Hunter testified that he was
duly notified of the accident. but when
he went to the mine the night shift had
retired. Foreman Haney told him
about the accident. His opinion was
that piece of rock came down the
manway at the time the barrowful of
rock came down the chute. The noise
from the latter deadened the sound
the rock coming down the manway
might have made. On this his mind
was fully made up.
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