The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-19
MISSED SHOT" ACCIDENT
Four Men Blown High While
Digging Out an Old Blast.
ONE OF THEM IS KILLED
Another May Die From tie Result oil
His Injuries Tragedy at the
Stone quarry West of
the City.


limestone quarry about seven miles west
of Anaconda at $40 q. m. yesterday af-
ternoon, James Mccullough was killed
and the following injured.
Foreman Roy Carter. conclusion of the
| brain and compound comminuted frac-
ably have to be amputated.
Patrick Mcmahon, injured internally;
suffering from shock, and will probably
die.
John Thornton, slightly bruised.
1t is expected an inquest will be held
to-day to fix the blame for the accident.
1t was in endeavoring to dig out an I'M
exploded blast, known as a missed shot"
that the men We're injured While Car
ter, Mccullough, Mcmahon and Thornton
were driving a drill into the mass of
powder it exploded, throwing Carter high
in the air. blowing Mccullough to one
side, tearing away the side of his face
and crushing him, while it dealt almost
as severely with Mcmahon.
Thornton was loading a car near by
| and was struck by descending rock and
| debris after the explosion.
| In attempting to dig out the undis-
| charged blast the men were violating the
| express orders of William B. Webb, SUI
perintendent of the Anaconda Copper
Mining company's lime kilns, who has
general supervision over the work.
The scene of the explosion is the limo
stone quarry. about one and half miles
up the valley from the silica quarry. A
force of between % and 35 men is en-
ployed at the limestone quarry. In the
working an open cut Is being run into
the side HILL In this cut there were nine
men, when the accident happened; a few
were 20 feet above on the side hill and
the remainder were below
1t is the custom to do a good deal of
blasting at the quarry but only at hours
when the men are not at work. From
four to eight kegs of powder are put in a
blast. The holes are drilled to depth of
from 20 to % feet.
Several days ago one of these blasts
failed to explode. Such things happen not
infrequently. The last time before this
when there was a missed shot at the
work it was safely dug out and after
ward reported to Superintendent Webb.
That gentleman then gave orders never
to dig out an undischarged blast
When this particular blast failed to go
off he was notified. AT that time" said
he last night, Il gave orders that it was
to be left alone
Nevertheless, on Thursday the men dug
into it about six feet ano tried to- set it
off. They were unsuccessful in dis
charging all the powder. Yesterday af-
ternoon Mr. Webb visited the work. At
ter he left it would appear they re-
sumed the digging.
Foreman Carter had been looking at an
other part of the work, but Joined the
men, who were working with a long
churn drill. just before the explosion. He
had been with them hardly an instant
when he was thrown high in the air.
One of the men who was working on the
hillside, 20 feet above, said last night to
a Standard reporter who visited the
scene:
He went past us like a rocket. turn
ing over and over. When he fell he fell
outward down the hill and must have
dropped 80 feet"
The blast went off with a dull roar,
lifting an enormous mass of earth and
rock. Mccullough and the injured men,
being right in the center of the explosion,
suffered the most.
The other five men in the cut were
thrown to the ground by the explosion.
las / went down I realized what was
happening and feared the falling rock |
knew would come" said John Stubb, one
of the men, last night. AS fast as
could I threw myself under a ear. and in
that way escaped injury. l was just I'M
der the car when an enormous piece of
detached rock fell just beside me-
News of the disaster was telephoned to
the city at once. Drs. Spelman and Nc
Kenzie started Immediately in buggies
for the scene. A special train was made
up on the B., A. & p. and dispatched to
the quarry with Dr. Stephens aboard. AT
Mountain View park the train overlook
Drs. Speiman and Mckenzie, took them
aboard and went on.
Arriving at the quarry the four injured
men were found where they had been
| laid on the grass. Mccullough was not
! quite dead, but his lungs were filling with
| blood and he died as he was being lifted
| into the train. Thornton was able to
| walk aboard. The others Were carried.
Every medical attention possible was
given the men. They We're made com
| Portable in the train, which slowly backed
| to the city, leaving the quarry at 6:10 p.
m. The injured men, on reaching the
| city, were removed to ST. AIMS hospital,
| where the physicians spent several hours
| caring for them. The body of Mccullough
| was removed to Ehret's undertaking
rooms 1t was but a wreck, the face be-
| ing horribly torn and distigured and the
body a shapeless mass.
Mccullough was between 80 and IS years
| of age, single and an old miner and quar-