Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-01
CAUSED. BY
POWDER GAS
THAT WAS THE VERDICT OF THE
CoRoNER's JURY IN THE
SMOKEHOUSE ACCIDENT.
NO EVIDENCES OF
DEATH BY ELECTROCUTiON.
a Strong Explosive Had Been Used in
Blasting, Which Generated
Nitro-OxlLe Gas.

accident came to their death last Monday
afternoon from the effects of gas sener-
2ted by a blast in the Bottom of the shaft.
This was the verdict of the coroner's
jury in Shermau's undertaking parlors
last night.
The testimony of several physicians
VAS to the effect that the gas which over
came them had the effect of chloroform
or laughing Sas. After the shot had ex-
ploded the gases arising from the burned
powder had been absorbed by the water
and had then been gradually released
until the men were overcome. After
losing consciousness the men had fallen
into the water where they had been
drowned.
The theory Of ~e,ectrocution was ad-
vanced but there was no evidence to
support it as the current was rot on at
the time the men met their deaths, and
even if it had been the voltage is not
sufficient to kill unless the person COM
ing in contact with the current was
troubled With a Weak heart. The verdict
rendered by the jury was as follows:
Tna the deceased, w. G.. Whitmore,
Charles Blachie and Robert Campbell,
came To their death ii the Smokehouse
| mine. in Butte, Silver Bow county Mon
tana. on the 18th day of October, 1850,
:om the effects OF gas produced by the
discharge of blasting powder and from
the testimony of the witnesses, the jury
are unable to find that blame can be at
tarhed to anyone for the accident
This testimony of DR.. H. H. Hanson.
was to the effect that he had been called
to the mine shortly after the accident
which occurred between ? and 3 o'clock,
and had found one ma lying dead on
49, 411l,. T - a ~, fy-n mon XNhra
brought UP and one of them was still
! warm. Every effort was made to pro-
duce artificial respiration, but without
success.
DR.. Hanson thought that the men had
come to their deaths from being over
come by gas produced by the discharge
| OF blasting powder and had fallen into
the water at the bottom Of the shaft and
had been drowned. The men appeared
to be affected by nitro-oXide. which. he
aid was something like chioroform or
laughing gas. The water had apparent
ly absorbed the gas after the explosion
and had released it gradually until the
men We're overcome as stated. A very
strong explosive had been used in the
blasting and the doctor said that there
was nitrate of soda and nitrate of am
monia in the nitro-glycerine that was
uSeu ana Ills IllIO-oAIuC 6oo "ouio
make candies burn brighter, while
sewer gas would put out almost any
light. He said that the men had not been
killed from an electric shock.
DR.. t. w. Clark testified substantially
to the same state of facts, and said that
the gas would overcome a man Is feet
above where it was generated. He could
not say how long it would take to clear
the shaft of gas. The men had certain,
~ not been killed from a shock of cleo
tricity for their faces We're rosy and no
ccntorted. and there were no marks upor
! their bodies to show that electricity hat
been the agent of their destruction.
M. Hebgen, superintendent of thu
} Butte Light and Power company, testi
( fed that if the men had been killed b.
) electricity there would ave been som
Z marks or burns on their bodies, blu
) there We're none. The electric hoist o
I the mine was constructed in such man
: ner that it would be impossible for tn
} cable to be charged with electricity.
( believed that the theory of death by a
electric shock could not be %supporte
by a single physical fact.
Various employees of the mine were PIT
on the stand and testified to the occur
rences at the time of the accident, an
the story told by them was the same q
published in the Inter Mountain at ths
time. Edmund S. Giseke said that /
was at the bottom of the shaft imme
diately after the r.en had been remove
and he could smell the gas.
w. w. Wishon, a mining engineer
charge of the mine, testified that tt
men used Repauno gelatine No. l powde
and the combustion from it produced
gas something like laughing gas. He b.
lieved that this gas had caused the deaf
of the men.