The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-03
Particulars as to How T. G. Burns
and his Nephew were Killed.

= F.. =
From the Chadron, Neb., Journal we
CLEAN the following account of the acci-
dent which cost +. G. Burns, his nephew
Stanley Burns and helper named Jack
Chambers their lives, while at work in
an irrigating ditch near Chadron:
people of Chadron were shocked
Wednesday evening when it was herald
ed on the streets that I. Q. Burns and
two of his helpers had been buried alive
in the irrigation ditch they were con-
STRUGGLING six miles east of the city by a
bank of sand caving in on them.
1t was soon found out that one of the
helpers was Stanley Burns, a nephew of
Mr.. Burns, and later developments
proved the other to be Jack Chambers,
lately of Spearfish.
The place where the accident occurred
was narrow deep cut, slightly wedge
shaped, perhaps fifteen feet wide at the
top, six feet at the bottom and twenty.
seven feet deep. The formation of the
soil was a fine white sand, and several
times small portions of this had caved
and at one time large amount had to
be removed. In the bottom of this
ditch MIR. Burns was placing thing and
only few more minutes remained in
this especial place. In fact he had told
one of the men less than five minutes
before that they would soon come out.
When Mr.. Lecher, who had gone over
to the house only few rods away after
a log chain, returned, he saw that the
sand had caved and realized in a mo-
ment that his comrades were buried be-
meath it.
Jack Wilson was sent to Chadron for
help and in answer to his call large
number of men went down. They soon
discovered that nothing could be done
with any degree of safety to themselves
until the overhanging earth was braced
and held in place. The switch engine
was loaded with timbers and sent as
near as possible to the scene, from
whence they were transported by
wagons. Men with shovels went to
work. All lent willing hand and f.
nally about noon yesterday the lifeless
bodies of the three men were lifted from
their awful graves of sand. The first
man discovered was Chambers who had
an ak in his hand and was standing on
pole that was across the ditch. He
had probably just been bracing the
earthen walls and the jar thus occasion.
ed hurried the slide OF sand. Mr.. Burns
was next discovered, standing erect,
looking slightly upward, shovel in hand.
Stanley was near the outlet of the ditch
and in running posture. Only a few
more feet farther and he would have
been safe.
Mr.. Burns leaves wife to mourn his
loss; Stanley father and mother be.
sides two brothers and two sisters; MIR.
Chambers wife and two children. The
funeral will occur Sunday afternoon
from the Baptist church, Rev. Edwin M
Jefers conducting the services.
The whole community is saddened
In moment, in the twinkIing of an
eye, three lives were cut off. Dawes
county cannot estimate it's lose. The
completed ditch would have added un
told value to its realty.
Mr.. Burns had only come to Chadror
last summer. In viewing the country
he was convinced from observation thai
a luxuriant soil was only prevented
from producing by the lack Of water
and knew from long experience in irri
CATION in Montana that system coulc
be successfully worked in this region
1t was with great faith and activity tina
he began work. The successful end o
his greatest ambition has been hamper
ed only by this terrible catastrophe.'