Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-26
SHOCKING
CATASTROPHE
Details Of Powder Explosion Near
Douglas, Ariz., Which Killed
Eight Men.
IMPRESSIVE FUNERAL Ar MESA
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Mesa. Marieopa CO., Arizona, Nov %.
THE bodies of Victor Shill, Samuel
Steele, and win SANDERS were brought
home to Mesa Sunday, Nov. Is, and a
triple funeral was held az =. M IN
the tabernacle. The services were pre-
sided over by Bishop IIyrum W. Davis,
and The music was furashcd by the
Mesa ward choir
There were present on the stand thu
stake presidency aud most of the OIL
GERS OF the stake, and many friends OF
the deceased.
The three caskcts we're covered with
a bank o. flowers silent yet beautifut
Witnesses of the great respect the peo-
pie had for deceased and The great sym
pathy they felt for the bercayed
Surrounding the collins were gathered
the fathers and mothers wives ana
children, ana brothers and sisters and
relatives The entire building was
Iacked, aud many were unable 10 en-
ter the building
The services were sad and impress
siye. Elders l.. II. Lewis, Isaac Rog-
ers. Benjamin Mobiles, President j, T.
Lesueur and Bishop Davis were the
speakers, aud all spoke IN nigh terms
OF respect OF the deceased. and offered
words Of comfort and sympathy for
tile bereaved.
AZ the conclusion Of the services. the
funeral procession. about the largest
ever seen In Mesa, wen1ed its way 10
the Mesa cemetery, where the bodies
were consigned to mother earth.
Victor Shill leaves a wife and three
children, VIII Sanders leaves wife
and one child, while Sam Steele leaves
a wife and four children.
The details Of the sad affair as given
by Orson Shill. brother of Victor Shill
who was within 60 feet OF the spot
where the explosion took place and
looking In that direction ut the time,
ana who knows more about Il than any
other man living, are as follows:
The explosion occurred at the Lee
lime stone quarry, about nine miles east
Of Douglass, A. T. The quarry be-
longs TO the Copper Queen company,
but Ii operated under contract by 4.
r. Hines. Victor Shil hah been fore.
man of the works for a couple OF years,
and was his assistant. There We're
about SO men on the pay roll at the
working along the face OF the quarry.
The quarry is located on the side Of A
mesa, and has been worked back about
900 feet leaving blur about 60 feet
high, with 4 face of about 1856 yards.
This particular hole had been sunk a
feet and complete the afternoon before
and at y. m. was sprung, ready 10 re-
ceye the powder in the morning. az
was the custom there. The surface OF
the hole was broken up considerably
from the conclusion. and II was not
until $3.50 O'Clock the next morning that
1t was cleared ready for the powder.
! had visited the hole where sam Steele
the powder man. who loaded all of the
big holes. was at work cleaning Il, at
7l20 A. M, and reported the condition
to my brother Victor and about s a, m.
he went up also, and remained there
until the hole was ready to receive the
powder about $3.50, when he came down
into the quarry and after putting some
men to work he motioned me that he
was going back up. | noticed them at
work from time to time loading the
hole with powder. until the last of the
400 pounds of Judson powder was In the
hole MY brother was sitting facing
me, with his feet on either side of the
hole, Win Sanders was sitting ON his
left on a box, and ] saw Sam Steele
pick up the wooden tampIng rod and
insert II In the hole, to see IL the pow
der had run 20 the bottom, when the
explosion took place. was standing
about go feet q little TO the right of
them. / saw pun OF dust from the
hole and then I was In darkness from
the dust that arose. Bouiders and
rocks flew all around me but was not