The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-09
CEMENT PEOPLE
ARE EXONERATED
Jury Returns Verdict i'm Case
of Men Killed at Devils
Slide.
SAYS THE COMPANY
CANNOT BE BLAMED
No Human Remains Found at
Point Where Explosion
Occurred.
Special TO The Tribune.

to investigate the killing OF seventeen
men at the tunnel OF the Union Portland
Cement company at Devils Slide have
held an Inquest over portions of the re!
mains Of seventeen bodies and we find
that they came to their deaths by a pre-
mature explosion OF powder at Devil 5
Slide, Utah, June l. 1910, and the names
given are the true names of the men killed
therein; and the Union Portland Cement
company is hereby exoncrated from all
blame.-W. Ii. Toone. Jr,, John London
James Hopkins.
Such is the verdict OF the coroner's
jury empeneled over two months ago 10
determine the cause and the responsibility
for the horrible accident In the tunnel
OF the Union Portland Cement company
when seventeen members Of a powder
gang. engaged in blasting solid rock, were
blown Into fragments by the prema ture
explosion OF a quantity OF black powder
used In the work.
Although possessed Of all of the known
facts regarding the explosion Il few hours
AFTER the seventeen men wero killed out
right. the jury has withheld It's verdict
win the hope that something more might
develop when the floor of the tunnel was
reached by those engaged in the excava-
ton OF the rock and sand which was blown
from the mountainsde. with from fifty
10 serenty-iive men constantly engaged
III the work OF removing the tons of rock
and earth. using a mammoth steam shovel
10 assist in the work, the leeel OF the
tunnel WAS not reached until this morn
ing.
But Little Is Found.
Instead of finding the fragmentary re-
mains of the entombed uuarrymcn. as
had been expected, the workmen have not
been able TO locate anything except
button now and then. a scrap OF leather.
particles OF torn clothing and particles
OF steel tools used In the work. Although
-
carried forward with the utmost care and
caution. not a vestge OF a human body
has been found except the torn remains
and portions of human bodies which were
blown from The portal OF the tunnel at
the time Of the explosion.
Expert powdcrmen have always con-
tended tnat the force of the explosion was
SO great that there would be no trace OF
"a human body found in the tunnel when
the workmen ceased their labors after
the level had been reached. This has
been amply proven 10 be correct
The chamber in the solid rock, where
The powder was exploded. was unearthed
today. Its physical appearance shows
better than any other thing how terrific
the force of the explosion must have
been. a solid rock wall chamber in the
heart OF q mountain. which WAS known to
have dimension OF eight feet square
now measures twelve feet by twenty feet,
due 10 the expansion caused by the cH-
plosion OF the powder.
Cause Still Unknown.
Although the coroner's jury exoneratcS
the cement company from all blame. Meth
cr members of the jury nor any one else
will ever he absolutely certain as 10 the
cause OF the premature explosion. De-
fcc,ivc electric wiring in the tunnel seems
TO be the most plausible theory. although
every trace OF wiring was destroyed by
The force OF the explosion. All of the
men killed were foreigners. except Hugh
Mcclure of Bingham. who was the fore
man of the powder GanS. The others who
lost their lives were Frank Coney. George
Catoloui T. Catoloni. 5. DE BurnaGo, :.
Nokovich +. Nakamura, +. GJukicl, NJ.
Guesseppe. D. Cambolohi, +. Begovic, +,
Sojuvic, +. Bervic 4. Ishii. NJ. Svllar. -.
KTomavic and p. PetrcG. All OF the men
so far as the jury has been able 10 learn
were unmarried and had no relatives In
This country. with the sole exception OF
Foreman Mcclure.
The jury was dismissed this morning
alter submitting it's verdict TO l.. ~
Wilde. justice OF the peace OF Croydon,
Morgan COUNTY.