White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-09
Five Men Die
In Explosion
SAD SCENES ARE ENACTED AT
COPPER FLAT THROUGH UN-
EXPECTED DISCHARGE OF
POWDER BLAST.

Death claimed the toll of five lives
in an accident at Copper Flat about
4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, when
fifty-six boxes of dynamite exploded.
while the powder crew was loading
a hole in the Eureka pit of the Me-
vada Conso' idsted.
In addition to those killed, four
persons we're injured through the
unexpected discharge of a large guam
tity of dynamite. Steam shovel No.
6, which was situated on the level be-
low, was almost completely wrecked.
L. j. Dahoney. the engineer, L. A.
Farrell, the craneman, and H. Vande-
yer, the fireman on the shovel, that
was made target for flying rocks
weighing from a few pounds to half
a ton, escaped without injuries. The
steam shovel was almost completely
covered with rocks and dirt. and was
partially turned over by the ava
lanche that was hurled through the
air for distance of seventy or
eighty feet.
Three of the unfortunates who
met an untimely end were thrown
skyward, and landed about one hun
dred feet away from where the acci-
dent occurred. Three of the foreign
ers had their heads blown off by the
impact of the concussion. On had
every bone in his body fractured.
Jim Dimoulis. the coal boy on SHOW
ell No. 8. sustained fracture at the
base of the skull, and his right ear
drum was ruptured. Contusions
about the shoulders, arms and hand
are among the other injuries he sus-
tanned. Although his condition was
regarded as serious. he is expected to
recover.
The dead are Marko Museta,
Evan Krmpotich. Luka Milobara.
Evan Rubich and Jandie Rosandich
Frank Emil, who was working as
a powder man at the time the acci-
dent occurred, had two ribs fractur-
ed, besides minor injuries on other
portions of his body
The tragedy practically wiped out
the members of one family. as the
Austrians that met an untimely end
were closely related by marriage
ties Two of them left wives in
Austria, one was unmarried, and the
Others had families in this country.
An inquest over the remains of the
five Austrians was held Thursday
morning by Coroner Cartwright for
the purpose of determining the man
ner in which the explosion had occur
red. A trip was made to Copper Flat
Friday to examine the spot where
the several lives were lost The TAX
ing of testimony was begun Friday
afternoon, but was not concluded
yesterday. 1t is expected that the
labors of tn jury will be completed
tomorrow.
The members of the jury are: A
y. Stevens, Daniel Warren. John
Weber, James Dillon. Bud Ross,
Pierre Mareonnot, Peter Weiss, Mar
tin Blockus and ID. NJ. Mcdonald.
IL appears from the testimony
brought out at the inquest that fifty
boxes of Trojan powder had been
placed in the hole and several boxes
Of Hercules were put on top. The
opening managed to get clogged and
II was impossible to remove the
tamping stick. 1t was while the four
Austrians were attempting TO effect
clearance in the opening that the
blast went off unexpectedly.
The funerals of the five victims oc-
Cured Thursday from the Wilson
Bates parlors. The services were un-
der the direction of the Austrian fra
ternal society. and several hundred
members of the orde" followed til
remains of the five men to the ceme-
terry. Two hearscs and an auto truck
were utilized in carrying the bodies of
their comrades. The procession was
led down Aultman street by the Boys
band.