Butte, Montana
Bell Mine Explosion
August 4, 1900
MAN KILLED IN THE BELL
PAT MURPHY by Mistake Ran Into an Explosion.
HE BECAME CONFUSED
Had Been Given a Warning but Ran Into Danger
Instead of Away From It – Leaves a Wife and
Children.
PATRICK MURPHY,
a miner employed in the Bell mine, was instantly
killed about noon yesterday by a shot on the
900-foot level. MURPHY was at work on the third
floor of the level and several men were engaged
in a raise just above him. They had
 drilled a
set of holes and “shotted” them and started to
fire. They knew MURPHY was at work right below
and gave him the usual warning. He started to
run, but instead of going away from the danger
he ran right into it, evidently having become
confused. The first shot struck him almost
squarely in the face and killed him instantly.
The force of the explosion threw him back some
distance and when help reached him he was dead.
Coroner Jullien
was at once notified and the body was removed to
Duggan’s undertaking rooms.
MURPHY was a man about 43 years of age and
well known as “Plain PAT MURPHY.” He leaves a
wife and several children.
The inquest over the body of
PATRICK MURPHY, the victim of the
disaster in the Bell mine, took place at the
undertaking rooms of L. Duggan last night.
Michael Lowney, J. E.
Moran, L. J. O’Neill, Frank Hunter
and Frank Hughes
were the witnesses examined and the testimony of
all was substantially the same and to the effect
that after Lowney left the place where the shots
had been prepared to blast MURPHY went to the
shot, with an evident desire to see that
everybody else had left it. Lowney went to the
floor below to give the fire cry, but MURPHY, it
seems, failed to heed him. The jury rendered the
following verdict:
“That the deceased,
PATRICK MURPHY, came to his death at
Diamond mine in Butte, Silver Bow county,
Monday, on the 4th day of August, 1900, from the
explosion of a charge of blasting powder and
from the evidence the jury fails to find that
anyone was to blame for the matter.”
The Anaconda Standard, Anaconda, MT 5 Aug
1900
Transcribed by
Jenni Lanham. Thank you,
Jenni!
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Butte, Silver Bow
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