MAGUIRE, Paul

Mohave County Miner, Kingman, Arizona March 7, 1903 Paul Maguire Meets Horrible Death Last Tuesday afternoon about the hour of two o'clock Paul Maguire was instantly killed in the shaft of the Bi-Metal mine four miles south of Kingman by the explosion of a charge of giant powder into which he had drilled. It appears that he had been working in the shaft with Joe Marines during the forenoon and that justbefore the hour for quitting at noon they had fired five holes. They counted the blasts as they went off and were sure that every hole had gone. After dinner they went back, mucked out the dirt and began drilling again. The two men were side by side in the northwest end of the shaft and had gotten their holes down about ten inches when Marines heard rocks strike the bucket hung in the shaft about ten feet above him. Fine rock cut his hand and he was thrown against the wall. He was dazed and when he came to his senses he called to Paul Maguire asking him what had happened. Getting no answer he looked around and saw him lying in the southwest corner of the shaft. Going over he found that he was lifeless and on making an examination he came to the conclusion he was dead. Going up the ladder he looked around for help but finding none be ran to the Maguire home nearly a mile away and the mother and sister of the unfortunate young man returned with him to the mine. They were let down into the shaft In the bucket and after ascertaining that Paul was really dead they tied the windlass rope around his body and It was raised to he surface. Dr Cowle had been phoned for and arrived at the scene of the accident shortly afterward but found that nothing could be done. At first it was thought that a cave in the shaft had occurred but later an examination of the shaft disclosed the fact that some of the powder in a deep hole drilled and shot earlier in the day had failed to explode and that Paul had drilled into this unexploded powder with the result that when it went off he received the full force of the blast. His face was filled with fine particles of rock as was his breast and legs. One rock went through his chest and lodged somewhere in the back. Mr Marines stated that they had been using frozen powder and that Mr. Maguire had thawed out some of that used in the holes In the morning. That Marines had not been injured is one of these miracles that occur so often In mining accidents. He was within eighteen inches of the blast when it went off and the only Injury he has to show is a pitted right hand and a few little pits on the back of the neck. His hammer was forced from his hand and thrown across the shaft. He stated that he heard no explosion and was at a loss to know what caused the trouble until the examination disclosed the fact of the explosion. Paul Maguire whose terrible death last Tuesday caused such a shock to this community was born in the state of Nevada twenty six years ago. He came with his parents to this county about nineteen years ago and settled southwest of Kingman From boyhood he was ever an industrious energetic and honorable fellow. In the past few years he acquired considerable mining property and only two weeks ago received the first payment on the sale of one of the mine. He was a general favorite with the young people of Kingman and was universally beloved by the people of the whole surrounding country. To his mother and sisters whose mainstay he was for a number of years his death comes as a terrible blow. Arthur Maguire a brother of deceased who is in charge of a survey corps on the Clark road was wired to by way of Manvel and the body of deceased was embalmed to await his arrival. It is thought that he was not reached promptly by the telegram and that he may not come for several days therefore the funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon from the M E church at the hour of two o'clock.