Name Of Mine On Which Last Employed
Sir Samuel GM, Bellevue ,Sir Samuel, Western Australia

Place Of Burial
Sir Samuel Cemetery, Western Australia

Submitted by
David McMillan - Volunteer

District
Sir Samuel

Cause of Death
Mine Accidents

Other Information
INQUEST: Murchison News, Saturday 14 March 1903, page 2
An inquiry into the death of Daniel Behan, "killed by an explosion' in the main shaft of the Bellevue G.M., Sir Samuel. was held on Monday last by the Coroner, Mr A. Clifton, and a jury consisting of Messrs A. Rankin. T. Murphy, and R, Sugden. Mr J. O. Hudson, Inspector of Mines, appeared on behalf of the Mines Department, and Mr H, G. Banon on behalf of the Co., and Mr G. Farnibo on behalf of the Workers' Association.
John Bodkin deposed that he was in charge of the mining engine at the main shaft on the 2nd inst.. I lowered Cleary, Keogh 8nd Worthington at about 4 p.m. Ten minutes later I lowered Behan. I heard a shot go off and went to the shaft and asked what was wrong, and Cleary replied that Behan was killed and Worthington badly injured. I sent for assistance and brought Worthington to the surface. On Saturday, the 28th of February, I was on the same shift as the deceased. Some shots were fired on that shift. I heard three shots and heard deceased say four had gone and he went down to see and then said that they had all gone off.
H. C. Banon deposed : I am the manager of. the Bellevue G.M. I know the men in the main shaft. The work was being done by contract. The contract was let about four days before the accident. The contractors were Behan, Cleary, and Hogan. I do not know whether there were any copper prickers supplied to the contractors.
George Kirkpatrick deposed : I am underground boss at the Bellevue, I remember the 2nd Inst, between 4 and 5 p.m. One of the truckers told me a man was killed in the main shaft. I went down and saw t the remains of deceased. I last visited the field. It am a miner working in the main shaft contract. I was employed there on the 27th ult. on afternoon shift. Four of us were timbering after crib and we all went down to the bottom of the shaft and found two holes started. There were drills left in the holes. One was in the south end and the other in the centre of the shaft. My mate and I bored the centre hole 2ft. 2in. deep. I do not know-how deep the one an the south end was. I again went .on shift on Monday morning. There were four legs to be put in and we put them in. I then went to help Fmlay clean up the mullock in the bottom and then started a hole in the north-east corner and bored it about 20in. I never beard anything about a miss-hole. .
Bro. Cleary deposed : I was timbering in the main shaft until crib-time on the 27th ult. I started boring with Finlay in the south end. I went to work again on Monday and started timbering. Course and I started to bore a hole in the north-east corner of the shaft; It is not a practice to bore out old holes. I heard nothing about a mis-hole, I was not aware there was a doubt about the number of holes that went off on Saturday. Patrick Qogan deposed. I am a contractor in the mainshaft. 2 relieved deceased in the morning at 8 a.m. He said they had fired four holes and only got three reports, He went down with me after 8 o'clock and took a pick and shifted some stone and then said he was satisfied they had :all gone. It did not tell my mates that there was one doubtful.
John Cleary deposed.. I was on night shift on Friday, 27th nit., with Behan", Keogh, and Worthington, After boring a hole I sent up the blunt tools and deceased charged the four holes. I fancy they all spit end I went to the surface with deceased on the bucket. I heard the 6hots go off. I only heard three reports. Behan asked me how; many reports there were and I think I said three. Deceased evidently thought there was a miss-hole as betook a primer down with him, went to work again on Monday afternoon at 4 p,m. with Worthington and Keogh. Keogh and I started a hole in the north-east corner. Behan came down -immediately after and asked where the other bole was. I told him he ought to speak to the shift boss going off, At about the same time he found the hole and made a remark that the shift going off had a right to leave a drill in the hole. Behan asked Worthington, "How is it for beating left-handed f " There was no remark about a miss-hole. They were drilling for about two minutes when an explosion occurred, after which I turned round and asked where Worthington was. No one answered. I then -saw Daniel Behan in the bottom of the shaft—dead. There was daylight in the shaft. I started ringing and Keogh went up the ladders to the surface. Someone came to the brace and said, " Dan is killed." Worthington got on the bucket and asked me to ring him to the surface. I said he was not fit to ride on the bucket and insisted on his getting into it, which he did, and I sent him to the surface. I do not consider it safe to bore out old holes.
Thomas Keogh deposed. I was in the main shaft on Friday, the 27th nit. I did not hear the shots go off. I heard Behan say he thought one had missed. Behan went down the shaft but came up again In about five minutes and said he thought the bole had gone. I went to work again on Monday afternoon with Cleary and Worthington. I went down and found a hole in the north-east corner. We were told about the hole. Behan came down about five minutes later. I do not know if he said anything. I had my back to deceased and Worthington. I fancy they were drilling. About five minutes after Behan came down there was an explosion. I do not consider it safe to use a drill to bore out an old hole.
W, Worthington deposed. I was working in the Bellevue shaft on Monday, the 2nd inst. Cleary and Behan fired four holes on the 28th ult, ..Behan asked me how many shots went off and I told him three. Behan went down with a fuse and a primer. He came back in about 20 minutes and said they must have all gone off as he could not see any hole. On Monday Behan and I started to work in a bole in the west side. The drill kept catching and would not turn. He took the hammer out of my hand and hit the drill a few times when there was an explosion. I got into the cage and went to the surface.
The jury returned a verdict that deceased came to his death through boring into an unexploded charge of dynamite, and added that they considered the contractors very lax in not taking proper precautions' as regards miss holes.