My grandfather Edward Milton Dalton.

Death of Edward Milton Dalton  

Edward Dalton Is horribly wounded by premature explosion.  Eleven o'clock, Monday night, Edward Dalton stood at the face of the Elephant tunnel, situated some 1,500 feet down the north side of the Bullion-Cottonwood divide. In the face of the tunnel were five holes charged with dynamite. The ends of the protruding sections of fuse had been split and each primed with a pinch of giant powder. It is the final act of the miner before applying the torch and which has sent so many unfortunate men over the Great Divide. A few feet behind Mr. Dalton stood John Deidrich. The holes are so drilled that in order to do the greatest execution it is necessary to fire a certain hole sequence. Each must follow in proper succession or the full strength of the blast will not be obtained. This is what kept Edward Dalton at the face until the first shot exploded and probably fatally mangled him. Mr. Dalton had lighted three of the fuses, but the third split and went out. Mr. Dalton promptly cut off the imperfect end, split, reprimed and again lighted it. But precious time had been consumed. The fire in No. 1 was slowly but surely creeping deeper in towards the deadly dynamite. The doomed man had split the fourth fuse and in a stooping position was in the act of lighting the last fuse down in the left corner when No. 1 exploded. A piece of rock nearly seven inches long, 2x3-1/2 inches at the larger end entered Dalton's right side just above the hip and passed backward completely burying itself. The exhibition of wonderful nerve and presence of mind on the part of the terribly wounded man was simply amazing. Dalton was knocked down and must have been partially dazed by the deafening explosion and numbed by the blow. But, in total darkness, breathing the poisonous fumes of nitrogen gas, and with those other cruel shots exploding behind him, Edward Dalton turned his face towards the tunnel mouth and crawled 75 feet before he sank exhausted. Mr. Deidrich notified the men in the tent some 600 feet below, and the wounded man was carried there and made as comfortable as possible. Then began a midnight race down the mountain side for medical assistance. John Eklund, a recent arrival in camp and but slightly acquainted with the trails, left the tent at 11:20. In his eagerness Mr. Eklund lost the trail and there was no time to regain it. Down into the timber and tangled undergrowth the racing man plunged, leaped over rocks, repeatedly falling and rising he reached the road in Bullion canyon, and thence to Marysvale. Mr. Eklund covered the ten miles in a little less than two hours. Dr. Lyon was absent in Salt Lake, but, fortunately, Dr. Loring in Monroe was aroused by the telephone, and arrived in Marysvale at 4 a.m. having driven over the 18 miles of mountain road in about two hours. At 7:20 the beside of the injured man was reached, and the rock extracted along with two smaller pieces. A wad of clothing nearly as large as a man's fist was also taken from the wound. Dr. Loring stated that the right kidney was crushed and the intestines severed. After the wound had been dressed, Mr. Dalton was placed on a spring cot and four men tenderly bore him down to the Dalton mill where a conveyance awaited him. Mr. Dalton was conscious a portion of the time, and talked lucidly of the accident, but no groan nor word of complaint escaped him. A Free Lance representative visited his room at the Bullion at about 10 p.m. Tuesday evening and found him awake but partly under the influence of opiates. A few teaspoonfuls of water was taken and the patient said, "that is sufficient." Asked if the gas light was not annoying, he answered "no" and wearily closed his eyes, awaiting the dawn when the train would carry him to the Keogh-Wright hospital in Salt Lake. Early in the evening Dr. Loring had been summoned to Kimberly where the wife of Orson Keeler lay desperately ill. Mr. Dalton has been working for R.B. Moon and Chas. Mathews, contractors on the Elephant tunnel, and they were indefatigable in their efforts to do everything in their power for their wounded employee. Those who watched by the bedside of the injured man could discern a gradual diminishing of vitality. From Eugene Parkinson, express agent on the D. &R.G., in whose car Edward Dalton was conveyed to Salt Lake, and who returned to the 'Vale last evening, it is learned that he endured the travel in a remarkable manner. A couple of tomatoes were eaten by Mr. Dalton and an occasional cigarette was smoked, but no word of complaint, pain or fear was spoken. The Free Lance, 11 September 1903

Another Accident Near Marysvale- Ed Dalton Probably Fatally Injured by Explosion of Blast in a Mine. The second horrible accident inside of a month within the neighborhood of Marysvale occurred last Monday at the Mathews & Moon property, a few miles southwest of the town. Ed Dalton and another man were working in a tunnel. They had charged four or five holes and Mr. Dalton stopped to touch them off. The fuse was of the "quick" kind. They were slow in starting and before he got the last one lighted the first shot went off. Mr. Dalton was right close and received the full force of the blast in his right side. Several pieces of rock were blown into his body and a later examination showed that the lower part of the intestines and right kidney had been torn and lacerated. His fellow workmen, seeing that Mr. Dalton did not come out when the shot went off, hastened in and found him lying on the ground. A hasty examination showed that he had been terribly injured and after sending for medical assistance, all that could be was done to make the injured man's condition as comfortable as possible. It was not until the following day that a physician could be had. The wounds were cleaned and several pieces of rock taken out, one of which was as large as a man's fist. Although the chances for his recovery were very small, it was thought best to give him the benefit of any possible chance, and yesterday he was taken to Salt Lake. C.H. Mathews accompanied him. The accident was a severe shock to his wife, who was ill in bed at the time. For a time it was uncertain whether to inform her of the terrible affair, but it was at last thought advisable to do so. The news was a terrible blow. With the assistance of friends she was enabled to meet her husband at the depot here as the train pulled in, but was unable to accompany him to the city. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton were married only a few months ago. He was an industrious, hard-working man and a respected citizen. He has relatives in Annabella, Ebenezer Dalton being his brother.

Richfield Reaper, 10 September 1903

Dies of Injuries - Ed. Dalton Does Not Survive Accident
Death Came Yesterday Morning--In Addition to Injury of Intestines and Kidney, Liver Was Also Cut Away, Rendering Recovery Impossible. A telephone message received yesterday morning announced the death of Edward Dalton at the Keogh-Wright hospital in Salt Lake. An operation was performed upon Mr. Dalton last week which showed, in addition to the injuries of the intestines and kidney, already mentioned, that the lower part of his liver was also cut away. Although the wound of the intestines was successfully treated, with a chance for his recovery, his injuries were of such a nature that recovery was impossible. The wonder is that he survived so long. This is due to his excellent constitution and robust physique. A fire occurred at the hospital the night previous, but this is not thought to have affected the wounded man in any way. The termination of Mr. Dalton's life as a result of the terrible accident brings deep regret to hundreds of friends. He was a popular man and highly respected by the mining fraternity. A very sad feature of the affair is that he leaves a young widow, after only a few months of married life. He was wedded to Miss Matilda Olson during this past winter, and she is now in bed sick and will hardly be able to attend the funeral services of her husband. The body will be shipped home, probably this evening, and will be interred at Annabella.

Richfield Reaper, 17 September 1903

Edward Dalton at Rest.
Last Tuesday night in the Keogh-Wright hospital, Salt Lake, Edward Dalton surrendered to the inevitable. Notwithstanding the terrible wound received a week ago last Monday night in the Elephant tunnel, Mr. Dalton fought it out with death for nine days. It was a brave but hopeless struggle. His remains will be buried in Annabella cemetery, Sevier county.

Mr. Dalton was thirty years old, and was married six months ago.

The Free Lance, 18 September 1903