When the tunnel was completed about 100 feet, the night shift had driven forward the top of the tunnel as a heading, leaving the bottom, which was about a foot thick, or more, to be taken out by the day shift.

They drilled a hole about two feet horizontally to blast out this bench.

King would sit and hold the drill between his feet, while Quirk would strike with a heavy sledge.

When the hole was loaded they tramped down the charge very hard so as to be sure it would not blow out, but lift the whole bench.

One day when they were loading a hole, King told Quirk to come down pretty heavy on the tamping, so as to make all sure, and after a few blows given as directed, there was an explosion, and Quirk was forced some distance out of the tunnel, his eyes nearly put out with dirt blown into them, and his face and body cut with flying pieces of rock.