Explosion in the Daly West, July 15, 1902–Not a Scrap of His Body Was Found Anywhere given by Dr. Mike Nelson

Park City Museum and the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History are hosting a lecture called Explosion in the Daly West, July 15, 1902–Not a Scrap of His Body Was Found Anywhere given by Dr. Mike Nelson on Wednesday, July 26th from 5-6 p.m. at the Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive. More information can be found at www.parkcityhistory.org.

Explosives were invented in 9th Century China during the late Tang dynasty and were used extensively for warfare. Their first use in mining was in 1627, at a mine in Stenmitz, Hungary.
Blasting was a much more effective way to break rock, and the introduction of the steam drill increased the overall efficiency of the mining process. But blasting came with serious risks. Injuries and fatalities were common. On July 15, 1902, 34 miners were killed following a magazine explosion in the Daly West and Ontario Silver Mines in Park City. The magazine, located in the Daly West mine, exploded after a miner, John Burgy, entered carrying a lit candle. The presentation will review the use of explosives in mining and will then look at the 1902 disaster in detail, examining the rescue response and the coverage of the incident in the local and national press.

Michael G. (Mike) Nelson is a professor of mining engineering at the University of Utah. He was Chair of the Department of Mining Engineering from 2008 to 2019. He was previously professor of mining engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He holds a B.S. degree in metallurgical engineering and an M.S. in applied physics, both from the University of Utah, and a Ph.D. in mining engineering from West Virginia University. Mike has worked for Kennecott Copper, Westinghouse Electric, Consolidation Coal, and EIMCO Process Equipment. Mike has holds nine patents in mining in mineral processing. He is co-author of the book, History of Flotation, and has contributed to many other technical books. He has given invited short courses in the U.S., Australia, Ecuador, and India, and has been an expert witness in the U.S. and Australia. Mike’s dad, Tom Nelson, grew up in grew up in Wasatch and Summit County, and graduated from Park City High School in 1946. Tom’s dad, Carl, worked top car at the Silver King, and Tom worked weekends, holidays, and vacations at the Silver King while he was studying at B.Y.U. to become a high school band teacher.