Myers, Virgil H.

Virgil H. Myers, 35 years old, who was injured in a boiler explosion several weeks ago, died in St. John's hospital, Joplin Missouri at 5 pm yesterday, following an operation performed in an effort to save his life. The operation was performed at 9 am Sunday morning on both legs and he failed to rally from the shock. He had only a momentary period of consciousness before he died. His life had virtually been despaired of several days ago, when his condition took a turn for the worse, but Myers, apparently realizing that the end was near, insisted on the operation as a possible chance for recovery. Physicians attending him said, however, that should he have withstood the shock it would have been necessary in time to amputate his right leg, which was badly shattered. He also suffered a compound fracture to his left leg and neither injury responded to medical attention.

Myers waged a game, but losing fight. For several weeks after he was hurt he had hope for his recovery. Last week, however, he began suffering intense pain and his condition gradually was weakened. It was largely upon his own insistence that his legs were operated on yesterday in an effort to rebuild the broken structure and ward off infection. Myers, who was a son of H. H. Myers, former chief of police, was well known. He was at one time a United States deputy marshal and had taken an active interest in democratic polities. When he was injured, he with associates, including John Hennessy, who was hurt in the same explosion, had just opened a zinc mine on West Seventh street road in Central City.

With excellent prospects of the mine's proving a money maker, Myers and Hennessy had just set up an upright boiler and were preparing to pump water from a shaft on their lease. They had fired the boiler for the first time. The force of the explosion caught Myers below the waist, while steam and boiling water showered Hennessy. Hennessy's condition is slightly improved, but he still is suffering from shock.

Myers is survived by his father and mother; his widow, Mrs. Etta Myers; a daughter, Miss Louise Myers, and a brother, Louis Myers of Miami Oklahoma, He had lived in Joplin his entire life and was a member of the I. O. O. F. Lodge. Burial in the Fairview Cemetery, Joplin Missouri.