91 years ago today, a 3 ton power cable was being lowered into the Granite Mine's 3,700 foot deep shaft. The disaster began when the ropes supporting the cable's weight gave way, and it came crashing down, broken and coiled to the 2,400 level. One of the worker's open-flame lantern ignited the oil soaked cloth that insulated the cable (after the lead sheathing broke off) and the ensuing fire killed 162 men. Most were overcome by the fumes underground, clawing at illegally sealed concrete bulkheads; many were incinerated. This event is still said to the be the greatest loss of life in any US mining accident in history.
When we drove up to the Granite Mine Memorial and overlook, we were surprised to see a lot of cars, and men with guns in military uniform getting out of them. The victims of the fire have not been forgotten, the families of the deceased hold a memorial every year- with a 3 rifle, 3 shot salute. I don't know why the memorial event was conducted by elderly Marine Corp. Veterans (with guns) carrying POW-MIA flags. They recited the pledge of allegiance (which we did not- and got quite the hairy-eyeball for it) and a priest lead a prayer session at the beginning and end of the program. No words about the union or the culpability of the Mining company in the deaths of these 162 men- in fact a representative of Arco, who bought out Anaconda and the North Butte Mining Co. was there to announce more funds being pledged to the memorial site.
A woman holding a "Support Our Troops" flag was glad to explain to us about the fire, and what the mining "gallows" were (considering whom I'm researching, a sadly ironic term for the headframes that are all around Butte). Her husband gave us the hairy-eyeball for not saying the pledge.
I'm glad that 91 years later, these working men who died while just trying to make a living are being remembered- I just wish the anger against the company remained, all the companies.
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