The Granite Mountain/Speculator Mine fire was the largest hard rock mining Disaster. The fire claimed the lives of 168 men. The disaster received its widest coverage during its 100th year anniversary. The initial coverage was limited, but the anniversary created a plethora of articles.

The Granite and Speculator Mines  was one of many copper mines in the Butte and Anaconda area. The Granite and Speculator mines were unusual because they were two seperate shafts, connected by tunnels. The connections mean both mines had a slight breeze. On a normal day the breeze help ventilate the mine and cold the mine a few degrees. Butte’s economy was based on world war 1’s demand for copper. Four copper magnates:F. Augustus Heinze, James A. Murray, Marcus Daly, and William A Clark fought each other for control of the mineral wealth. Their immense wealth earned them the name the Copper Kings. Because multiple companies vied for the natural resources, Butte never became a company town. The pressure to mine more and more copper, led to tension between unions and mine companies. Mines had few if any safety provisions. America’s war footing gave the companies extra power over their workers. In the eyes of the government, the companies smooth operation was important for the war effort.

The Disaster

The speculator mine disaster was a fire which asphyxiated miner and damaged supports. By the time all the miners were found, the disaster was the largest in metal mine history. This disaster was started when the mine tried to install safety equipment. The worker were lowering a 3 ton electric cable down the Granite Mountain shaft. The cable was led covered with oiled paraffin paper and the insulator. As the cable was being lowered it broke free and fell. The cable piled up at the 2,500 foot level. The fall exposed the insulator. Around midnight of June 8th, 1917, four night men went to inspect the cable. One of the men, Ernest Sullau, accidentally touched his carbine lamp to the insulator. The cable ignited and the flames spread to the timber supports. Within minutes, flames and nocuous fumes were spreading as fast as the fleeing miners. The ventilation fames and the natural breeze drove the fumes. When the smoke started billowing out of the shaft, the elevator was raised. The box came out on fire and everyone inside was burned to death. “In the end, almost 250 miners threaded their way to safety. One hundred and fifty-five men died in the ground, and 13 others succumbed after reaching the surface” (Aaron Parrett).

The article, from the day of the event, covers the basics. To anyone not familiar with mining, the article lacks details. For one,the rescue workers had to wear 40 pound helmet, because the fire ate all the oxygen in the mine. The heavy poisonous smoke made to air lethal. Most of the survivors, who did not make it immediately to the surface, barricaded themselves in airtight notches. Many of the 162 missing were behind rapidly built walls. The purpose of the barricade was to hold enough air for the men to last until the fumes and gas outside were gone. When the rescue worker open the barricades they found a mix of dead, delirious, and messages to loved ones.

  The official, who aided the rescue workers, were responsible for fighting unions’ demands to increase safety measures. “The Granite Mountain-Speculator Fire occurred just as Butte — once known as the “Gibraltar of Unionism” — entered into one of the most acrimonious episodes of labor strife in a long history of animosity between the miners and the corporations that owned the mines”(Parrett).  The nearby Anaconda Company imposed martial law to control the unions. Three days before the war the national guard was summoned to break up an anti war protest. The speculator mine disaster help galvanize the miners. “By the end of June, the small strike that started at the Elm Orlu had grown into a full-fledged shutdown: 15,000 of Butte’s 16,500 miners had walked off the job”(Parrett). The tensions lasted until the mines finally closed in 1980.

A Hundred Years Later

The 100 year anniversary of the of the mine disaster created numerous articles about both events. More articles were made about the anniversary then the original event created. One of the catching hooks links past and present. “Nine blows of the original Granite Mountain whistle sounded Thursday night to break a moment of silence for the lives lost in the 1917 fire at the Granite Mountain and Speculator mines. Nine whistles meant that an uncontrollable fire was burning in the mine”(Olga Kreimer). Because the anniversary focused on the heroism, and loss of life, the articles mirror the event. “Gordon’s great-grandfather, Con O’Neill, was lauded for his heroism during the deadly mine fire…He was in bed asleep when the fire broke out. O’Neill rushed to the Bell Diamond Mine and went underground to help evacuate his men”(John Grant Emeigh). The Bell Diamond Mine was also connected to the Granite Mountain mine. O’Neill died getting his men out of the mines. Several articles cover the valiant men who died getting others out.

The occasion of anniversary moved several senator to remark on the tragedy. An article for the anniversary, covered Montana’s Senator speeches on the disaster. U.S. Senator Steve Daines’ was one of the senators to address the house. He reminded his peer why the men died. “ ‘The Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine Fire reminds us that we must continue to push for even safer mining’ “(Montana Standard). Daines was one of many governmental officials who spoke during the anniversary.

An article by Tracy Thornton, puts the disaster in perspective. The disaster was one of many during 1917. “Seventy-one additional men died on the job in 1917, with October being the deadliest month. The number could have gone higher, if not for the mining strike in the summer and fall.”(Tracy Thornton). October was the deadliest month when you exclude the Speculator fire. The article lists all the dead from that year. A total 172 people died in June. July was the only month were no one died. This was during the time of widespread walkout. The heroism and determination of miners earned Granite Mountain earned its name. Granite Mountain is called the Richest Hill on Earth, because of its people not precious metals. Those heroes would still be in the papers a hundred years later.

Works Cited

Emeigh, John. “Mine disaster anniversary: Mine Victim’s great-grandson wants the city’s rich history retold”. Montana Standard. 2011. NewsBank.inc. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&page=2&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=granite%20mine%20disaster&docref=news/16A3C18D315A9908. March 6, 2019.

Kreimer,Olga. “Montana Mining Tragedy remembered 100 years Later”. Montana Standard. 2017. NewsBank.inc.https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&page=5&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=granite%20mine%20disaster&docref=news/164EC32311913140. March 5, 2019.

Parrett, Aaron. “The Granite Mountain – Speculator Mine Disaster.” Big Sky Journal.
2017. http://bigskyjournal.com/granite-mountain-speculator-mine-disaster/. March 3, 2019.

Thornton, Tracy. “Even beyond the big disaster, 1917 was a deadly year in Butte mines.” Montana Standard. 2017. NewsBank.inc.https://infoweb-newsbank-com.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=speculator%20mine%20disaster&docref=news/164F0BB4C224D7E8. March 2, 2019.

Unknown. “Senators, governor remember Granite Mountain-Speculator disaster”. Montana Standard. 2017. NewsBank.inc. https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&t=&sort=_rank_%3AD&fld-base-0=alltext&maxresults=20&val-base-0=speculator%20mine%20disaster&docref=news/16A6528756C00D08. March 5,2019.