Some of the deceased did not die immediately; they survived for a day or two in the tunnels underground. PATRICK LAVORY DAVE NUMI -- One hundred and fifty men are reported dead and no hope is held out for the recovery of 200 others trapped underground by a fire in the Speculator mine, near here, early today. JOHN P. LALANNE “Crisis reveals true character,” Punke remarked recently. A few managed to barricade themselves within bulkheads in the mine and were found after as long as 55 hours. we spell it McGuinness. While the Granite Mountain / Speculator Mine Fire was the worst disaster in metal mining history, the rescue mission was a remarkable accomplishment. In the Granite Mountain/Speculator Mine disaster of June 8, 1917, an electric cable was being lowered into the Granite Mountain mine as part of a fire safety system. JOHN J. GATELY On the evening of June 8, 1917, 410 men were lowered into the Granite Mountain shaft to begin another backbreaking night shift. CHALE COVACEVICH Three of the men died along the way, but Duggan, who reached the shaft and was within a hoist ride to safety, chose to return to the tunnels, where he went to his own death as he searched for the last of his companions. On August 1, 1917, Little was ignominiously hanged from a railroad trestle south of Butte, the Montana Vigilante’s ominous code, “3-7-77,” pinned to his vest, his kneecaps scraped off from having been dragged behind a car to his gallows. Despite the tremendous damage the fire caused to the Granite Mountain Mine, removal of ore continued until the mine's close in 1923. JOHN CAVELLA At the time, the fire disaster had all my attention. Those on the surface knew smoke from the fire would spread throughout the vast maze of tunnels, and the miners would be asphyxiated. Sullau, for example, who accidentally started the conflagration, passed up his chance to ride a skip to safety and instead logged more than 3 miles underground racing through shafts and tunnels to urge his fellow miners to safety. ROBERT TRUAX Fourth Letter (written on the cover of the book). One group of 29 men built a bulkhead to isolate themselves from the smoke and gas for 38 hours before making their way to safety. FRANCIS H. ALLEN Contact me. MANUS DUGGAN MIKE MURRAY -- With thirty-five known dead and 167 men missing as the result of a fire which broke out in the Speculator copper mine last night, Butte wrestled today with … Click here to register now. But surely the reality of being trapped underground in a race against death must exceed all our powers of imagination. there will be no one alive who has ever known me. Notes were written by some while they waited to be rescued. At the 2254-foot level, another group of 8 men were found behind a makeshift bulkhead over 50 hours from the start of the fire. On the list of the dead I can see my grandfather's name ....John McGinnis. It was a troubled time in the history of Butte mining, and tumult quickly overwhelmed the details of the Speculator catastrophe. Beds in the boarding houses often never went cold, because many of the miners were sleeping in shifts as well. Butte, Mont., June 9. All ambulances in Butte and all physicians in the city were summoned to the scene. The European war created a chaos of mixed allegiances in the cultural melting pot of Butte, known far and wide as a destination for European immigrants. Compilation, design, artwork and concept covered by copyright. Home to one of the largest mining operations in the world, the abundance of employment opportunities drew workers from every corner of the globe.