Sunshine Mine
Kellogg, Shoshone County, Idaho
May 2, 1972 - 91 Killed
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Though this is a re-post from the above link, its a story that is deeply personal to me, as my Uncle Darrell, was one of the victims that day. He was only 19yrs old, and I was only 9yrs old.
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The Sunshine Mine is located about 8 miles southeast of Kellogg, Shoshone County, Idaho. Employment totaled 522 persons, 429 of whom worked underground. The mine was operated on three 8-hour shifts, 5 days a week. Miners gained entrance to the active mine workings by walking along a 200 foot drift (tunnel) to the Jewell Shaft, and were then lowered to the 3100 and 3700 levels by means of a hoist (elevator), then transported by train to the No. 10 shaft and again lowered by means of shaft conveyance to their designated levels. The No. 10 shaft extends from 3100 to the 6000 feet. Production was being maintained on the 4000, 4200, 4400, 4600, 4800, 5000, and 5200 levels, with some development work on the 5400, 5600, and 5800 levels.
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Summary of Disaster A fire of as yet undetermined origin was detected by Sunshine employees at approximately 11:35 a.m. on May 2, 1972. At that time, smoke and gas was coming from the 910 raise on the 3700 level. This fire precipitated the death of 91 underground employees by smoke inhalation and/or carbon monoxide poisoning. A subsequent shutdown of production of 7 months followed. Evacuation efforts at the time of the onset resulted in 81 men being evacuated the first day and 2 men being rescued 7 days later from the 4800 level.
Preliminary Report of Major Mine Fire Disaster Chronology of the Fire and of the Rescue and Recovery Operations The following description of the events related to the major disaster at the Sunshine silver mine is based on records maintained by the mine operator, interviews with mine officials and workers, depositions taken by Department of the Interior attorneys from survivors of the catastrophe and others, Federal mine inspection reports, and observations made by Bureau of Mines personnel.
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Discovery of Fire and the Activities Thereafter On May 2, 1972, a total of 173 men making up a normal day shift (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) crew entered the mine and proceeded to work up to the time they learned of the fire. In the morning, miners Custer Keough and William Walty were engaged in enlarging the 3400 ventilation drift to decrease the ventilation resistance in the main exhaust airway. Their work consisted of drilling and blasting along the back and ribs, mucking, and rock bolting. An underground mechanic, Homer Benson, also reported to the 3400 level with an oxygen-acetylene cutting torch which was needed to remove old rock bolts along the drift, and transported it to the work site with a small battery- powered locomotive.
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The work site was west from the 09 vein bulkhead about 500 feet. Benson completed the cutting of the old rock bolts and arrived back at the 3700 level station with his equipment at 10:35 a.m. Keough and Walty ate lunch on the 3400 level at a presently unknown location. Most of the salaried and day's pay personnel who normally ate their lunch from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. did so at their normal locations. Harvey Dionne, Jim Bush, Bob Bush, Jim Salyer, and Fred (Gene) Johnson, mine supervisors, were in the Blue Room (supervisors' room) near the 3700 level No. 10 Shaft station. Arnold Anderson, Norman Ulrich, Gary Beckes, and John Williams were in the electric shop also near the 3700 level No. 10 Shaft station to the south. Leslie Mossburgh, Bill Bennett, Clyde Napier, Homer Benson, and Hap Fowler were in the drill repair shop located to the north of the No. 10 Shaft station on 3700 level. Greg Dionne, Tony Sabala, and Donald Beehner were in the pipe shop located at No.8 Shaft. James Lamphere was in the 3700 level warehouse. Pete Bennett and Kenneth Tucker were in the 08 machine shop in by the pipe shop. Don Woods was at the No. 10 Shaft chippy hoist room. Morris Story and Jack Harris were also at 3700 level No. 10 Shaft station. Floyd Strand, chief electrician; Kenneth Ross, geologist; Larry Hawkins, sampler; and John Reardon, pump man, completed their morning activities at the No. 10 Shaft area. At 11:30 a.m., the above crew departed the No. 10 Shaft station on the 3700 level en route to the Jewell Shaft on a man coach. Their route took them past the Strand substation, 910-raise, No.5 Shaft, and No.4 Shaft.
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They arrived at the Jewell station shortly after 11 :40 a.m. Shortly after lunch, at about 11:35 a.m., Ulrich and Anderson stepped out of the electric shop and smelled smoke. They immediately shouted to the Blue Room. Harvey Dionne and Bob Bush, foremen, came out and the four men started in the direction of the smoke which was toward the Strand substation. The smoke was discovered to be coming down the 910 raise. Harvey Dionne climbed up onto drift timber below the raise in an effort to spot fire. He was unable to detect any fire at that location. Jim Bush then arrived on a small battery-powered locomotive. Harvey Dionne, Jim Bush, and Ulrich proceeded toward the Jewell Shaft. They met Ronald Stansbury, haulage locomotive operator, who was proceeding from the Jewell Shaft. Stansbury was instructed to return to the fire door and close that door. Jim Bush and Harvey Dionne returned toward the 910 raise. Ulrich, who had accompanied Stansbury, manually closed the fire door near the Jewell Shaft and proceeded up the Jewell Shaft to the 3100 level station. At about 11:40 a.m., Delbert (Dusty) Rhoads and Jim Salyer simultaneously telephoned Pete Bennett in the 08 machine shop. They notified Bennett of smoke and asked Bennett to check to determine if a fire was burning in the shop area.
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Bennett and Tucker, knowing there was no fire in the shop, went from the shop toward the 808 and 820 drifts. Bennett discovered the 820 crosscut was so full of smoke he could not enter. Bennett met Bob Bush at the 808 drift. Upon entering that drift they found the smoke was again so thick that they could travel but a few feet. They retreated and tried to return to the 08 machine shop. They encountered much heavier smoke than before upon returning to the 820 crosscut. Travel back to the 08 shop was impossible. Bob Bush then instructed Bennett and Tucker to proceed to the Jewell Shaft. As Bennett and Tucker were walking out the 3700 level toward the Jewell Shaft they met Jim Bush and Harvey Dionne returning toward No. 10 Shaft. Bennett and Tucker also met Edward Davis at No.4 Shaft and told him to leave the mine. As Harvey Dionne and Jim Bush returned toward No. 10 Shaft, they attempted to go into the 08 machine shop area.
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another link you might find interesting, its a vitural tour of the mine,
