False Summits: A History Podcast about the American West

The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917 Part II: Fire, Brimstone, and Courage

Mason Orlando - Jess Leigh - Marcello Aguilar Episode 11

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In part two of three, Mason continues the tragic story of the North Butte mining disaster of 1917, just after midnight on June 8th, a fire broke out after sparks from a misplaced carbide lamp ignited an oil-soaked cable, filling the tunnels with deadly smoke cussing 163 miners to lose their lives. Learn about the rescue effort organized by the miners and people of Butte to find survivors by fighting flames, smoke, and poison gas thousands of feet underground.

Content warning: graphic descriptions of a mining disaster, listener discretion advised. 

Sources 

Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917 by Michael Punke

The Butte Miners and Rustling Cards by Paul F. Brissenden  

 Photo source 

Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/

 

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