1943 — Feb 27, Smith Coal Mine #3 Explosion, between Bearcreek and Washoe, MT –74-75

–75 Searl, Molly. Montana Disasters: Fires, Floods, and Other Catastrophes. 2001, p. 63.*
–74 History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, Feb 27, 1943. Mine Explosion Kills 74 in MT.
–74 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Mine Disasters.

*Searl writes that “One man, Matt Woodrow [a rescue worker], was overcome by the gases [in the mine] several times, but each time he was revived he went back into the mine. The effects of the repeated exposure to the gases were lethal, and he died a few weeks later, on April 9. Although not a victim of the explosion, he was the seventy-fifth victim of the disaster. Searl also notes that “108 men were treated for gas poisoning; some of them were critically ill.” (pp. 62-63)

Narrative Information

History.com: “On this day in 1943, an explosion at the Montana Coal and Iron Company mine kills 74 workers. It was the worst mining disaster in Montana’s history.

“The small communities of Washoe and Bearcreek, Montana, consisted almost entirely of mine workers and their families. Many of them worked Smith Mine #3 for the Montana Coal and Iron Company. On a cold Saturday morning, February 27, 77 men were working in the mine when, at 9:30 a.m., a huge explosion rang out. The people of Washoe and Bearcreek heard the roar and then the long, wailing siren that followed.

“The exact cause of the explosion is not known, though some of the company’s miners claimed methane gas had built up in some abandoned shafts and was ignited after a cave-in.

“Of the 77 workers in the mine at the time of the explosion, only three made it out alive. The victims died either directly from the blast or from suffocation when oxygen levels in the mine dropped.

“Virtually every household in Washoe and Bearcreek was touched by this tragedy. The mine never reopened.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, Feb 27, 1943. Mine Explosion Kills 74 in MT)

Searl: “….The disaster at the Smith No. 3 was the worst coal mine disaster in the state of Montana, and the governor immediately appointed a commission to investigate. The U.S. Bureau of Mines, the United Mine Workers of America, and the Montana Coal Mine inspector all conducted investigations into the cause of the disaster. They didn’t agree on the exact location of the explosion, but they generally concurred that methane gas had accumulated in the mine and had accidentally been ignited. A secondary explosion was caused when suspended coal dust ignited….” (p. 67.)

Searl on possible causes of the initial explosion: “….The mine…had the reputation of being a ‘gassy’ mine. Firedamp, another name for methane gas was seeping from the coal faces, but the concentration of the gas wasn’t enough to be considered dangerous in most areas of the mine. Because the area with enough firedamp to be a problem was close to the end of the ventilation system, the company was confident that it was vented to the outside of the mine. There were other problems too…in most of the mines in the area. Not only7 did some of the miners use open-flame lamps but smoking was permitted inside the mine. Fuses for the explosives were lit with open flames instead of safety ignitors, and electric wires were strung along wet timbers. The danger of fire and explosion in the inner workings of the mines was always present.” (p. 57.)

“….Thirty of the victims were thought to have died instantly from the explosion. Most of the others perished quickly as a result of breathing poisonous gas or from running out of oxygen. The last to die were…six men who were barricaded in…[a] shop and had time to write messages to their families.

“Sometimes it takes a major disaster for those involved in an industry to take a really close look at safety. The explosion at the Smith Mine forced officials and the public to realize how inadequate safety regulations were in the coal mining business. The governor’s commission and the corner’s jury made recommendations that would eventually become law. These included stipulations that mine inspectors be given the power to close down portions of mines that were unsafe until safety standards had been met. Recommendations regarding emergency equipment and training were also made. Sadly, by the time the improved safety regulations became law, underground coal mining was declining to the point that the provisions were too late to have much impact in Montana.

“The Smith Mine disaster created fifty-eight widows. A third of the children in the Bearcreek school were fatherless. Many of the men inside the mine were related, leaving women mourning the loss of husbands, fathers, brothers, and nephews….” (p. 68.)

“After the bodies were removed from the mine, it was allowed to fill up with water. The Smith No. 3 never reopened….” (p. 67.)
Sources

History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, February 27, 1943. “Mine Explosion Kills 74 in Montana.” Accessed 12-07-2008 at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&displayDate=02/27&categoryId=disaster

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Safety and Health Research.. Mining Disasters (Incidents with 5 or more Fatalities). NIOSH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2-26-2013 update. Accessed at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/disall.htm
and http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/content/allminingdisasters.html

Searl, Molly. Montana Disasters: Fires, Floods, and Other Catastrophes. Boulder, CO: Pruett Publishing Co., 2001.