Is This The Deadliest Disaster Montana Has Ever Seen?
This incident is something that should be taught in schools statewide. It's an important part of Montana's history.
Montana has a deep history when it comes to disasters. Montana has seen everything from forest fires to earthquakes. These are all disasters that have affected Montanans for years.
What if there is a disaster that is worst than any natural disaster? We have found that.
Stars Insider put together a list of The Deadliest Disaster To Ever Happen in Every State, and Montana's is something we had no idea happened.
The deadliest disaster to ever happen in Montana was the Speculator Mine Disaster. The Speculator Mine Disaster occurred in Butte in 1917 and claimed the lives of 168 miners.
This copper mine was heavily in production to help the United States' war effort in 1917. Miners were working hard when someone with a carbide lamp accidentally ignited the oil-soaked cloth insulation on a cable. The fire turned the mine into a chimney, and most miners died from asphyxia.
Asphyxia is when you can't breathe oxygen and essentially choke to death. The worst part is that many miners were trapped for a day or two during this mine fire and couldn't be rescued.
I grew up in Montana and have never heard of this disaster. This disaster should be something that every kid growing up in Montana should learn in our schools. The copper mines have a deep history with the state of Montana, and we should know all the highs and lows of what happened back then.
For more details on the Speculator Mine Disaster, go here.