Hellgate Coal Mine Caves In – 1917
Hellgate Mine Caves In – 1917
About 2,500 Tons of Coal Lost by Collapse of Timbers in Mine
Due to the collapse of the retaining timbers of the walls and roof of the main section of the Hellgate coal mine, operated north of the city by the Hellgate Coal company, five rooms in which mining operations have been going on caved in and were completely filled up, causing immediate suspension of operations and also, it is thought, of further work on the mine.
Miners Off Shift.
The accident happened last Saturday night, luckily enough while all the miners were off shift, and the only damage was to the owners and operators of the mine. The manager of the company says that a few picks and shovels were the only implements lost in the cave-in, as the men always carried out most of their tools at the end of the day.
Much Coal Lost.
At present from 25 to 30 tons of coal have been mined every day and it is estimated that about 2,500 tons of coal were lost in the collapse of the mine, as it is said that the cost of clearing up and retimbering the section would be more than the value of the coal lost in the cave-in.
Many Out of Work.
About 11 men have been working all the time at the mine, and they will all be thrown out of employment for the present. The owners intended to operate in the mine only until April or May, but had figured on mining for 90 days at least. While the main entrance of the mine is not blocked up, there are only a couple of rooms that can be mined, and the company will not continue mining in these.
The Hellgate mines have been worked for several years, and are owned by local capital. The main mine shafts were about 600 feet below level and with all this weight bearing down upon the insufficiently timbered mines the cave-in was large enough to fill up most of it completely.
The article above appeared in The Daily Missoulian on January 16, 1917.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/348992948