Barnes Hecker Mine - Negaunee, MI
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linkys
N 46° 29.528 W 087° 40.556
16T E 448126 N 5148951
On November 3, 1926 51 men died when the Barnes Hecker mine suffered a catastrophic flood.
Waymark Code: WMC9A6
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 08/11/2011
Views: 4
This deep underground mine was located in an area where the surface was marked by swamps. On November 3, 1926 the ground gave way, flooding the 1060 foot deep mine to the 234 foot level. Of the 52 men underground, only one made it to the surface. This was the third worst non-coal, mine disaster in US history.
This memorial is a plaque located at the Cliff Mine Museum in Ishpeming. Michigan. Parking is available directly in front of the plaque.
The plaque reads as follows:
Barnes-Hecker Mine Memorial
At 8:00 on the morning of November 3, 1926 Captain William Tippett and five mine officials, including Marquette County Moning Inspector descended into the Barnes-Hecker Mine for a routine safety inspection. At 11:25 as the mines were preparing their return to the surface for lunch, a blast of explosives was fired. The explosion opened a vug, a huge natural funnel in the earth which connnected the blasted area to a swamp located directly above. Immediately the swamp disappeared into the mine releasing a devastating force of tons of water, mud and debris that completely destroyed the entire mine in 15 minutes. 23 year old Wilfred Wills scrambled up 600 feet of ladders to reach the surface. Hewas the sole survivor. Ten bodies were retrieved for burial. Continued attempts to recover the entombed forty-one bodies proved to be immpossible. A decision resulted in the sealing of the shaft with a slab of concrete. Ceasing all future mining operations the Barnes-Hecker Mine disaster remains the deadliest mining tradgedy in recorded history in the state of Michigan.
DEDICATED IN THE MEMORY OF THE BARNES-HECKER VICTIMS AND THEIR SURVIVING FAMILIES.
Presented by the family of Louis Trudell May 11, 2011
(The back side of the plaques has the following list of names:
51 SOULS TAKEN
Herman Aho
Peter Carlyon
Raymond Carlyon
William Carlyon
Edwin Chapman
Herman Chapman
Peter Deroche
Thomas Drew
Earl J. Ellersick
Gust Frendi
Joseph Gelmi
James Green
Henry Haapala
Jack J. Hanna
Arvid Heino
Nells Hill
William E Hill
William Huot
Frank Jokinen
William Kakkuri
Arvid Kallio
Thomas Kirby, Jr.
Thomas Kirby, Sr
Uno Koskinen
Theodore Kulri
Ed Laituri
George Lampshire
Richard Lampshire
John Luoma
Emil Maki
Joseph Mankee
Walter Mattila
Solomon Millimaki
Peter Mongiat
Sam Phillippi
Harry Quayle
Elias Ranta
John Santi
James Scopel
Clement Simoneau
Nester Soloman
Ed Temo
Walter Tippett
Wm. F. Tippett
Louis Trudell
William Toumela
Nick Valenti
Solomon Valimaa
Albert Vickman
Harvey Wepsala
John Wiljamer
Source: Plaque and www3.gendisasters.com
Disaster Date: 11/11/1926
Date of dedication: 05/11/2011
Memorial Sponsors: Family of Louis Trudell
Parking Coordinates: N 46° 29.528 W 087° 40.556
Disaster Type: Technological
Relevant Website: [Web Link]
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