Tunnel Explosion - Fort Gratiot Twp., MI
N 43° 04.983 W 082° 28.200
17T E 380343 N 4771086
Memorial to lives lost during a tunnel explosion beneath Lake Huron in Michigan.
Waymark Code: WM16K4N
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 08/19/2022
Views: 1
From the State of Michigan historical marker next to the memorial:
In 1968, to serve the water needs of a growing population, the Detroit Metro Water Department began work on the Lake Huron Water Supply Project. This massive feat involved erecting a submerged intake crib connected to a six-mile intake tunnel beneath Lake Huron. The mechanical mole that dug the 16-foot wide tunnel bored through the bedrock beneath the lake at a rate of 150 feet a day. The project excavated more than one billion pounds of rock. The water treatment plant pumped clean water into an 82-mile system of water mains supplying Detroit and Flint. When finished in 1973, the $123 million system boasted a capacity of 400 million gallons a day.
On Dec. 11, 1971, a shotgun-like blast claimed the lives of 22 men working on a water intake tunnel beneath the bed of Lake Huron. A pocket of methane trapped within a layer of Antrim shale fueled the explosion. An exhaustive inquiry determined that drilling for a vertical ventilation shaft from the lake's surface had released the trapped gas. A drill bit that fell ignited the gas. The blast created a shock wave with a speed of 4,000 miles an hour and a force of 15,000 pounds per square inch. Witnesses reported seeing debris fly 200 feet in the air from the tunnel's entrance. This tragedy resulted in stronger mine safety regulations and enforcement. It was one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Michigan history.
Disaster Date: 12/11/1971
Date of dedication: 12/11/2006
Memorial Sponsors: 1971 Tunnel Explosion Committee
Disaster Type: Technological
Relevant Website: [Web Link]
Parking Coordinates: Not Listed
|
Visit Instructions:
A photo of the memorial from a different angle or view than what is already posted is requested. If a camera is not available, please give a detailed description so that we can get an idea of your visit. Please list anything that has changed since the waymark was created.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|