The Sunshine Mine Disaster

I'm still learning about the history of the Inland Pacific Northwest. But that's what makes going to a new area interesting. We drove to the old mining town of Wallace, Idaho last weekend to do just that. Wallace is in the Idaho panhandle right on I-90. Like me, you've probably driven by there multiple times and noted this charming little town and thought, "I should visit there one day." After all, it is the center of the universe.

On the way back to Coeur d'Alene (CDA for the locals), we decided to get off the interstate. We took Silver Valley Road, which follows I-90 but at least we got to slow the pace down and see what that part of Idaho really looks like. About eight miles west of Wallace we stumbled across a monument dedicated to the Sunshine Mine Disaster that occurred May 2, 1972. The monument includes a statue of a miner and the names of each worker who died in the tragedy. I had never heard of this event. Time to do some research.

I was surprised at how many silver mines are still in operation in the area. The Sunshine Mine is a large operation that surpasses the others in the area. In 1979 alone, the mine produced 18% of the country's silver. On May 2, 1972, there were 173 workers inside the mine. At 11:40 am a fire started in the mine and an evacuation was ordered 23 minutes later when the location of the fire could not be determined. Before the mine could be completely cleared, men began to succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning. Ninety-one men died, 80 escaped. Two men were rescued a week later, after finding a safe area 1,600 meters below the surface.

The Sunshine Mine was closed for seven months after the disaster. It is one of the worst mining disasters in U.S. history. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (part of the CDC) created a documentary on it. You can watch it on YouTube. I also ran across a local news clip commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the tragedy. The mine is still in operation today, located a couple of miles south of the monument and the interstate. You can check out their website to see what it looks like today. It's amazing what you discover when you get off the interstate.