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Anaconda Copper Mining Company
Anaconda Mine Cave-in

Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana
May 14, 1892
No. Killed - 9



Disclaimer: This disaster is not included in the CDC/NIOSH mine disaster list, and is not found at the MSHA Fatality Archive Database.  The exact disaster date is in question, but there is much confidence it happened in mid-May 1892.

News Articles:
News icon The Anaconda Standard, May 15, 1892
News icon The Anaconda Standard, May 17, 1892
News icon The Butte Weekly Miner, May 19, 1892
News icon Great Falls Tribune, May 20, 1892


Successful Rescue

Following a cave-in in the Anaconda mine, Frank Agassin was rescued after 55 hours.  He was the sole survivor of a disaster which took the lives of 9 other miners.  Amazingly, he spent the entire time imprisoned in a space which measured 1.5 ft. x 2.0 ft. x 4 ft.  Source document  PDF Format


Nine miners were killed and five were injured from a cave-in that occurred in the Anaconda mine.

The deceased:
  • John Smith
  • William Clark
  • John Nordstrom
  • Seward Stewart
  • William Highland
  • Jerry N. Harrington
  • Timothy C. Murphy
  • Quinn Leary
  • Daniel Sheehan




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