Milford Mine Collapse

At 3:58 PM, 13 minutes after Contract 13 caved in and water began filling the mine, water and mud had poured into the workings and filled the mine completely. Miners Emil Kaine, Frank Hvratin, and Matt Kangas made it out, and Harry Hosford, waist deep in water and mud at the top of the shaft on the surface, was pulled to safety. By this time, a total of 41 miners had perished in the Milford Mine collapse. Clinton Harris, who was minding the mine's skip, was also sounding the mine's warning whistle; he had probably been warned early enough to save himself, but had either tied the warning whistle to himself so it would continue to blast or become entangled in the cord, and the whistle blared for hours until engineers could disconnect it.

Minnesota · United States