Belle Isle Salt Mine Explosion

On June 8, 1979 in Franklin Louisiana (St. Mary Parish), 5 men were killed in the Belle Isle Salt Mine.  Access to the mine is off limits now, but at the visitor center in Franklin, there is a magnificent statue dedicated to those that died in the event.

According to the United Stated Mine Rescue Association:
Shortly before 11:00 p.m. on June 8, 1979, a scheduled blast was initiated in the Belle Isle Mine, a salt mine. About ten minutes later a gas explosion occurred, sending intensely hot hurricane-like winds throughout the mine. These gales blew out ventilation controls, including stoppings and doors, and upended trucks and other heavy machinery. Standing at the surface when the explosion occurred, a general mine foreman compared the explosion's sound to that of a dozen freight trains.
Twenty-two miners were underground when the explosion occurred. One group of six miners successfully dialed the surface with a make-shift telephone improvised from two damaged telephones.

Surface workers responded by clearing obstructions from a nearby shaft, and then sending down a mancage, which hoisted the miners to safety. Meanwhile, another group of seventeen miners spent about an hour inching toward a shaft through pitch-dark, intensely hot, debris-filled corridors.

Upon reaching the shaft the survivors banged on its gate, signaling their location to surface workers. Surface workers then freed the shaft's mancage, which had been lodged in the headframe by the explosion's concussive winds, and sent it down to the survivors.

By 2:45 p.m. the stranded miners were lifted to safety. Five other miners were killed in the explosion.
http://www.usmra.com/saxsewell/belle_isle_salt_79.htm

When me and my hubby made the trip, we were hoping to be able to visit the actual salt mine...it's been closed for quite a while and the lady working at the visitor center said that it was only accessible by boat.  That would have been fun!

Oh well....Now to track down some of the survivors and family members to record their story.

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