This day in history: 2 men died in ‘rock burst’ at Galena Mine; dairy company prepared to harvest ice in North Idaho

From 1974: Two miners died in a terrifying “rock burst” 4,000 feet deep in the Galena Mine near Wallace, Idaho.

About 90 men were at work when the rock became unstable from pressure deep in the mine and “caused rock to fall from the walls and ceiling in the tunnel.”

Herman Heier, 57, and Donald Dunkle, 50, were trapped by debris, but the other miners were able to escape. The bodies of the two miners were later found amidst tons of debris.

From 1924: A brutal cold snap in the region was particularly welcomed by the region’s once-important ice industry.

The Hazelwood Company said it was preparing to harvest 100,000 tons of ice at Bonanza Lake and Cocolalla Lake in North Idaho.

The ice was already 11 inches thick and harvest was set to begin within a week. A crew of about 250 men was preparing to saw the ice into two-by-three-foot cubes and float them to conveyor belts. Then the ice would be stored in large storage houses along the railroad lines.

Some of the ice would be saved for Hazelwood’s own needs – it was a dairy company – and the rest would be shipped by rail around the country.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1989: After 23 years of dictatorial rule, Romania ousts Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

1990: Labor activist Lech Wałęsa sworn in as Poland’s first popularly elected president.

2010: Repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy”, a 17-year-old policy banning homosexuals serving openly in the US military, signed into law by President Barack Obama.