Join Helena College and the Lewis & Clark County Library for The Speculator Mining Disaster of 1917 with Doug Ammons on Thursday, February 20 at 6 pm.

The Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine Disaster of 1917 was the largest hard rock mining disaster in American history, killing 168 men in Butte, Montana. An unexpected fire deep in the main shaft trapped hundreds of miners deep underground, and they attempted to escape by any means possible through adjacent mines as the smoke and poison gas invaded the tunnels. This is a mining story on the surface, but the real story is of the human spirit, revealing what our deepest nature is when we are suddenly thrust into life and death situations with no warning.

Author Doug Ammons is a recognized author of books, essays, and articles about kayaking, philosophy of adventures sports, and Montana history. He has written articles for Rapid Magazine, Kayak Session, Canoe & Kayak Magazine, Coast Mountain Culture, and Distinctly Montana. Books will be available for sale and signing after the program.