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The Bloody Pit’s 195 Deaths at Hoosac Tunnel
They called it the “Bloody Pit” for good reason. When work on the Hoosac Tunnel began in 1851, no one knew it would claim 195 lives.
Irish and Cornish immigrants dug through rock day and night, using hand tools and black powder at first. Then came the worst day – October 17, 1867.
A candle lit naphtha fumes, causing an explosion that killed 13 miners trapped 583 feet below. New tools sped up work but brought new risks…