Mine Disasters

.

Mine

Disasters U.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration National Mine Health and Safety Academy

Other Training Materials aT 32

2000

Heroes Mine ~. \- . . , .' '.of ':::\ the .~, .'( -'," Perish inVaIn' For

:'::::. .:..'.....::,,'.:....:.,.... :....... :.:........ .........,.;:..... :..:,...:.:..,..,:.....'..; ,"', ...:........:.:':.. ,...............

.".... .;.....i......:'......... ',.... ....... ..:.;.........:.:... ., .......:...,... :,'" .:. _,,:e,

,Rescue of............,......... Comrades .................... .. ............... .. .. .. ........ ".. Descending the Pit, They Load Cage With " ...........:...:..........:....... :.' ......:... .. ....:.: .......' ........:.: :.... ...... ,: " the Surface

Men, and When It Reaches

. Every' Occupant, Rescuers and Workers, Is Dead.

. ;: .: .

OR MORE' IN THE FLAMING. TOMB .," ,........... ',,' .....:

All Hope of Taking Any of Them Oíit Alive Is Abandoned, alHl the Exact Number of Victims Wil Not Be Known, at I;east, Until Some Time Today. \ ',~~:, .,',,' ", t8YAU"ti/ÚIIP,.ÚlfcTklDj$;i:iIc1i.~ in.., Nov. 13::-~iiDe oftclé)'lJ, ot,the 8t.Pal(r:d,Cós.ï',:/d)m~ SHERitY, ps:nynilne, wherd"&iiexplqslon,oi;curred today;: !láY:'400.nl'en' r "

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION CENTER AND LIBRARY

TELEPHONE: 304/256-3266

FAX: 304/256-3372

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You can also obtain sources of information on mine safety and health from the Academy's Technical Information Center and Library (TICL). The TICL is the largest library in the United States devoted to mine safety and health. It provides reference assistance so you can quickly locate and

access books, hard copy documents, microfilm documents, journals, audiovisual materials, or electronically-stored materials. The TICL also offers timely

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research studies, technical reports, investigations, etc,; locates and makes available to users resources beyond the scope of the TICL's collection; develops and maintains a comprehensive collection of mine health and safety information; preserves and maintains a historical collection of mine safety and health documents for current users and for posterity; and trains users and potential users on the usefulness ofthe Library contents/services and how to obtain information quickly and of

easily,

Mine Disasters u.s. Department of Labor

Elaine L. Chao

Secretary Mine Safety and Health Administration Dave D. Lauriski

Assistant Secretary Other Training Material aT 32

2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction-Timeline...................,.........................,...................,...............,..... 1

Legislative History...........................................................................................3

Mining Disaster Facts. ..............,........................................................................5 DISASTERS

1900-Scofield Mines No.1 & 4, Carbon County, UT...............................................7 1907-Monongah No.6 & 7, South of Fairmont, WV................................................9

1910-Cherry Mine, Cherry, IL............ ........................ .., ..................... ... ...... ....13

1911-Banner Mine, Littleton, AL..............,.......................................................19 1912-Cincinnati Mine, Washington County, PA...................................................20

1914-Eccles No.5 & 6, Eccles, WV....................................................................22

1916-Jamison No.7, Barrackvile, WV...............................................................25 1945-Sunnyside No.1, Carbon County, UT.........................................................27

1946-Centralia, IL.......,.........................,.................................................... ..29 1968-Belle Isle, Calumet, LA......... ............ ......... ............ ......... ......... ....... ........32

1968-Farmington, WV....... .............,.............. ............................................... .34 1974-Sunshine Mine, Kellogg, ID... ........ ....... ....................... ............... ...... ........36 MINE DISASTER CHARTS

1839-2000-Coal Mine Disasters..............................,........................................ .37 1869-2000-Metal and Nonmetal Mine Disasters....................................................52

LINE

INTRODUCTION - TIME

As early as 1865, a bil was introduced in Congress to create a i.'ederal Mining Bureau. However, little was done until a series of serious mine disasters occurred after the turn of the

century. In response to these disasters, the public demanded Federal action to stop the excessive loss of life in America's mines. 1891

The first Federal mine safety statute applies to mines in U.S. Territories. Its provisions cover underground coal mine ventiation and bar mine operators from employing children who are under the age of 12.

1888 - 1910

Roof falls, haulage accidents, and explosions kil thousands of miners. The deadliest year is 1907 when 3,242 miners perish. Over 360 are kiled in the Monongah explosion, the deadliest mining accident in U.S. history. 1910

Congress establishes the Bureau of Mines. 1941

Congress passes the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act a year after 257 miners die in four separate explosions.

1947 - 1951

The Centralia explosion claims 111 victims in 1947. In 1951, just hefore Christmas, 119 miners die in an explosion at the Orient No.2 Mine. 1952

Congress passes the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act, 1966

The 1952 Act is amended. Congress passes the Federal Metal and Nonmetallc Mine Safety Act.

1969

The F'ederal Coal Mine Health and Saf~ty Act of 1969 takes effect a year after an explosion at the Consol No.9 Mine at F'armington, West Virginia kils 78 miners. 1972 - 1976 Ninety-one miners die in a fire in 1972 at the Sunshine Mine at Kellogg, Idaho. In 1976, a pair

of explosions at the Scotia Mine at Ovenfork, Kentucky kil 26 people. 1977

The F'ederal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 combines coal and metaUnonmetal health and safety law into one piece of legislation.

Unidentified Family at Disaster Scene

2

LEGISLA TIVE HISTORY 1910 Public Law 61-179 creates the Bureau of

Mines. federal safety and health roles are limited to

research and investigation. 1941

Under Public Law 77-49, federal inspectors obtain right of entry to mine property to make annual or other inspections and investigations in coal mines, No safety or health regulations are mandated. 1947

Public Law 80-328 includes the first Federal safety standards for bituminous coal and lignite

mines. The law allows federal inspectors to notify mine operators and State mine agencies of violations. There are no enforcement provisions, and the law expires after one year. 1952

Congress passes Public Law 82-522, the .Federal Coal Mine Safety Act. Underground coal mines are to be inspected yearly. Anthracite mines are included under the law. However, all surface coal mines and all operations employing fewer than 15 people are exempted. The 1952 Act includes mandatory safety standards for underground coal mines with more

stringent standards for "gassy" mines. federal inspectors have the authority to withdrawal orders in situations of imminent danger and to issue notices of violation. Orders of withdrawal are mandated for less-serious violations that are not properly corrected. State inspectors are allowed to enforce federal standards under a State plan system.

1961

Public Law 87-300 authorizes study of causes and prevention of injuries and health hazards in metaI/nonmetal mines. federal offcials have right of entry to collect information. 1966

In 1966, Public Law 89-376 extends the coverage of the 1952 Act to small underground coal

mines. It provides for issuance of withdrawal orders in cases or repeated unwarrantable failures to comply with standards. The law expands the scope of education and training programs.

3

1966

Public Law 89-577, the Federal Metal and Nonmetallc Mine Safety Act of 1966, specifies procedures for developing safety and health standards for metal/nonmetal mines. These standards can be "advisory" or "mandatory." Underground mines are to be inspected every year and Federal inspectors can issue notices of violation and orders of withdrawaL. State inspectors are allowed to enforce Federal standards under a State plan system, and the law

addresses education and training programs. 1969

Congress passes Public Law 91-173, the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. Underground coal mines are to be inspected four times each year, and surface mines are included under the provisions of the Act. Although there is no longer a distinction between "gassy" and "nongassy" mines, gassy mines are to receive additional inspections. Miners can request inspections, and State enforcement plans are discontinued.

The law strengthens safety standards for all coal mines and adopts health standards. It also

incorporates procedures to develop new health and safety standards. Mandatory fines are established for all violations. Criminal penalties are attached to "knowing and wilful" violations. The law institutes a training grant program and benefits are provided to miners who are disabled by black lung. 1973

An administrative action creates the Mine Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA)

as a new Agency of the Department of the Interior. MESA assumes health and safety enforcement functions formerly carried out by the Bureau of Mines. 1977 Congresses passes Public Law 95-164, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. It

places coal and metal/nonmetal mines under a single piece of legislation. It retains separate health and safety standards for coal and metal/nonmetal operations. The law moves the enforcement agency to the Department of Labor and renames it the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

The 1977 Act requires four annual inspections at underground coal mines and two annual inspections at all surface mines. The law eliminates advisory standards for metal/nonmetal mines and discontinues State enforcement plans.

The law creates provisions for mandatory training of miners and requires mine rescue teams for all underground mines. It also increases the involvement of miners and their

representatives in health and safety activities.

4

MINING DISASTER FACTS The term "mine disaster" historically applies to mine accidents claiming five or more lives.

. THE WORST COAL DISASTERS OF THE PAST 55 YEARS

Explosion

Pond Creek Mine, WV

Ex losion Ex losion

Wilow Grove Mine, OH Smith Mine, MT

Explosion

Centralia Mine, IL

; Explosion

. Ex losion

, Orient No.2 IL Farmin ton, WV

. THE THREE WORST COAL MINE DISASTERS IN U.S. HISTORY

Explosion Explosion

Monongah, WV

Ex losion

Sta Canon, NM

Cherr Mine IL

. THE FIVE WORST METAL AND NONMETAL MINE DISASTERS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS

1942. 1943 1943 1972 ---_..-------1968

Explosion

Ex losion Ex losion Fire Fire

Sandts Eddy, PA Fo d Mine, TN Cane Creek, UT

: Sunshine Mountain in Car il, Belle Isle, LA

Limestone Co er Potash Silver Salt

31 9 18

._91 21

5

. THE THREE WORST METAL AND NONMETAL MINE DISASTERS IN U.S. HISTORY

1-Flood Fire

I Granite Mountain,- MT . ~o.pper

Uf ,Barnes Sunshine Mountai~ilver Hecker, M~--~on

. RECENT MINE DISASTERS

1976 1979 1980 1981 1983 1984 1989 1992

2 Explosions Explosion

; Ex losion Ex losion Ex losion , Fire Explosion Ex losion

Scotia Mine, KY

Belle Isle, LA==alt

Ferrell No.1, WV . Coal ~utch Creek No.1, CO Coal . McClure ivine, V A Coal

Wilberg Mine, UT Coal Willam Station, KY Coal Norton No.3, VA ' Coal

. DISASTERS INVOLVING WOMEN IN THE MINES On October 2, 1979, Marilyn McCusker was kiled while working inside a deep coal mine in Pennsylvania. She was the first woman coal miner killed on the job. It had taken her 2 years and a sex discrimination suit in federal court to get a job as a coal miner. She was one of 144 fatalities in the mines that year. In later years, women perished in both the McClure and Wilberg disasters.

. DECLINING MINING ACCIDENTS Over the years, the annual numbers of mining deaths and rates of injuries (measuring numbers of injuries against hours worked) have declined. Today and in the future, preventing mine accidents and disasters remains the utmost priority of management, labor, and government.

6

Scofield Disaster 'vay 1, 1900

Winter Quarters Mine Disaster Excerpt from The Dav 200 Miners Died 100 Years A!w tragedy; since then the death

contributed to a massive relief

toll has been exceeded three

fund established by Utah

times in different states, all

Governor Heber M, Wells to

within 14 years of the Winter

Quarers disaster, Sal t Lake City's three daily papers tried to make

sense of the chaos and

emotional convulsions that wracked the small buL growing mining communities

of Scofield and Winter Quarters in the northwest corner of coalrich Carbon

County, Early estimates of the

number of dead ranged from 200 to 350, and articles about the explosion sometimes Readers of Salt Lake

City's Desert Evening News raced over those few introductory lines the day after

an explosion tore through the workings of Winter Quarters No, 4, near Scofield, Utah, 115

miles southeast of the state's

capital. On the day of the explosion, May 1, 1900, the News reported that "an ary of men" had been killed in an explosion that very morning,

included conflicting accounts,

mistaken identifications, charges and countercharges (some directed at competing

papers), and passages dripping

with editorial venom for

specific ethnic groups among those immigrants who worked the coal mines in eastern Utah. Despite these shortcomings,

the papers succeeded in capturing the courage of those

When the last body would be recovered, that army would

who searched for survivors, the pain of the many widows

number 200 Utah coal miners,

and orphans and the resilience

At the time, the United States

of human nature as hundreds

h,id never recorded so many lÎves lost in a sÎngle coal mine

of Utahns and others

assist bereaved families, The

melodramatic prose of these papers painted an evocative landscape of Scofield those

first weeks in May, but in that landscape of gray clouds that clung to the valleys and

canyons, of mourning clothes and of faces streaked with

tears and coal dust, the

predominant color was black.

When Winter Quarters No.1 first opened about 1878,

the coal was carried out the only possible way by mule,

Before long the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway laid tracks down Pleasant

Valley, about 16 miles

southwest of the main line junction in Colton, providing

rail transportation for the region's high quality coal to

Salt Lake City and other points in the West. By 1896, the Pleasant Valley Coal Co.,

which operated Winter Quarters IN os. 1 and 2, as well

as the Castle Gate Mine at nearby Helper, Utah, produced 60 percent of Utah's coaL. The

companis niines continued to

flourish to such a point that in 7

Scofield Disaster May 1, 1900

Recovered Bodies of Scofield Miners Being Transported

Despite that

reputation,

miners were safely at horne

Pleasant Valley Coal Co, mines suffered several fatal

enjoying their supper, and no

one was injured. In the

accidents,

company's other 1tnes, coal

In 1890, an explosion kiled three miners at Castle

dust was not considered as

Coal Co, opened new m fines in 1899 at Clear Creek,

Gate. As a result, the company

Gate, and miners blasted coal loose at any time, Less than six

April 1897, Butch Cassidy's band rode in from Robber's

Roost to steal $7,000 in gold

from Castle Gate's payroll offce. The Pleasant Valley

Sunnyside and Winter Quarters No, 4, the next year,

despite the work lost following the explosion, the company's mines produced

nearly 1.1 million tons of coal, or 88 percent of Utah's

production,

During the last quarter of the 19th century, these

adopted a new blasting system that required all shots to be

fired electrically from the surface and only after all 1tners had left the 1tne at the

hazardous as it was at Castle

weeks after the destructive explosion at Castle Gate, coal

dust would earn new-found respect for its explosive

end of the shift. Ten years

qualities, but at an unexpected

later, another explosion ripped

cost to eastern Utah,

through the Castle Gate Mine,

wrecking 200 1tne cars,

mines had earned a reputation

blowing out all the stoppings

as being among the safest in the \Vest, Many miners

and knocking down doors, timbers and props all along

followed that reputation to

the main entries, More than

Carbon County from mines in

200 miners had been working

Wyoming after explosions

at Castle Gate that day, but

there in 1881, 1886 and 1895

when fired shots touched off

took more than 100 lives.

an explosion of coal dust, most 8

Monongah Disaster December 7, 1907

F I ames Break Out; All Efforts United

Against New Danger Rescuers Withdrawn and Crowds Flee in Panic-Pour

Water Into Depths and Shut Off AIr to Smother

Blaze-Now Under Control. B1 JO'C F, COWAK. 5ta COW.~.oi.

(SI,cW Trlrl"" i. T.. Di.,.i,".)

BULLETIN FAI R!\10NT, W. Va., Dee 9,-At 2 o'clock offcers üf -the mine ¡,nnouhced (ire under control and ~aid re5cue work would resume, Anotitr hod~ h'as '\1stbeen taken from the mine,Clre 'Uan, gtQlotii in thO leonolD.

FAIRMONT, W Va.. Dec. 8.-Flr.

Extant of Fire UnkO'.

lt _ or tbe UnlL. BtAte o.loo.

ca. 8ar who In..'(ict. the Na.nil ~ at y.y-itA aty. l.... ea, in'tÀ

I. &ddltl to the horror ot the Monoi:

The tie wu loca.leby OUb or-the

Øh mtno dlauler. Flam_ .molder-

nllul. part..,. which, bad llnelted

iot 1.5 r_ -i"to No, 8 ine.

Wfk. ,i. hi pcrwuhi, bt. In..~U¡atiO'1

bTke' ou~ atnib wheu. aJr CUrT1Hlta

/1 u. air holoa iei"C .to tho

_rl. toy and ~It oontiu'C. bla w.or~

Inr In th cloud. at atteHD toy reched tho .. ork1np an'd .. second eo: ploaton 1. tbret~Ðd_

í At' o'clock lbJ. i.eroon It wu

.0( tla.t..tbe p~ of thQ tire could

ii lonòr be coceod: Tho r...

were .toppe and th'e i'escuen weN. oter.rförthwlth to 'th." "'Ilurla.e. ro':t,e tirst time ,t. ~F'lda.y morn-

ii th& bliT"- tn l.,.tèlo&, partlOt ,taru their ba 'OU' theIr dea oom~

nd.. In the ml. If tho f1n 'ar no oon oxUÍllihed Ib"" wil be

UUle hope nt recoverin.g m&.T of the

bol61 which are hldder 10 the r&(¡UM or'the trwnlns bilL.

Ton.lgbt the 'WOTk at reac~ hu,i boon turned to .. lrt"lei:to the death wtth

the tlre demoQ. W..lør hu bo pipe

boo the ~ and no et!art th..t the

hui had'ca m&.e I. betng .pared

to. wi. the bU. With. Ui" nè" !ò

nrt"&. thro'U,b 'd.i.re ea.uMd by t2e lnpa 01 tho eX'Ploalon .make be

lOT the QOTeTmcrt. He eate the minl" unti the end of ib. week.

Tbå '6n\ InÜøailon tbat the ~eral

p. to eK&øe Tbe nre I. tn one or

public 'reel."fe4 that, tbe teh' entry. 10

the tef .14_ -ilrlet ot No.8 mine.

No. I i:ne wU on' fie w~ when the

TouLct C. W. Watson. prMldent of

mea, cniaac: 10 relGti work III No. 8

the eompa, .tatethat the Mrlou. mioc were ,.thdnwo tblii afternoon and WHl' t)~ed b/lcli and ¡('It the S(rn~. f'-

luc1ntly untl1 ih~ :)¡Ilafll' ILnriol1n(l"d Üi"L .notli~eipi(..iùn wu H1Iule to. hlLp~n at

'any moment, ImllLntly the crowd ect. teNi :ilon¡ the trolley traclu., OVl'l' thl: hUla and iLl)me nin l)ll m~\l acrou the

bndft to the to'i.

tl . th or peope rbo, b.d i,o

drwn to th mout. or the: mine tbro,:ib

cuo&t1' ware forced, 1.cK Ù1 the pohce. ,'It .. ~.at tbat tlme thAt t\re

had be' ,di-i~ iii No. 8 rnlac aiid tht . aod. e.odOD WU (eare Eft.

TheN! were .ume in the throng about the

ODe waJ wamed to 'be u far awly from mie .. poaallkl but ihh appeare t(L the

join in the panic, Tht'1l inon" men iin.\

the mine. iñ. ru'or çnad hke wl\ilfirc

mln_ 'Dtrao.Cti. hO"'lf"r. who did nol

womm who h.(1 il,.iir on,... in the lUolLn¡

~ pcle mo. anxous to approaci tbat. No. B mine. ... ''On 6.rc. a.ci U\ u;,.

t"triei. Irutinc~¡v,.ly tlit'y deoirel to ~ p,o-n 'lU !rU"d in 'No: 6 (rom K~ maii iirde.or--Wr.o-i i!~. -80m. commUnicalln. ..ith the Aun".. ha to be drTC' bak from the tàt& pita W1 the 'Worke1" hi the minM ""rT u-

-i, LblA M1 ~r t.b.'work oLrvlie!

Wu iooa on. The mor'R- we crwde

ak upo the bOlade Lbe boi~ o! loin'O( "the TÌmi wen QeiDC oowmitl.e'to ilii IfTCI.

9

Monongah Disaster December 7, 1907

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t ... Morgue at Monongah December 1907

10

Monongah Disaster December 7, 1907

Imposirble to OÖnoe Langel".

Thi (utb.. Inu, tb. mli'..' lho wor.en

.\ io.d ox.tJ.... tbat it ..

proto tl. r..tor tbo d..trclion II

TÒma hroti. eff' in ,,po .ed 1m

.re COpl.tlr b(oo."1 by 1.11. o( ,i.t..

pr the rv pa.. in No, S ~'hd

tb. mlho!' "'oro ~"Or\rK, WLL ODiere,

f""ml thi l¡ i. IO at thi lidl.ed

wer !.c: in lb. mint._ '

3 S uppDsed Dead

AUra and Well; One In Hospital

fouild \Q be, M..oy old, onl".. .cd rol)'"

Uno rom, wh." Ii wat know \"0 01

i, ~ dci thia ..&l .DO dn t. lhtl but ¡Oltead of flndln¡ ih. bloc...'" "w &n ti the ,.. lb w. hod bc bo.. 01 the two mln,!', tON iud to,"

at. &1' th,. mi .. to .i." th. Uui.w;Ol 01 tho oe ",otc fi &n

olol.t. "'.. 10UDd bUl'rlnr thor 10 th.t it will be..oiil dol" b,fore their bOd¡~

Patriok MoDonald Blown '100

he reV9Od. Tli nme condiwo to ~'.u-h &i ""hi IL __ .caa of .t1..Lr, ¡. ,~rted it many ather point oJhi. oxOCii t.' inib\ OO,

Or ho ~ IOt to No, ~ mi \(

Feet and Miie UnoonsoiouB.

in iL.. LDÎle.

ojwiLltJ ~ re of the a: .. ~, ot tJ ~. /A W"rk~ th., C.. C.r

R,.pld Work .1 No.6.

Oth81 on Visits.

.At No. e: mine tody Dearly & dozen

wer reovered and "mond to tbe Itr"& .ti.øo.."f. 1I..t_._~dad_t. ronc at tJ oll_ ,i .tJ copay ., bodie. De. !!.-YotIr of i.~, oi.01l .i.. ind. &n moriUe, Al-but three of tbta have ~n U'l...7'.iii..-NQ'Di'l.tr.tl

the __ ~i.tion ~mi oC th. ot

of 1he Wi".ho he....i &1 th t."o'

iJentified _ IU their co.ndition 'lu\itter FAmMONT. W. Vå.,

the dlrter wue

than e~. The worK at ~o.,~ pro- the rçpo v1ci~II of

ii i. t. ooDdi ti _ be mtlh ¡iae rapidly, o..lnr to tb. ooDdi\io" of ~ be &l.. i. w.. an.it... ir¡¡bl \0 loii OOD' the po-roll"'" there, until tho rlOuer Oci of th"". Pitr Mellld, .tel,

-i lb i.Uit. Ur$ ha i- dla, Six-Two Bodes Removed. Si'\iobo... hn. i- tùen CroOl

..... order rom ih. mice be..u.. of th. bn-ab t!;r- iDd ch, w.. .d;.. tempoi:I',~tloD o( "or. .t So, g, ,,,,,,,UlI..i_I' booW, Ho;baa jwot It "'AI nec to'b&,'e & Lue forte of reCr 'cina and had' ben mine ~n1, .pew! o!Iiceril and ll'ÜC' pla ,in the.imtituti.n uoder th Iiprw (rom F&\.t :", .Id' In holdn¡ th. ol tbat.i. .... i lo"lrer,

ii. in 1.... t.cht. Th,' Dumbe wil crowd. in .cbPCk "t thí, point, ow-in¡ to it. Wor 'W-.lmedl.ieJ,let to bia .." be . oi en i- i" .. .i t hi OIon i. ben¡ IIto.te ,'n.': Fairmont. Tbe iwo

C..day~L

Th.. hz' oro tued by oll of, th. co.,",. ..ho toy ni. th.

¡nine. i. abct & m1le..Jp&rt, being prt" aud c1i and ther ..',.' Jarlat re

tlc:lly equally dlitant hom Monon¡l.li. At union. whlh, n.dodcialy ..ben tle,phy'

both mlnq mci~rs ot rf'uiri~ r~rtie. iici int.ms. u tM .wt. !-iul

Are" heinr. takm..!rm thr mint1 In Wt"'i. th&t the adteent"Wc:Ul tbe !n'a' cilain ty in.i ti-tl to. ~er . the. di en~ 'and WKÒråOlll concltion¡ but 'after deali' WhU. ". b..hnr.biibo ii th. bein¡ out or :the wat' /I fe" hOUN they ~d wa 'Wrk otttdii mine herl.." tuof ""eri oc' 01 the bi\ve (ullT,'i:ve1. ~Qne,Or Llie ~cucr. NI), a wbtn the uplO1on oeoumi. lIe bo.. in.1L .~b¡. .li,li.be who have, \)Q overcome i. noW ¡w'., kn. W'u Ju. ibout to rH'ta the Iniac ",ben .bacdoied,. --~ to ii oplaJoi of DII' oondltlqi. tb. ooncioD h'urled hi on 100 feet In (he mQrnio¡ when tho tWt) hnl'iH"C uiiM' the brd~ leang to the tIpple, mine ap ot.'bo'~fI_ çei. elor .¡( .riiinie th.. lw1ul

-'!\l-i three -bucJicl ..~rç ri:oycd trom

Nil,. a mlne'lhll .ri~moon, lwo h,lng tho", of _~ motonnin and a brakeman found

,nea! Ui~ir cir it the tiut ,left. ertry oil

the north beadier, ni:u 'Where the third

i. full óperotloi at ~o, 8 .nd th. bi~ i.n H

at,No. 6 be. wOTkin¡ l¡roperly\,it l. n. e wu. m.torin tn'tho mine, and wu

peeUd plentT.~ o!Ïr~h air will e .forci:d IUppo to hne be O' tbe Ul-flted train into ,both mJun to provide for the rttKuil\i that broke itl eouplin¡ '1nd &ahed back

p:irtet.. .&n_ frh ,mea trom dilftanl mlci:iI into the ,mJne, eaualn¡ the l=1~on. ne

,boy.... (ouDd, _ All ..ero b&ly bume

wil _la be pr:ect to aid in the work.. had be detaled at thCl cmtnn. an hour

.bl., to rccoiinLu them :Ilt th.e morifC,

¡larlIM. dh1d0 .Into iMv.n ,bift. conii.tJ'nll aiùlng. TIe will ~VeT.

about 1ç.e face and han.ò., but!ri~nd. were

Iniit)or Paul lCaliilit bad thfl, N'iie ptfloUJ to, bandJo lomi.loaùel cari 011 a

Ai (ut u the bolt1 IUt remDved from ô~ .u, men in... bol, . Every, nllQ t. pro The citbe- thr men wbo .. lb~~ht the mloe. thcy arc 1,101 taken to: tbe vided with ..~tuP oJ thp minG, II i:ny' 1 to be ,.etiin but l'pf are Rai. ~!~h, mOT¡-c and prepred lor litrial. Aller them never'w.r- employed there, Marie I1rentiilla and Anebt' Fìpow. J. he two former went to Cl.rkwUT, to \;81t beng p.ICed' In coffin. they are ia.en 10 Crowd Utterly Uncontro/lfd, &om. Crind ..rly in the oiornio¡ 01 the an .dj~ininR room, where ll.iteud,. ItrC'lm

of people file. by all-day loni. When ii Tli.,rap~dLty' wlth which tiie remain. nplo.1on and ùid not n~tily theIr bmirù. boy i. ,rcc.0vn;r.ed by relailve. or friends btglln to he t:nriid liite tliì, llternor.ri in¡ bO of tbdr intention.. Th~ were tlie iQ(ormaiionl is ato-cc '¡lven to Cor- and e".ening. ne~8it!lted 'the c04l rompan1 ¡:ven a royal ~eption wbc:n tblr aponer E. S. Amoii, who bu. been on duiy linC.c the, fint boi.y Wi" brougbt from the' minC!.

tlreini into' "TVÎce a. nuii~r of,tranaf('r J*re todAY. "a¡ona. Tbe."\rer.'Oli~d with Iitniw antI Spa"', one of thi m~ IUppo.ed to hui

Qut¿dc the morzie in the mud Ita.nÙl 1110 irrewio1T\work of cartin¡ thl" clUlTTcd.be blow~n into the nver it. th..entraD.~ rem&lna'aerOl tli. rlv,tr through the.Qtniio 01 mine Np. IS, w.u not it wor~ that fate

i Ib(Tonn¡ mail o( hutIaiiLty flnr oC

tM pwl. livlDr ~ tb.,. 'Cor bou.., crowd Iapn.; &:.n.. th..t ".~r.,uliiifo.iy fu oioro¡. "'h~ h. ¡..mod th.t bl. i-iriwin¡, the cold to iet & t'hao.c to once .~¡n g&LO or1 the !i' ot their rlmd on~.

.patbetic tratiired~ 'rho WMpin. pi thii friend. ~re moiin:i.g him &I J~J he ¡ORt be-1'ed oti~' u .thl' IltHy chBJIfld ifter no time in returnin¡ from a ViiLt lo Onf.

,After the ÙlcntJûcatioD of th~ Wj~ ant! 'tlitt V'ehi.lu'wu be-rtreoòin~, Tli'ty ohr. ton. wli.elmed t.he m~' .. in their. claaiot' for hold. the InaUC1C; inil r~rmrli tbt. relAti,'cl .. look it tbe d and it 1(i.. nec....ry tu 10 rc:rtovt' lnr. t. their hae", Tb~ bod- dnTe them ba ,by force and c.riw ropu iC' at aI, P')!:.h mioers are bciii~ removed aCrOl,the man .trt't. the~re claimed br fneiù.,'CorQDC' ArnOl

tr) tht" ro~l\h cLurch juiit abol"~ ~ronon¡nh

at fr..~ Q1\ the-y' arc IdentifieJ 't1niÌ nre lJdn¡l 1,1IJt'fh)1i iht' i-unient uf th:¡t eti.

r.ei.

Picluta .... rtatloDed IDd tho crowù

thiu h.ld In. cb.d.. 'It..ould DD¡Y.~p.i;

when th-i ~ry&l ot death wtni forecd throu¡h to til. th., 'bodi.. to th. com..

lor..,

II

Monongah Disaster December 7, 1907

, .', .,

,~ ..

j'''-

'. ~

't" ~~~.~. .~ it \:-~~): ~d_

Peter Urban - Sole Survivor of J\'1onongah Disaster

12

Cherry Mine Disaster November 13, 1909

MINES AND MINERALS

U~1910

~E CHERRY MINE DISASTER

Ledge Limestone, G feet; soa;:stone, 10 feet; lliiii.:stunc G feet; black slate, a feet; .:JilLB Sllale, 1:3 teet; lime sha~e, 11 teet;

r'á W,ittø/! for Mi"n (lIid J-f.israh TheP-ll~t ot the dis"ster at the

42:3

Cherry :,rin~ of the

blue shale, 1.') feet; clay stiale, It ted; soapstoiie, '2 feet; lime shale, 10 feet: brown shale, :2 fect; bIii.. sh;tle, .) Ü:d; red sh.i~c

St P:iul Cri;il Co., pltblished in the December issue of :\IINEs

14 feet: lime shale, 10 feet; limestone, :.n feet: lime rock, L fùo~;

"':'lJ :i!i:-¡-;:cu,s, was correct in so far as data were available at

sand rock, :2l feet; soapstone, LL fcet~ black slate, :3 fee.t; coa~. first vein, :j,¡ feet; fire clay, 5:3 feet; lime sh:de, 1D feet; 5an(:stone, 9 feet: soapstone, !l feet: black slate,:3 teet; coal, second

the time, excepting tto stóltements In

Tbe OriiliD

that account it was Stated th;¡t the fan

vein (323.2 feet), 5,2 feet; fireclay, ,8 foot; lime shale, :3 feet;

Its Effect, aad

was ordinarily nmàs an exhaiist :iud that the main shaft was the downcast It

the Methods

should have reaù that the fan orùinarily

Eiøp(oi"d ia

ran as a blower, and., ~he main shaft was

52 feet; blue shale, .l feet; lime rock, 9 feet; black slate, 3 feet; black shale, 5 feet; bliic "hale, :3 feet; lime shal~, 2 feet; sand rock, 21 feet; soapstone, 2:. feet: black shale, 7 feet; soapstone, .l feet; coal, third vein, '1 feet. Tota!, .i85 ~eet Sump. Clay

of the Fire,

Rescue Work

the upeast. The otber' inaccuracy was the statement that Messrs. Williams and

:'Iams of the Urbana and Pittsburg TestiniooStatioris descended

to the bottom seam on

lime rock, 3 feet; limestone, 5 feet; blue shale, 14 teet; 30apstone,

and sand, :2 feet; sand rock, 14 feet.

The coal is abou: 5 teet

evening. This

thick, and is worked Liy, the

statement should have read "to the upper seam," Since

panet met11uu The roof above

Wednesday

thLS coal varies tlOm black

that article was prepared a

slate to white sanustone, and

joint invc."tigation has beeii

is vei-y defective in places

The Rour is fireclay ClbOl:t

carried on by the coroner's

1 foot thick. The ex~ent Ot

i',ny, a committee from the

State Mine Inspectors, consist-

Lhe minc IS shown by the

ing of Messrs Thos. Hudson

sketch map, Fig. 4, that gives

and Hugh McAllister, and the

only the entry development,

M.irch 31, 1909. About dun

Ilinois :\Iining Investigation

Commission.

men were working in this scam

While the_ investigation cannot be completed until the

at the time of the accident

The La Salle third. vein is

fonnd 485 feet from the surlace This is :H feet thick, and was worked long wall, as

mine has been unsealed. so that the conditions about the

shaft bottom can be studied, 'çhe following facts .have been brought out, the only break

shown in Fig. 5, ''vil:~':1 sL the development at aboi¡t Uic:

in the sequence of the. story

time of the fire The long--

wall portion of the mine had been opened up only about a

of the early stages of the disaster being the unaccountable absence of Alex. Rosenjack,

year, and at the time of the

the cag-er on the north side of

accident, approximately 20n

the air-shaft, and Robert

men were in this section. The

Dean, the eager on the south

side. These men have mys-

room-;irid-pillar mine ha,l1it~l'T; \Vorkcil for abCH\t ;i y(':ir~, ;iiid

teriously disappeared, and all

workings ha(! reached " d¡s-

ctforts to locate them have

tance of :3.00(j feet north of chc

main shaft, about 2,000 feet ~ri the east. abol1t 2,500 feet

thus far failed. The i r ~vidence, however, cannot mate-

south, ;:nd about 2,;j(10 feet

rially affect the story as to the cause of the fie

\Vest from the main shaft

The accompanying illustrations give the details of the mine workings, all of the plans

tion of the coal company to

and sections being taken

wall mine, as the middle vein

directly from the maps of the

is usually not particularly g-riod

It was the origin~tl inten-

work only the lower or l'jngiii the Bureau County coal fiel(l

company, excepting Pigs. 6, 7, and 8 that

are taken from

FiC). i.

DiiSC~OISC AIR SUA?'! \VI'l1I Hat-MSTS

sketches made by~(r, Geo. S.

Rice from the company's maps and here used by his courtesy. Two seams Ol coal were being mined a.t Cherry; the upper, known locally as the" Second Vein," is 3:23 feet; from the s'J.l".u:e

The strata throtlgh which the shaft wa" sunk are of intere~t on

account of the caving about the ::ottom of the shaft :it the

in which Cherry is sitiiated; hut, owing to the bett":l con-

ditiun at the middle vein, it wa:; l'xtt=nsively developci! ;lll(¡ the opening of the third vein postpi)ne,l 'l:le company hail plannciL to (iiscontinue work in the mii!,llt; win in the ne:ir future, w:iich will accOltnt for some 01: the J.pparently tempoci.y con:iections between the two veins awl tor the roundabout metho(! of t~iking the coal to the surfaçe fi"m the lower vein as expbineo'l l:.ter The details of the sh:ift bottom of the room-:ind-pillar mine

second vein, which necessitated the extensive cribbing, to be later, and which added so materially to the referred to in detail diffculty of extinguishing the fire The log of the shaft is as

are shown in Fig. ß, and section through the two slufts alùng ~he

follows:

broken line X X, Pig, 6, is shriwn iii Fig 7

Surface, 6 feet; yellow clay, 4 feet; blue clay, l:. fed;

gravel and clay, '2Î feet: hard brown' clay, 6 feet; sandy cby, :3 feet; silt, ß feet: green day, 6 feet: blue clay and gravel, J feet;

gravel and clay, 6 feet; gravel, :2 feet,

Both shafts extend"J (rom the ~iidace to the bWt~l se.iiii, as shown in Fig. 7. Th.~ coal from tIii i'ool1.an,!-pilbr workings was hoisted through the main sh;:ft ~llJ tho: ca~e foi. h,)isting

coa.l was lowered only to this level, where it rested on sump

13

Cherry Mine Disaster November 13, 1909

MINES AND illINERALS

424

blocks pl.ei:il across the shaft On top of tr.e sump blocks w:is an ircJn gra:iTl¡' :0 preven: coal £rom falling to the bottoin ill the shaft. This grating COii1tl be removed i: men were to be

(,oiste.! from the lower to the m¡ddlc seam In the sli¡ft, bdwecii the mi(~dle and lower seams, there was an auxiliary t:age fur hoisting men. This could be attached to the under part uf the main hoisting cage by So rope, on the end of which

there was a hook so that the end of the rope coul(l bi~ quickly attached to an eye under the cage, and the lower cag-e thus

FEBRUARY,

1010

There was a sump in the short ciit trom the main west :0 the air-shaEt at the entrance to the stable. The water from this sump was pumped to the surface by the pump l()c;it~Ü in the pump room.

The roof above the middle seam w:is bad in places, and just south of tlie main shaft, tOWard the ?ump room, the space trom which material had fallen was cribbed with h~avy timber, as shown in Fig. 9. This cribbing was 8 feet wide, 16 feet long, aad 12 feet high, and it proved a formidable obstacle in fighting

hoisted to 11 point just below the sump bars at the niiådle scam.

the fire around the bottom ot the shaft, for the reason that it

The air-shaft also penetrated to the bottom se~un, and

was diffcult to play Water on the fire in this timbering on

was fitted with a stairway througho\lt The coal from the lower seam was hoisted up the air-shaft in a cage which tr:ivcled

from the lo\ver seam to the middle seam, the engine being at the surface as shown in Fig. 7. There it was taken olT the

cage and hauled to the main shaEt by mules in either oE the

directions shown in Pig. ô; that is, throug-h the cast or the west

runaround, the empty trips being returned through the same

passageways. At the bottom of the air-shaft there was a movable G-foot ladder which connected the lower section of the stairway leading to the milldlc vein with the landing in the

lower vein. This coiilrl be mewed out of the way in order to give a free í1assageway arounJ the bottoin of the shaft At

the middle-seam landing 01 t:e air-shaft, entrance was made

account at its position back oE the main-shaft timbering. The cross-hatched portions on Fig. G show places where the r~üf feU

as a result of the fire, greatly impeding the work of rescue and the fighting of the I1re.

It was customary fot' the eager and his helper on the south

side of the air-shaft to push the empty cars through the runof the air-shaft (Fig S). The cars would then around at the left be gotten by the caget' and his helper on the north side of the

witched upon the cage, the empty car bltmping the loaded off the cage. air-shaft, pushed past the switch (/ ant1 then backs

At the joint investigations. the testimony brought out the train of incidents quite clearly, the only break being the evidence of the cagers Rosenjack and Dean at the air-shaft

77~

.)",¡,e:

,:QsJ

~~i~;: ~'Wi.h"

,.. '-~

,. il'~.~;¡.

1~10 2. SCENE AT CiHIRRY MINII, NOVEMBER 13, 11100

Fio. 3. FAN o\T CHiiRRY J,11Nii AniiR FIRS

from the stairw;.y to the landing through a trap d.oor, '2 ¡t

in the middle seam. A diß'est of this testimony shows th

X 3 ft. in size, placed between the rails in the runaround at

following as the probable course oE events: On the day of th

the west end of the air-shaft. The lower section of the stairway

from this point .,0 the surface was hinged so that it could be hung up out of the way in order to provide a clear passage around

the end of the shaEt for the passage oE cars from the south to the north side of the air-shaft.

The mine was ventilated by a reversible, steel, ClifIordCapell fan which;.ordinarily forced air down the air-shaft, the

hoisting shaft being the up-cast. The directions of thi; aircurrents about the shaft bottoms in the two seams are shown

fire, an empty trip had been brought from the main shaf through the east runaround ancl left on the tracks south o¡ th

air4shaft. This was about 1 :30 ? )t.. Friday. In this trip wa. a car containing six bales of hay. As waS customary, cars wer pushed through the runaround to the north side of the shaft t be caged and sent down to the lower seam. The eager anti hi.

helper on the south side of the air-shaft pushed the car of ha toward or into the nmaround and left it ~here near a bumin torch. The torches used on the shÛt bottom at this time wer

by the arrows in Figs. .5 and 6. As shown, the air is split at the point where the air-shaft cuts the second seam, the main

made from gas pipe about 1,. inches or 2 inches in diameter with a nipple on one end, which could be umcrewed for fillin

split going south to ventilate the workings; a small split passing through the stable to the main shaft; and another split going

the torch with oiL. At the other end, the pipe was turned u at right angles and tapered down so as to form a place (or hold

down the air-shaft to ventilate the lon6TWall workings in the third seam.

ing the wick. The pipe was hung by wire from the timber

The main.sh:ift bottom in the middle seam opened into the stable by three cross-cuts as shown in Fig. 6. In one of these there was a pump room A. The main shaft, west bottom was

connected with the air-shaft by the passageway C, in which there were two doors as shown. This passage served as :i short cut between shafts for the men, but as the track in it extendecl for only a part of the way north from the air-shaft tow::rd the

main west bottom, cars were taken by eitlii;r the cast or west runaround.

along the passageways. These torches were being' used tem

porarily, as the electric lighting system about the shaH bot toms was out Ot commission owing to a break in the cable.

new cable had bei;n ordered, but had not yet been recei ved. The helper from the south side of the air-shaft testifie

that after leaving the car of hay in position for it to be take by the men on the north side ot the air-shaft, he returned t his work of coupling up the loaded cars; when he next notice the hay, he saw it was on fire, antI the eager from the north sid was a.ttempting to push the cat' toward the south, away fro

14

Cherry Mine Disaster November 13, 1909

MINE

FEBRUARY, UJlO

425

~ND MINERALS

sixth so lith entries. On :he way ';Jack to the m3.iri entry be met

the shatto One bale at b,_trning h,ty--r a part oE :i bale--it is

Mr. S'.lUdy, the mine man:igcl' nu:i,ly went out to the shait

not i.ertain ivhich, waS taken out ot the car and left on ,he track

bottom and Eddy went tlwJugh ~ht: seventh anù eighth south

south o~ the shatt. The eager evidently changed his min,!.

entries notifyiag the men He met \Ir. WJ.ite, WllO went into the

ami att~mpted to push the car northW,irù. throug:i the run-

ninth a:iå tenth north entries. wh~ie E,Jrly finished in the eighth

around, :J~L~t the shaft, an(linto the 5ump at thè stable ent~ance.

south. They then met on :he main entry and w::iteJ tht:re

As he could not do this, he pulled the car ':ack toward the airshaft, and then descended t() the lmver scam to inform the men

until all the men i:i tlut part of the :nine hart passed theni,

when they started tor the hoisein¡; shaft, ':Jut \Vel(~ unable to

there that he expected to senÜ the loaded car down to the '80:-

reach it 00. account of bi"ctd::rnp Several time:; on Saturday and Sunday the party attemted to reach the bottom ot the hoisting shaft, but were driven back by the blacktlamp. They then retreated toward the end (jf the first and second north

tom of the air. shaft so that water could be playecl on it in)m a

hose placed at the botto:n. Meanwhile, the other men and boys about the ~iir.shaft landing in the middle seam attempted to put the car with the burning hay on the-cage, preparatory to sc:iding

entries and got together:i num~er of men, 2t in all, :md ':)arri-

it below. There was evidently more or lesS calling ;);ick and forth from the second to the third vein at this time. !Jut the

calÌed themselv€'s in by bitilding stoppings at G, Fig. 4, acros~

the first and second. west entries. Here they remaineJ mÜil

evidence was contradictory ~iS to just what was done, antL on account of the heat ane. tire, it ¡vas impossible to get tht~ 2J.r of burning hay on the cage. The cage was theretore r:iiser.l ~ind

the rescuing: ?arty rC'-clied. them ï days af~erw3.nl.

According to the kitimony of Theodore Desse, one of '~he drivers in the middle se:un, he w:-s sent to the surb.cc bv \ír. :-orberg ;inci told t~

tr.e car pwhed into the sh;iit. It fell into the SUlllíl ~Lt the

bottom and water was

=:~._~ '-r! ~:~~~ I~J

, 'i~ II

,;1,,' 1', .,

~.-.,-

I: ~'

avoii1ed, but in the move-

4.__~__L_

ment of the burning hay

bn, which he did. At just

i

\ Il i' White car waS (, '1.. ~ ' , kthe standing on'0, tlie trac::li ~~ ~, AIJ II

,1 II : ¡ "

Smith, eager in the thild

north of the air-shaft, an l i::

,11,oi¡F'YJ

I~- ~':,~;1I11

I,Ë'" ;¡,. ~"i

~ rc '. ...-

main-shaft bot tom was _~\.

,.,!I"-"''' ,,,'¡

L ii .'

ii'~ ii i

Wf5¡

~ f'~'" .,.- E 'SJ

~I' ¡iF11n'6"u'Lov'~ _' ~1 i"i'"',1, ~ " ¡I "1"1P.

~i'H ,1"c: i~

i:-~':-- "

JMdl!Y ~ I i -r' J~~ IE

effort was maùe to bring

water from the stable in

5'''10

'JJ)"

account of the heat and smoke, and they were compelled to go by the west

. i'" "ii ~ i' ~ i'11 ~ iI jil ii ¡1,1 l~ 111 ~ii, ~;i 11-- - H ",,"iri' - )1,1

leading to the air-shaft on

"' H ~'".. ..0 ~,..."..

FIG. .1

rÜtely brought out, but it was some little till'.e after tbe fi~e started, tor W. ¡\,

I 1Y.t,'" I!onl

afire. _ _ =-~-~~~-.

what time the fan was reversed has not been defi-

.0 o::~":~""IN!kJ !"~","I.ll'!N;'

..,~J., :M!I 'I :1, l ~ =~ 0= If i ,!=V::L--;C~t N ..,

between the air-shatt and

small buckets, but the boys who attempted to do this could not return directly to the car by the short cut

mechanic to reverse the

." ~Iil 1'"

trouble might have been

vi.y soon the passageway

.+,

-=-iL-=, )1.'~~~5~-¿' '~.l.~

accomplished sooner, the

timbers caught fire anJ

N

ii I II; ','

stated, and had it been

str,mg air-current, the

:tir-shatt rings so that it would overflow over the sh:i(t lining He was also t,)ld to notify the master

ii " jJd~~.O"',~

shaft into the sump did not, therefOt'e, contribute to the fire as has been frequently

back and forth in the

turn on the water in the

II

played Oil it and the fire soon put, out. The clropgjn& of the hay down the

.\1"" Ol' ~1:llDLr. \'ßI:- C'llUi."Y i,¡lSE

Vl~in, testified that he WJ. at his '.tsiial pbce at work, ing at the foot ot ~he air.

shaft in the third vein when the burning hay ¡vas

dumped down the J.ir,shaft.

He assisted in turning the water on it from the hose

attachment at that point. and remained at the foot of the air-shaf~ uiitil the bale of hay thrmvn down the shaft was no longer bttrning. After this, he

ascended the stairw:iy to the middle vein J.nd then continued up the stainv.y into the escape shaft. vVhen he had gone about

ruaround, :vreanwhile, the

halfway to the surface, the

two check-doors in the

fan stopped, and very suon after was evidently reversed, as

short cut C, Fig. 5, had been opened, thus materialliy inneasing the drait in the section affected by the fire, and by thi5 ~ime

the timbers were evidently burnng fiercely.

After the fire broke out, Andrew Lettsome, a rhiw:- (rom the third seam, m:ide several trips between the third ;ind middle

seams by way of the stairway in the air-shaft to see wlut was the matter; he'finally ret'J.rned to the bottom and wet\t t,) the face on the east sicle to warn his father aUll other men workng at the fac~ east of the shaft. Anotlier di-i,,'er went to the we~t and warned at least some of the men on that side, as some r-iE

them escaped. One of the night examiners, George Edd.y, wh.o was on t,)P when the fie star~ed, saw smoke coming from the ~liJ.it, and immediately descended to the middle-seam landing, where he

met .'rr. :Sorburg, one of the inside foremen. They a~teT1ptcil to get to the air-shaft through the short cut, but could. not on

account of the fiame and smoke, Eddy then went to th~ insiile

workigs to notify the men, going in on the sccollti west :Uiti the

he could tell by the direction of the fbme on :-is miner's lamp. This brought the smoke and gases up the air

"shaft and it was

with great diffculty that he reached the surface,

Cert,iin of the witnesses testified that a hose was taken from the surface to middle vein (the bottom of the hoisting shaft) and. an unsucc('ssbl attempt was there made to att~ich the hose

to two water pILtgs that were located on the south sille of the shaft toward the pump room.

During all this time, men were being hoisted to the surface. After the f;to was reversed, ,Mr. NoÒcrg told the hoisting

engineer that he woos going below to :ittacli the rope of the third-vein cage to the bottom of the main hoisting cage, and

impressed upon him the necessity for observing the signab closely, A number of volunti:ers descended \vith !\orberg and Bundy to the bottom, but by the tiriie they reached. the uúttorr. the fhmes had e..idently gained such heaùway that they caul( not proceed as pla.nned anù they signaled to be hoisted. Wiler

15

Cherry Mine Disaster November 13, 1909

MINES AND ~RALS

426

FEBRUARY, 19tO

the cage was 25 or 30 feet from the bottom, the signal to "stop ..

to the time when the 20 men were rescued has already been

was given the engineer, but as he had been told that the lower

detailed in Mi:-es A:-D MINERALS for December

cage for hoisting from the third vein was to be attached, he naturally supposed this was being done, and as he had been warned to pay especial attention to the signals, he refused to hoist the cage although urged to do so by those on the surface. Finally, however, he did hoist and all of those on the cage were o

100

St:dl"-I(ltJFl,

IOpO

The main shaft was opened on Thursday, ;-ovember 18.

entrance being at first mad.: by the use of the helmets, but it was soon found that these could be dispensed with; and by the following evening, such progress had been made in fighting'

the fire that it was thought to be only J. question of a ::hort time when the systematic exploration could be carried on. Before the main shaft was opened on Thursday, the inspectors descended the air-sha.ft and brought out the first body that way.

After the hoisting shaft was opened the inspectors descended with helmets on.

On Saturday, November 20, Mr. David Powell, Superintendent of the Braceville Mine of the St. Paul Co., who was then in charge of the work of exploration in the Cherry

:-Iine, entered the secoiid west entry on the south side 01 the

mine. He there heard a noise and was sl.uprised to encounter eight of the men who had barricaded themselves, as noted above.

on the way out of the mine. They had dug through the barricade and had walked a distance of a half mile from tha.t point to the point where they met Mr. Powell, passing over cars and

dead mules and-through an atmosphere which at times' woul not support a light. They reported that there were 12 more

men behind the barricade not strong enough to walk out alone; a volunteer party including ~ressrs. George S. Rice and R, Y. Wiliams, of the United States GeologicaL Survey, Went into the

mine as far as the second south stub entry without the use of the helmets. Beyond this point, the helmets were used, as the air wa.s very bad. The first rescuers reached the barricade, but could not pass through the opening with the helmets.

By means of brattice the air was Cleared somewhat and the hole through the barricade was enlarged, so that the men behind

the barricade were gradually brought out. An oxygen resusci-

tation box was used with great advantage in reviving these men as well as the rescuers, who were also partially overcome, FIG. 5. M!il' 01" T~lRD, OR LOWSit, ViiIN

found to have been burned to death. The delay in hoisting was

while the rescued men were helped to, the bottom of thp shaft bv

a line of men stretching from the barricade to the shaft botto~.

unfortunate, but the engineer was certainly justifed in his action. The signaling system was a pneumatic gong, and it is probable that after the cage started to the top, some one

reached the signal gong at the bottf)m and gave the one ring to :;top. He was then so overcome by the flames and smoke

that he could not give other signals, and meanwhile the men on the cage, who could not reach the signal apparatus, were over-

come, The flames and smoke in the main shaft were at this time quite dense, as the fan had stopped owing to the Bl.bbitt

in the bearings being burned out by the flames passing up the air-shaft. The tower over the air-shaft, which was of wood,

'=1 c:,.-,l:' - - --~I il-"=-1 ~~I,' Z-_~ 1l1 11gUbr~'i~~n ,i d., 1\141 ,,~ /rc,N):1 II /\ I ii Ii / ~~~.,.111

Fi I , i,~~I~II ~ ~f~ I' 111

was also badly burned, and had to be subsequently taken down.

A subsequent examination of the shafts showed that the face of the timbers was burned for a distance of 30 or 40 feet at the

top and bottom of the air-shaft, but the intervening timbers

were very little damaged. The fire did not reach the lower seam, and from notes left upon the pieces of slate it is evident that some of the men in the lower, or third, vein li..'ed for probably two days. There has been considerable criticism for the reversing of the fan, but while no one who is alive can say ju:;t why this was done, it is probable that when Messrs. Bundy and ì\ orherg

got to the bottom of the main shaft they found that the fire

had gained such headway, that if any were to escape it was necessary to confine the fire as much as possible to one shaft. They probably reasoned that the main hoisting shaft gave better facilities for men reaching the surface and concluded to sacrifice the air-shaft. by reversing the air-current. It was thus possible to continue hoisting men for a period of an hour and a half or more after the fire was first discovered.

At 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon the main shaft was se,il~d, and the method of fighting the fire and exploring the mine up

M 1('0$/(50

" X

Wt.s~ /lA~t,..:

2Üsl--S')

~... '_0 .,.,~..

ill l

"

FiO. G. SII,\VT I30TTO\!, MlDlll.P. VaIN

In this manner, aU but one of the men behind the barrica.de were gotten out, but this one was so overcome that it was necessary for some one with a helmet to go behind the barri-

cade. On the way out, there was found the body of a French.

man, Paul, who had left the party behind the barricade during the week of their imprisonment and had made an attempt to reach the shaft, It is a matter of scientific interest that life

16

Cherry Mine Disaster November 13, 1909

MINES AND MINERALS

FEBIW..RV, into

could be sustained in an atmosphere in which there seems to ha\'e been ujJwards of 5 per cent. of carbon dioxide, and an

atmosphere in which the lamps would not burn. Up to the t¡me of completion of barricades they had been

427

and the moving material endangered the bottom of the shaft and threatened to stop the operation of the cages. In order to shut off the air from the fire about the shaft bottoms as completely as possible, a stopping of sand bags

able to keep lights; then the oil lamps went out. They were

was rlnced in the air-course south of the air-shaft, as shown

still able to keep an acetylene light going, but on the following

at E, Fig. 6. A gradual increase in temperature showed that

day it went out, and thereafter for 4 days they were in dark-

the fire was increasing, and an analysis of the gases, as given by Mr. Rice, is as follows: ! Nov, 21' Nov. 21 : Nov, 22' Nov. 22:1 Nov.23 I Nov. 241 ! , I

l~l._~!10;30l.M.i~~~~:__ _~;313 A.'f.!~,

.........: 4.5. 14,-i U I 4.5 ...,.' Hi.2 I H,34.6: 15.4.5.8 12.9' 7.0 10.3; '0,. ,. iC03..

3 ,.4..4-:.3 __ .2 , .3 I

co

1--19.0 -is-;I'--- 20..1 I lS~9--. ì-i,

i 20.9 __~I~~_; 2~~--i-~-1 20.9_!

i

~i/,ffJ5/¡"/~

10 unaccounted

,,,

.1 1.11 2.0, 1. .6 2.13 3.3 I

~ ~ ~

The middle seam ha.d been thoroughly explored by the

~ or

evening of November' 22, ex,cepting"for the northeast section, li1v.I;.

,. '" ~ mp i".,

5; "p,"øc .~'

,iW¡f1 .: WhL-.ii¡

~ i

,

~

This exploration is described by Mr. Rice as follows: lowered and after some diffculty the rope oE the third cage attached. This was then brought up to a landing about 15 feet below the middle-vein landing. The entrance to the former

~ -~

.. ~

! ,

time Mr. W. W. Willams, State In~pector, and..Geo. S. Rice, of the Geological Survey,descendeJ to the third vein by attaching the lower cage to the bottom ot the main hoisting cage.

.. Having gone to the middle vein, the southeast cage was

ll;

~

which was inaccessible on account of'lthe fire and falls. .~At that

~

.)1;W,lii___ Lm¡_l/rJC~

was blocked by the heavy fait northeast of the shaft, so it was necessary to reach the cage by going down the rope. Having tested the air by lowering a thermometer and ¡safety lamps

Fic, 7. 5BCTlON ON LINK XX, FIG. 13

cess. They had become so thirsty, having exhausted the moisture taken from little holes dug in the floor with p.icks, they decided to make an effort to reach the shaft to get water. They made a hole through both stoppings, but came out at the

(there was a strong current of fresh air going down), Archie Frew, Bernard Doughty, and Robert McFadden slid down on

the cage, and were lowered. They found 3 feet of water on the bottom, but waded to the overcast, as it was suspected there would be the most likely place for living men. None were found,

first west entry to a cross-cut five or six hundred feet nearer the

bottom, thence through the second west, finding that the air was not so bad in that direction. This was not known to the rescue party at the time, but in any case the driving round of

the black damp would have rendered that course impracti. cable at the time of rescue.

It is probable that .the accidental taking off of a door in a cross-cut further out short.circtUted the current before the men had enclosed themselves by the barrcades. They had endeavored to erect a barricade and had taken off,'a door in a cross-

cut at the fifth north for this purpose, but w;re driven back by the blackdamp, probably at a. time when the fan was started on Monday mornng. They did not have an opportunity to rehang

the door, and by leaving the same off, the currents short. circuited, and this probably saved them the small amount of , elatively good air at the heads of the entries. Further, it prob~ ably saved a.n air pressure on their barricade when the fan was again started on Thursday, and by so doing prevented the black-

damp being forced in through the crack by the fan pressure. The excitement due to the finding of men

alive was intense,

and for a while rumors of large numbers of men taken out alive

spread througbout the country, but ndne of these proved to be true. Numbers of bodies were found in the south entries,

but although the men had attempted to make fans to assist the

Fio.8

found it is evident that they were not conscious, even if alive,

only a few buckets showing some hàd been there at one time. They then returned to the cage, but, on hoisting, the main cage stuck, after making efforts to get it past where some projecting

circulation, they had not put up barrcades, and from notes after Monday.

Meanwhile, the fire near the bottom of the hoisting shaft fall shown at the northeast of the shaft by the cross-hatching

rivets caught the shoe, and the men became sochited from water fallng from the water ring in the shaf.t and the temper-

in Fig. 6, but this was impossible, as the treacherous character

ature at 3SCI F.. they climbed the slippery" buI1tons for over

of the overlying material made it dangerous for the workers,

ioa feet vertically. On reaching the under lari9-ing, a sling was

was increasing and an effort was made to penetrate beyond the

17

Cherry Mine Disaster November 13, 1909

428

MINES AND M1AERALS

made to pull them u¡. one by one through the hole in the cage seat. The cage was then lowered and the third-vein cage detached. The main cage then passed the obstructions which

were subsequently removed, and regular hoisting resumed, The remainder of that night and next mornng, November 23, the attack on the fie around the shaft had to be renewed.

The search having been completed on the south and west sides, an effort was made to reach the east side through an abandoned

road. This failed, as the road was found to be ca ved in, A momentary panic was caused along the line of men stretched out for half a mile by an order to come out on aCCQunt of the

condition of the fires at the bottom, which were attacked by the firemen at several points through the shaft lining, the smoke issuing at times 24 feet above the floor, indicating the height of the fall,

"On the morning of November 23, the southeast cage being

made to run freely, the third-vein cage was again attached

FEBRUARY, 1910

and a party of fóur sent down to explore the third vein. They found from 150 to 169 bodies, the count varyng. Some of the

men had made fans from drill machine parts, but no baTrcades had been erected. N OIle of the iio~es found indicated the men had been conscious. after Monday fOllowig the fie." After-this exploration it was plain that there was no possibilty of persons being alive, and as the fire was steadily gaining, it was determned after a conference held November 25 to seal

both shafts. This Was done and the shafts are still sealed at the time of this wrting. The disaster at Cherr was fortunately an unusual one,

and it seems diffcult to see how so serious a calamity couId have Come from so simple a cause. As the direct result of the Cherr

disas.tr, Governor Deneen, in his call for a special session of the

Legislature, called for a law covering fie fighting equipment at mines, fireproofing' of shaft bottoms and stables..as far as possible.

18

Banner Disaster April 8, 1911

RESCUE WORK IS

NEARING AN END Only Ten Bodies Remain in ..)lines-Many Visitors Are Leaving

~, ! d" I ¡.'V'do/ ;': ,II: 'OA,il

I \

rl(lt~ticall\' all tlie Wl1l'l( of :"cmovlog tile bodi('~ or the rle:iil CIHt,,¡çtl: Crom

tiie Banner' mine wa~ comrilete(i yc.sterday and by tli Is mornir.:; onl:," a. few sçattpI'ed borllt'S rt'inaincd in Ute mln....

I

i \

!c'" / ,i'.I'¡t /

,,;W'rJ6

#.¡

\

,

TdU

~,nd th(':4e will be rellH1"cd as :iOOn. a~

p():"o:ible, Latt' acl"..lces lrom R:llHLl:'r ::tate tint

11:. budle:- have bCt'l1 remo\'ei1 ll"01l the iniiie~ Hnii It i: CXIH'cLr'l\ ¡l\at lIWrt'

will lie r",mo\"ed f'arl.. ilii:- ll1lJrnlii;; rri L':.l tÜ,l\re~ ot ihe According lo iliH o

~/

'-. ,~~ò.'l

ob~ -A ~.~+ :. --&,-

coml)any there are 10 bo.\ìt's y~t In Utemint'.

:: .//"

')'he trains i~;\\in~ B::nn8t' yester-

dn'! wet' crowiitd with I'h)Ct lJr~, miners,

atlil úlilC:l... r~tlil'llin.L to t:10ir iiome.'!1

anJ no ne,,- del('joi)nii~iit:.; are ex-

pected, ACLorilin!. In L\it' !)plniI1\l I.'l' mi)~t 0L

the lTWt1 (1.( 111'" iiinc~ tìi.~ iiii:idenl 01

RECORDUiG GAUGE OF TF FAN OlT KOP.11~1G

OF TH EXOSION, ARRIL e, 1911.

tiie ex.plo:-ir)n is pr:.~tLi~\.liy closed, TIie

nr~l inlJicatlon oi' ¡l\l: was tile lllrh-al

thig afternot)lI of It lIaidi or VrlSOill'rS

for the prIson, There wi~re 18 In Llio

¡;ai'ty, i 1 or whom are lrr)m ,lerrt~r.'on

Escanibiao Chilton ani. 'lallapoo:ì;. i:ountlcs, I, county and the (lr remalnlii;; :=even from The) official!' the camp" ny lìti!1 i rcfui-e to ~i\'..' oiit tlio dc:,cr-ptive 11;~t 'or the clin\'Îd:-, !'!a,tiii~ ilial tliig wiH tJo úunl' a.~ l"uon aJ' all tllt~ bodies a~'e removed fi-onl tile llint, Ueptuy ~herllr i ~ll\'t' Kl-llnyhl'onk came upi)n It -rar,~ ()( n'C:Zl'lhi ~PfLlC¡I-

in¡; tIiE: clotliil1~ (~t ilie dead l'uflvlct.i Y~!:teri1ay innrniu¡. alHL at olICI~ broke up tilt' Jtatllërlri~, Tlit: l\C:-rlllf'.~ \\Qt'e

i:eal'chlng ilie clutlie:- ri)t õilr)t1('Y aiii:

were rcaliinR' a ('leii lianf~.~L. ~ ¡'umlie~'~ nt' Iiodlts wi'I'e :-liiPP"d:

ll\\'RY (rom B:iniiE"t' ~'i',"terda'- and l1oreil'

will folio\\ tl)Cla\'. It i'l II10\i~lit tllf't

l-li hotll('~ that are to t~1" ,i.1iipiif'll will I be dispi-i-L'd or tnd;l\', It i:- f'-tlma.t,'ù

ye~tel'lay 11loriiil1'" :\1\(1 ,ll UIH'I.' l)l(ii~l.

l!\C ill"" i. ,.:t~I' 'i ,\ 1'\1'. ,- 1"'1"011l'1'

up tli~ i-atlii.r!n¡i, Tiit' ii~;.i-'f':; \lOl'e

""II" r('p,'I'lc'l :,i;.;t I'"c;'ii' wiil'n i',. 'r"il

were reapin¡r a rlcii Iian'o~..;, :-umlJei°,s 01' hodlt',. WI'l'(: :-iiippl'd ,IWl\V I'rom H:inllt'I' ,'l',"ti~rd:il and lllnre.

I.a\!'- .r i' ,:\,,1':"1". 'l ".hlii' l'ri.,oner

::eai'ching tile cl.,tIIP" r,)l' ¡iHiilr'~ :Jili:

wiil (olluw tuda\", It to, iliiilil(lit tlir t

all riudl('~ that ,irE" trl :'1" ,"iilppf'it \\'iii III! di:;PL..'iL'li n( (,,,1:\\', It i... l'aima,r,'u

t1iiit aboui S:i p:' 1:"" ;i"ilif'-l will he hurled at Hal1net aiiii ;:l:l." have ileeii ('l'onatell l1('ar :-n :. f'11:,r~, 1'11(' tlrf'(l in¡iien, Iit'~.11l ii) rl'''t ILL" :L

!)It lal:t nlglit an!! ~'~""lci\ 111"ll' :H:I\.

l:ig !lmh" . :\1:rui.\' of t!ie:ii !i~i\'l' heen

I;rirlg('~ nl' 1~¡\':\li:l~.\\H,'\ ,10- riii'~'eil cO

tronl .I"IT, ,-~"n ""un:" ""' in'." a ('~:l nil ,\(.:e"lIriL Ole aii ,,! i;i:k 11lad'! i1i)0:1 Iiim. TI,¡.: Is li." .."I ¡n,'!i!;i',' "11 lf'L'_

r,l"! ;LUti 'c'" ""i,i.¡,i' H' ,irk",! :''''i-

.1.,,1 r:ii' 1"\111,. '1\"\" Li',t' ile.id --_._---_...--

',ioll i.'.~ "r 1'11(' i l C""" ,d,',.

I'Birminq'ham Suecial" To one b'lock from BROADWAY, Ne'nYork,

(.\onstantl\. al \\'OlK rIOl ilif' i'a"t ~ 1

boui'!l wlllillUI' slC"Pll. A:! Pl ~Ii('ri \\cri'

accomm(HLLtf'd i~IS, ni:;:lt, \Vltli in ;i :-linlt t il1\ i r)~r- \Y"lk i¡( l'i?-

\.iaii'ing- lll'~ 11lili-~ ",,1' l'o''''lliC'rili;; wi:1 I,t'gin H 0(1 l\i L'1l it will I, "iil~';i "ii,il"

l.í11'~ t\;itil lHil'llt;ll (',':ii!; I ¡UII,. ;ti'e j"'.'tored.

tl~l\t a.h~i\lt ,'i:l rit I:i" ¡"idie;. wlll he I

hurled at H¡lTlner ;tllrl ;:l:l\ "s ha.ve Iieen I (ll'orintOefl n~ar. ~(l :: f:ii:~r!. i

19

Cincinnati Mine Disaster April 23, 1912

United States Bureau of Mines Rescue Team Cincinnati Mine Disaster - April 1912

After the secret removal of the badies from the pit mouth to the Mo-

Mourners Succeeded By Curious

nongahela morgue ta about 4 o'clock yesterday morning the solemn vigil, which had been kept by the hundreds of bereaved relatives, was suddenly ended. It was immediately taken up a long, sickening pUgrimag-c, of death to the mO'rgue house,

With their eyes fastened atcadUy On

the roofs of the City of Corpses-Monongahela-which could be seen aroU'nd the broad bend of the Monon-

:JJOl'liid Crowd Gathers at Mine 'TIiile Bereaved

widows, orphans, brothers and sisters took up the march over ihe threl:

:JIarch to Morgue

mile3 of rough tortuous roads. Re-

PROCESSION Q.' SADXESS

gahela Rlver in the rosy sunlight, the

babies In anus and tugging at t.heir

the pit mouths of the CinCinnati min¿

father for his ¡iJoptcd SOIl--a lov~ which

was the almost holiday appearance of

made him plunge l"t'pl'atedlv into the gas. filled entries of tIii: niinC--\l-as oni~ uf the

morbid cuiiosity se€kers gathered

pathetic fe1ltures' in the darl. pages of death and sii:f,'rlr:;:. 'lnis man was Ale);-

arouncl the entrances to the charnel

a.ndcr.l..ach, aged 4.0, of )Iingo Cred,.

color against the somber darkness of the wooded hils.

being the only Dames of the that eo4 be gathered from the frezied women 4f

the famil.

Brave Rescuer Perishes One of thE! greaU!s.t of al. the heroes who were made such in the twinkling ct an eye was 'Viliam McColligan, aged 33,

of J IIcobs Cre€k, the helmet man. .He

waii the only rescuer who iii knowto have lost his life,

Although the silence imposed upon ,an

almost mubbed the morgue, )'lotliers with

An UllUf'Ual st'Jry of the love of a footer-

women-of which the crowd was largely made up-made a great splash of

Among the mi88ng wer c.ck iuut

three boarders, Tony, Peter and Ste

the publication

rending scenes of Wednesday around

house, The bright dresses of the

the ffCinclnati Patch," near Cour,

fnsed sight of their loved. ones, they

In striking contrast with the heart-

that sectlan yesterday. Hundreds ot

quota. ll in the home of Andy Ca in

the employet by the mine offcials prevtfi

dres.'e~, all weeoinir and moaning aìoud, madco the~c three miles r;~em a living episode from Dante's Infenio,

By VTNC¡';ST DRA'~E.

In all cf the home in tht de.Ui~ den eection that .iuffered from th dt of members of the familiei. it is pro\Ø that in none did death take as 1a ..

Heioined tlw tìr~t reflClll. ::a.rty bat went into the ;,Lii¡,,;i ~~()\l" un(f IHirkcd wi,iiout pause ,from \\-l'dnc'sd;iY nUOli until late

of the fiicts of the fltnii",

glc and the losing fight by the rescue

cre,v when their apparatus failed lia.

been told by rescuers to make the tae of

: McC'lligiin'!1 death dramatic.

Mc(".lligan, who is an electrician went in ,..:ìth a rescue pay from the 'MinKo

entrance 'V~dnesday. The party was in

the mine for hour.. It had penetrated to

a. great distince. strin)Oing terephone wires

along a." they went. F1TlllllY the helmets

and air supply failed. The foul' members

n-ere partially overrome. One man was

fina.ly able to t,lep!irnie to the E111riace

for help before the blackdamp ~Tij)ped him

and a relief part.\' went in. But McColl-

~an was drat!. The o~,hel" are expected,

to live.

last night iii illl er.:ril" to Jiml t1ie body oJ:

l¡is adupttòd HOii, H,~nl1' I..¡H:Ù, ii¡'lèJ ~U, a

driver, 20

Cincinnati Mine Disaster April

23, 1912

.~.,

Mines during the recent disaster at the Cincinnati coal mine at Finleyville, Pa. This picture Efficiency of $ervin' was demonstrated by rescue squads from the Unitt'd States Bureau of shows the rescuers about to descend the old shaft. They recovered nearly 100 bodies. The explosion occurred 8000 feet from the mouth of the mine and the work of reaching those who had been imprisoned and whose pleadings for hdp could be faintly heard was very difficult. After-damp and fire hampered the rescuers. Two miners were rescued alive, after they had been cut off with tht' dead bodies of a score of companions for 60 hours

21

Eccles Mine Disaster April

28. 1914

)1:LY, 1914

w her e the ECCLES m i n e explo-

"êe(fllierg Engineer

The Eccles Mine Explosion

sion occurred ;-\pril Condi¡ions Existing at the Mine Before the Explosion-Methods 28, is in Raleigh

ally with the aid

of Thomas DonResults of Investigation

the meantime, as-

County, \V. Va..

about -+ miles from

Beckley, the county seat, and is reached 0)' the Virginian Railway or the Piney Branch of the Chesa-

peake & Ohio Railway. The coal

s.istance was of-

W rllkii /0' TAc CollUt E"'lllr

Eccles is one of the two large

mining properties own'ed by the ~ew River CoHierics Co" the other being the Sun, in Fayette County.

aldson, mine su~

of Working- perintendent. In

fered by miners from the company's nea'rby op-

erations also from miners in the vicinity, and these ,Manager Bayles organized into rescue crews, He

mined is the ~ew River semi-

lranklin B. Guiterman, E, :,,1., is

bituminous coking coal of the Potts-

president and F. P. Bayles, general

ville series, and is considered to be

manager.

the same as the Pocahontas smokeless coaL. Two beds, the Beckley

Of the six shafts on the Eccles

fed. At this improvised free res-

property, :\os, 5 and 6 are the ones

taurant the meals were excellent and

and Sewell, are worked at Eccles.

The Beckley seam which is about 520 feet below the surface, has the follo\viiig section: Coal, 1 foot; bone, 2 inches; coal, 2 feet 3 inches; slate, S inches; bottom coal, 2 feet 4 jnçl:es. T otaI thickness, 6 feet 5

inches. '-The roof is sandstone with aboÙCl-toot of draw-slate above the coal; the. floor is fireclay with sand-

of special interest because of the explosion, which occurred about

reau where those who were working in the rescue parties could be

preferred by the mine inspectors to those they obtained at boarding

2 :30 P. M" ßl.pril 28, in which 180 men lost their lives. The two shafts being connected by an airway, the

about the plant seemed to be en-

blast was transmitted to the Sewell

which could be turned to useful and

beel in No. 6 shaft and eight men were found dead at this place. At the time of the explosion 73 men

were at work in the :No.6 mine, and

:!Ol1e immediately below it. An

with the exception of the eight

approximate analysis of the Beckley

mentioned all the 'others survived.

seams is: ~Ioisture, 3.2; volatile

also organized a refreshment bu-

The force of the explosion or pos-

houses in the vicinity. Everyone

dowed with some natural talent helpful channels; even the school

teacher became a waiter, while one of the company employes became an adept in soup making, ham and egg

frying, coffee brewing, etc, This pleased :\1:. Guiterman because there \vere 200 rescuers, and more who

matter, 15; fixed carbon, 78.1; ash,

sibly the bad air which did the dam-

3.7; sulphur, ,7. It is in this seam

must be fed, as they had exhausting

age seemingly did not pass beyond

at Xo. 5 shaft that the explosion

\vork to do on short shifts of 2

:No, 6 shaft; all on the other side of

originated and the bulk of the dam-

hoiirs. As :No.5 \vas the downcast

the shaft were uninjured. At :No, 5

and ;.o. 6 shaft the upcast, the res-

age was done.

The Sewell scam at Eccles is about 254 feet above the Beckley,

and is worked through No.6 shaft although this shaft goes down to

mine 172 men were killed, none es. caping, making the total killed 180, As the mine was quite busy on the

cuers could make no headway

day of the explosion, a number of

rent had been reversed, but by

through the airway connecting the

tVm shafts, even after the air~cur-

loaded mine cars were standing at

\Vednesday evening No,S shaft was

the Beckley seam. The Sewell bed

the shaft bottom and these were

varies in thickness, being thicker

thrown by the blast into the hoisting shaft, making it diffcult to clear away so as to get inside the mine.

cleared to within 60 feet of the bot-

in the southern than in the northern part; for example, at this mine, the

low ~ection has 4 feet 5 inches of

tom. This was slow work and it was not until Thursday morning that the shaft bottom \'iaS reached

Onr- cage was thrown up Into the head-frame, where it lodged, not

inches of bone and 4 feet 8 inches

and the shaft guides repaired so that men could enter the No.5 workings.

quite reaching the sheave wheels.

of coal; the high section 7 inches of

thus leaving the hoisting gear in-

Here the rescuers were hampered by water. the pump pipes having

bone and 4 feet 11 inches of coaL.

tact. The explosion doors of the'

The roof of this seam is jointed and

is' x 7' Jeffrey fan were blown off,

clean coal; the middle section 2

weak in places, while the Roar is nreclay above hard sandstone. An approximate analysis of the Sewell bed is 3.71 per cent. moisture, 13.74

per cent. volatile matter; 79.81 per cent. fixed carbon; 2.74 per cent. ash, ami .59 per cent. sulphur, this composition making it one of the best smokeless coals in "Vest

\'irginia.

but otherwise the fan was uninjured,

been broken and the' pumps put out

of commission. ' Chief Mine Inspector Henry, who

and was stopped only so long as to

was then in charge of the \York.

fix the explosion doors and reverse

commenced the restbration of the

the direction of the air-current. At 10 p, M. it- was in working order. Soon after the explosion L. B. Holli. day, mine inspector. of the 9th "Vest

Virginia District, arrived, and the rescue l)~' th~, minersA in:' No. 6 w~s

commenced 'and ear.ri~d oút elfes!l

air-current, cleaning tip and sec~ring

the roof by timbers. Electric pumps were installed in the mean., time, but the rescuers- were g.reatIy

hampered by water and debris, especially the helmet, men frum the ßUreau;òf Mines

22

Eccles Mine Disaster Apri12's,1'314

Wives and Children of Eccles Victims

23

Eccles Mine Disaster April 28. 1914

We (iI/ier Engineer

JULY, 1914

mortar and, in places, of brick.

The air was found to be fairly

are supposed, under the rules, to

good when the bottom of the mine

undercut their coal to a depth equal

Practically all of these stop

was reached and the use of canaries

to the height of the seam; drill the

were blown down, some falling in

was unnecessary. The company

shot holes to a depth not to exceed

one direction and others in a con-

uses brattice cloth in the mines and

cate that the explosion was travel~

or more on hand to make teÌnporary

the undercut, charge the holes with ::'1onobel Xo. 2 permissible explosive, tamp the explosive with clay,

air stoppings, and 50 hasten the

and fire the shot any time during the

recovery and location of the bodies. Those found were not much burned,

day.

porte'd that the mine was badly wrecked, that is the roof came down

Machine miners undercut the coal, after which company shot

understood was only true in entries

was fortunate in having a carload

their deaths for the most part being due to asphyxiation and violence.

pings

trary direction, which would indi-

iug in both headings. It was re. generally throughout. This it is

firers .drill, load, and shoot the holes.

where timber supports were knocked

Had it been possible to enter the

T,vo inspectors travel about the

out, and in general the rooms were

mine, some lives might possibly have been saved; as it was, all hope

mine to see that the men are working under safe conditions and are

not badly damaged by falls, Overcasts and doors were demolished,

of reaching any that might be alive

observing the rules.

which is usually the case in mine ex-

was abandoned on the evening of the 27th,

The surface plants at these mines

are well constructed and substantial, the engine and boiler houses being

separated and made of dimension

stone. The hoisting at No. j rs ac. complished by a first-motion mod-

In the future it is probable that

plosions. The mine was reported

the Kansas system of shot firing

in newspapers to be on fire, a mis-

will be put in practice; that is, no

taken idea originating, no doubt,

shooting will be allowed during the day and shot firers will do the work after all are out of the mine. For

because of the heat in the mine and

more than 20 years electric undercutting machines have been in op-

the bad air. No fires were found,

which as an argument does not favor a dust explosion, where the partly coked coal dust becomes red hot and

ern Vulcan engine, Jeffrey self. dumping cages being used in the

eration,and _during that time the

agglomerating often starts fires in

writer has been unable to find a

places where it falls. Another

hoisting shahs. Back of the hoo~

single inst1e where an explosion

ing engine room is another room

has been traced to places they have

matter which points to this being a gas explosion for the most part is

where the dynamos are installed, for

undercut, while a number of explo-

that it extended generally through-

the electric motors, pumps, and

sions have been traced to the

out the mine, going with the air-

lights. Two 7" x 10" electrically driven Deane pumps drained the

working places of pick miners.

current as well as against the

In some cases at Eccles, miners

air-current, reaching to the room

mine and delivered water to the

have disregarded the rules referring to undercutting and shooting off

faces and not taking a -direct route

sump where it was raised about 520

through the entries to the shaft.

feet by two Cameron steam pumps is in. x is in. x 13 in. In the No.6 shaft, a triplex electric driven Deane pump raises water .367 feet from a

the solid, and in other cases they

The second explosion which oc-

have purchased and used prohibited

curred from 5 to 12 minutes after

explosives. When this has been dis-

the first may have been a dust ex-

covered the men have been laid off

plosion.

lodgment in the shaft to tanks on

for a definite time and for a second

the hilL. This arrangement fur-

offense have been discharged.

The writer has been informed

that very little coked dust was found

As gas exuded from each working

in the mine, also that after the res-

face according to former Chief In-

cuers had gained an entrance they

As shown by the map, the double-

spector Laing, to ensure ventilation

were able to restore ventilation

entry system of mining is followed, double rooms 24 ft. wide on 6O.ft.

reaching the face, curtains were

quickly and explore the mine with-

hung in cross-entries before new

out the use of helmets.

centers being driven with track in the center. In order to avoid driv-

rooms and the air was forced to travel by brattice to within 12 feet

Inside haulage was mostly by electric locomotives; Westinghouse

ing the rooms to the dip in the north

of the face.. _When: the _ first break-

5.ton gathering motors being used

right section òf the mine, the cross-

through was completed between ad-

on side entries and 13-ton Westing-

entries are driven on a slant with

jacent rooms, the curtain was

hoiise motors on main haulage

the main entries; the rooms on north

removed and the brattice placed so that the air-current would travel

entries. A few mules were used in the mine for haulage purposes, but

through the breakthrough and then to the room face. After the room

not many, although the mine was

had been advanced suffciently for another breakthrough the first was closeò with boards. In the entries the air stoppings were of stone and

coal daily.

iiishes a fire and domestic supply of water to the town of Eccles.

left entries, however, are driven to the rise. In the southern section of

the mine, the entries are driven to

the rise and are turned at right angles to the main entries.

Mining is carried on both by picks and machines. Pick miners

capable of producing 1,500 tons of,

24

Barrackville Mine Disaster Odober 19,1916

Rescuers - Jamison No.7 Mine Barrickvile. WV

20 REPORTED uEAD IN MINE EXPlOSIO COmpaDY Offcials, Say Only Few Meli Were in Shaft

First reports received at the Bureau of -:ines stated that probably 200 men 'Ì1ad been entombed. Later reports cut

Making Repairs,

decldèd not to take any chances and

this number to fIve or six, but it was

100 Men Working To R.each Miners

the car was sent to the !'cene of the Fairmont, \V. Va., OctolJer 19.~An

explosion in ,Tamison mine No. 7 at Barrackville, W. Va., near here, shortly before 1 o'clock thIs afternoon is re¡iorted to ha Vß been fatal to 20 men.

The officials of the Jamison Coal and Coke Co. deny the number -of dead wil reach 20, as the mine was not in opera-

tion today because of the, shortage of cars, The officials say not more than foul' or five men were in ¡ the mine

making repair:-.

explosion.

NO MORE BODIES ARE FOUND IN MINE Fairmont, "'1. Va., October 23.-The work of exploring the wrecl-red work~

ings of Jamh:in Mine ~¡o. 7 at Bar-

rackville, which was damaged by an explosIon of dust last Thursday, was

FAIRMONT, ,V. Va., Oc'~. ~t-Four

~hi!ts or 2" men each, each shIrt wo'rklng .'Õix hours, are progressing slowly iii thc work of 'lecovering the bodIes of the 31x

men entombed III the Jamlsoii l"\nc near h£'I'e. The work is done u:1der tí1e ~upeL" \'islon uf SuperIntendent Earl B.:IH'bower of th(' mine, co-operating- with the Fed..

era'l and state bureau of mlncs.

Considerii,lile difficulty 1;1 experienced

by the rescuing party In penetrating the

mine, owing to the great masses or debri.'o

encountered. "'0 bodies haYo been r.-

coverci1 since, last night.

resumed today, No more bodies have been found, ciily two of the 10 victims

A report of tho explosion was mn.de

to the enite(l States Bureaii of

who arc known to have been in the

mine when the explOsion occurred hav~

Mines station here this afternoon, and p. mine rescue car with seven equipped

ing been brought out.

l'en was sent to the scene, The car was attached to a Baltimore and Ohio Railroad train leaving here at 2:30

ing up and down the rescue particf1. The investigation into the cause of the

,

o'clock. this afternoon for Fairmont.

'l'he shaft has been cleared of debrIS ancl a cage is working reg-ularly, carryexplosion is ¡;till being pushed by state

and government inspectors.

25

Barrackville Mine Disaster October 19,1916

Barrackville, West Virginia

Th086 who were overcome In the burea.u ot mlneø party in a.dd1t1on tD Mr. Jane.

M I N E RESCUER

DIES TRYING TO

are: .I. W. Koster. junior mining engtnlie:,. R. H. Selp, flr15t-a.ld miner. G. S. 1llcC.., fint-a,ld mIner. J. V. ßerl7. first-a.id miner. A. J. Strane. assista.nt exploiiive englneer. Mr. Jones.' who wu in charge ot the iiarlj., was 33 years old, and resIded with -nis wlfe and two oClldren at 6332 Douglr"s!\, street. PIttsburgh. He formerly re~ bIded in ClevEÙand, and ~~ a graduate r~t Uie Ohio State .Universlty and Co~ jtlbia Universlty aal a. m.niug- engineer.

Mr. Jone. had been conn~cted with the

,olir911u of mInes for seven years u a. )'1Inhil' engineer. He Ii the fourth man,

SAVE OTHERS

but the nrst engineer, lost by the 'bureal1

("f mines while enraged In rescue 'work.'

It is said tha.t Jones peneti-.ted the

mIne into one at the most. i'1i,seOUJJ .IeeLions and WaI overcome when his .aupply

L. M. Jones, Head of Pittsburgh Life-Savers at Jamison Mine, Killed by Gas.

d o::)'gen became exhau.iit.ed. He wai tar ii advance of. the other members of. the

John Foater. 28 years old, a Negro. O\"lng to the dangerous condition ot

~ he mine, state and mine officials at noon today ordered a halt in the attempts

t'J Il;p.etrate the worKings or the mine.

T'he task is too hazardous, the o(fciala

;,tR (d and tor that reason attempts to ; E.ach 'the entombed miners wil not be hiade until tomorrow mornIng,

LEAVES FI RECORD, WASHINGTON, Oct. 2O.-Lewls M.

Jones, mining engineer and rescuer of the bureau or mines. klled, while en~ gagèd In rescue work a't the Barrack~

\'UI('. mine. was regarded as I(ne of. the

bureau's ablest men In directIng rescue ,\lark.

.'''h. .Tones had been an Important factOI' iii the development ot rescue work." ~,aid Director ::lap.n;;. "H1.. d\.,¡; a manyl

rart). They welted a.nd their oxygen

to the cause, like three other rescue.rs of the biircau have dIed. -inder bhe chief mining- Engineer of the bureau, :Mr. Jones

SECOND PUl' SENT IN.

liad charge of the experimental mine of. the bureau a'~ Bruceton. Pa.. and In thIs

:- uPPli. run low.

\\'hen the bureau ,of mines men did not ~etulu, another rescue pa.rty Nail .~Dt ;uto the mine. They fOUnd the Jane.

~AIRMON'T, W. Va.. Ocl ro.-Two bodies ha va bee.n recovered from the

J. Fa&,an, 45. years oldi unma.rried.

l.arty overcome, A l!earch w~a mad. for

"one.. ~but 1t Wll aome tlme betor. h.

capacity developed many sateguards that ar~ n'ot. only saving Ute In the coal mines today, but wil be instrumental In sav~ ing thousands of live~ in the future. The

was found. It requIred three relan of

tact that the death ra.te among the mlners

by an expioi;ion yesterd.ay atternoo. The

mcii to bring hIs body out, the rescuers

years emphasizes bbe worth or Mr. Jones'

old, who lo.9t his Ilte In ~temptlnr to

L. W. Coo¡ier, alllata.nl chIef. .ngtnNr

burning Ja.lson No. 7 mine, wrecked

bodle. are th-ose of. L. M. Jones, 38 years

rescue the entombed mlne-ra. and À.. W,

Vance, fl orepa.lrman. - Th.)Y' were brought to the !ourfa.ce by rescuing partie. thl.

afternoon. 1. M. ,Joneø wa. a. mining engineer and was in charge ot the rEilCU'! party _ent

('lIcounler1ng more gas than they ever ex~ i ener,cod before. ot the JamIson Coal ComDanJ., wa. also llVerCGine. The complete ii.t of thoie entombed

,in the mine followl!:

bbi Uf.e in the performa.n-c of hiø duty

Itf. '\v. A.lrlifon, 29 yeau old, married. ,\. Wlhion Vance, 28 years old,. married. S. I,. Vincent, 58 yean old. marrled. James Menear, 24 yeara old, married Ji'. Higinbotham. 24 ye.rs old, marrl~d.

from ,the- bureau ot mInes W'N6 over-

1\1. L. Chapman, 3() )-'ea.rs old, ma.rrled.

tram Pibløburgh to the Jamliii No. 7

mine which was wrecked hy a.ii explo~

aion yesterday atlernoon, He gave up

èarlY this morning. Five other expert come along with Jones. but were re:icued Ana rflvived.

last year was the lowest in the last 16

eftorls."

When word was received thIs morning that Mr. Jones had been kll£,d, Superln.

tendent Talbotdetal1ed W. F. Pyne, a

junIor mining engineer, Jesse Hanson, a toreman miner, and "\Villiair Freeman, to I~O to Ffiiriiont to f\s.',;L iii the work.

They lett 1mmedlately for the wreekeil

mine. The body of ~)ilr. Jones wUl be brought to Pittsburgh late tonight or tomorrow mornln¡,.

Harry DllenDen" 8 6 years old, marrIed.

halah Lea.ure, 28 yeal' old, ma.rrled.

26

Sunnyside Disaster May 9, 1945

By T. i.. Cannon

N.wi £ditor~ The O...ret News Sl:\::YSIDE- The toli stood at '23 Ctah miners dea

Molt of th. dead were probably killed instantly by the lorn of the blait, the concussion of wf.ich in iome coi.. toii.d the men from wall to wall in the tunneli

lik. rubber" balli thrown by a giant hand. Ot?ers succumbed within a few seconds to the deadly monoxide fumes which filed the passageways after the Fuel Company yesterday at 3:12. p.m. Ei~hty.seven men of the Tuesday day shift _ba .: explosion had blown out ventilating systems. All of the stacked their tools and were starting their journey toth victims were within a distance of some 1300 feet of the mine portal and home when the explosion was touche .. explosion's origin, rescue workers declared. Score~ of off, sending a searing flash of flame and a terrific blast 0 other~ escaped death by crawling on their beljie~ along the pitch dark and smoking passageways to fresh air. their gas roaring th'rough miles of underground workings. with seven others injured and in a hospital today follow ing an explosion :0 rhe Sunnyside :-D. 1 mine of the Uta

heads wrapped ;n their jackets.

¡,,¡'.',

.~,'-

'~

, . "J~.;"r'" ;-:' ~-.:.J.l, .,,~ . ' .-

;; ' "/:~.~ ~'",-...'/~";.~:;"'~" :"'~".,.~"",¡. c ~.' ,_" __ '_ ':' ~-¡.,.i '. i-. ..' . ~.~.~..t; '..~,- ".~'. "1,....'..'""",..,, · i-."- "r'

,

.. .... 'J" ' ,..r -.. ~ ,'. -,' .' . .'. ,.liJ."_',..,..'V-.."...,.r.-:."".."..~-",¡'-,..,...

-' .,,'

. " d'- .,' ", .' _',c

?§;;./; "y/,;;/L. ,t.,..... ~~-.

/r ~"~.( " ',. " '."tJ/Ç(,~~ekJ: .¡.d/è;~t.~r~

.. ,." 'è, . . ." ~ . ".. ' ,~.. '0" f ",.," ,\' "',i ~ J

íi.

.

lJ

r,,'~.

-

,.

~

MINE DISASTER SCENE - Relatives, friends and rescuers with equipment crowd around the entrance to the Sunnyside Mine miners killed and injured in blast and offer whatever help possible. of the Utah Fuel Company waiting for word of

27

Sunnyside Disaster

May 9. i 945

THE DESERT /lEWS - Salt Lake City Utah Thursday, May 10, 1945

Rescue Workers at Sunnyside Mine

Word 01 the di...t.r spread like wildlir.. throughout the Carbon area, and within a

matter ot minutes rescue crews from mlnf! operations over the county roared up to the Sunny. side mine p6rtals with ambu-

lance' siren.! screaming. The- :!even injured men a.nd two of the victim., were

brourh.t out withJn i.bout two

tims were brou¡ht out at about 1 a.m tariay, five more at 4 and two early tOday. Two more were located within the mine

a.nd it was expeed they wouLd be brought .out durin¡ the afternoon.

Pendtni completJon at the

lnve~nlr;¡tJon which went ror..

wa.rd today, he would :!Y

only rhat the dlsa:!ter re~ltt:d tram.. "fa. I..nlttan. cl.u:!e un~

known." He eX1JreS.ed the

SpecialJy trained re:!cue crews

belief that prob&bly halt at

from the Geneva Steel coal mine

the dead were killed "by .-io-

In Horse Canyon, the Kaiser

mine at Sunnyside, the Columbia

lenee," that la, the fi:!'ce of

nonol tile- eXløsD. IJ

Steel mine, from Castle Gate

the terri/Ie coneullfoQ u-

and frm Kenilworth worked

and pairolmen - moc of

in relays throughout the night. two teanu of six men at a time

suIUnr from the bi¡Mt "iid that

wbJeb Um. volunteer rua.rd.

them servicemen of tba area home 01. leave-were hold..

inr back. hy.terlcal crowd

o( womea and. chHdrOD. loved on.. of tii. m.D l.

tbe in. whose lat. wu still to be learned..

A. the lint blanketed Ila-

'Jres were carried from the cable cars at the portl a low

moan went up (rom the suri.. ing crowd, but immediately after there were cri.. of joy

as the unhurt and only s1i¡htly injured hailed their relatives

pressing at the rope barrier,. The ~econd two vietim. were brou¡ht tc. the :!urface about 6:40 p.m.. and thereatter In

staying in the tunnels as long u their oxygen :!upplies would

last belore yieJdinl to a relief

detaiL.

Near the 5Cene ot the ex..

PIOlioD. someUUol' OVer two

mJlei froID the mine portaJ. the toree 01 the bla.l ha.

loose.ned Umben. a.nd caused

!lome celUnl' and wa.1I till

which hampered the work of

th.e searchers Sone of the

puucewaY5 wu completely

ualed oll. however. and h.u-

Uly erected a.Jr pu.iewa.y:! of scantlinI' a.nd bratUce cloth

enabled the !lea.rc:hers to reach

eVf!l'y part of the altected ueawithIn a. tew hours.

Stanley Harvey. chiet coal

the chill of the gathe.ina: dusk

mine inspector for the State In.. dustrial Commi:!:!ion with head-

the crowd which by now pretty

Quarter:i at Price. arrived quick..

who mu!t be given up for dead.

ground a" once to direct the

well knew who were sate and

huddled about .mall tire. at

ly on the scene and went under.

the rut appeaied tô 'iive died ot POISOlLJ'?: 'by mct.oxi,i~ ia,

th.e fumes rU"!!U:i ~ from thfJ fluh explosfon.

He said the rock dusting ot the entire workings, the proceu

which guards against explosion of coal dust. appeared to have

~ept the blast from going

throughout the mine. resulting in scores more casualties.

There appeared to be no evi-

dence of "black damp," a non-

explosiv~ but deadly carbon di-

oxide gas which sometimes results from improper mine ventilation.

The dead were taken to the ~Iitchell and the Wallace ~ortuarie! in Price alter id.ni.iii-

cation had been made.

~08t o( the ma.jor coal mines or the county rema.ln~d closed today ¡u the rea.ctlon to thp! 5hock or yesterda.y" tra.gi!y Increa.~ed.

re!cue et!ort3.

SetaD lumber. Ten more vie-

28

Centralia Disaster

'-arch 26, 1946

104 MINERS STILL TRAPPED

IN ILLINOIS; 30 RESCUED; REPEATED HAZARD WARNINGS CENTRALIA, II, March 26 -The Centralia Coal Co" oper-

ators of the mine in which 104 miners are trapped 540 feet below the surface near here today as a result of an explosion

yesterday, had been warned repeatedly by the minois State Mine Ìnspector to improve

conditions which constituted an "explosion hazard."

Warnings of the danger due to au excessive amount of dust in toe mine weie posted in inconspicuous corners of the

mi washrooms. They were signed _by .Driscoll Scanlan,

Dlatrict 13, Ilinois, mine in¡peetor. Expløa10n Lad to Dud.

Notices Had Been Pos~d,

17 KNOWN DLAD, ONE BODY TAKEN

John RItter, alilsllnf chief of

of Exceuive Dust-

the IlinoIs Stat. Pollee, said the

Barriers Against Gu

coal.

Only Hope for Men Stil Underground.

explosIon wai oaund by dUBt.

combined wIth normal blastlng of

The mine Inspector's earllest

warnln¡, &mong those stil posted In the mine wash roomo, declared: "Coal In thl. mine Is extremely

dry, An exceulve amount 01 dust

fROM CENTRAliA

Reprinted /rom the Po"t.Dt"patch or ,\farc/i 26

PIT AfTER BlAST

By HARRY WILENSKY A Starr Correspondent of the

Post-Dispatoh

is In ouopenslon durln¡ cutting and loadlni operatIons, "The dust J. an explo.lon haz-

ard and al.o injurIous to the

health and .atety 01 the men workIng around tho ID"chlneo,"

29

Centralia Disaster

Ylarch 26,1946

Medin, who made a hurried automobile trip trom Southeast-

ern Kansas to the scene ot the

dÜmsler here, saId the natural u.

f1umption was that "a shot"

meaning a blast to loosen coal had stirred up dust 'fnd produclod

.an eXplosion ot !uch concussive

force part ot the mine's ventlla.ting system was wrecked.

Rock duiit, spread in mines for

jU.!t such an eventuallty, raises a

eurtaln around the blast and tends

to locallie it.

"It dynamite blast. ()used the

explosion, as may well have been the case," Medlll continued, "all the mlner.i should havs,. been out

ot the workings except thl: crew doing the .bootlng, In otber

words there should., have beeD only ~even men in the mine at

the time, not more tha-lao. Asked about the mpped men'.

ehances of s.urvlvil he 8aldi "'tbere

1s Just a long cbaee there might

np .onmA AlIVp..ol

Medill reported th&t the Federal

Bureau of Mines hai joined in the rescue operatlons and in in. vestigation of the explosIon.

The Centralia Coal Co. Is a 8Ub.Idlary 01 Bell and Zoller Coal Co,

The same com¡ia.t wu repeated In subssquent notices. Tlieae

notIces kept urging that the In-

.pector's recommendations be followed,

Nov, 18, 1116, for Instance, the Inspector warned: "Ventlatlon inadequate at,"orklng faces, , , Bad air Is entering intake aIr current

from three abandoned south .eC-

ot Chlca~o, W, P. Young 01 ChI-

Questloned About Enforceent.

cago b prèsldent of the r'ßlect firm and vice presIdent of the Centralia !inn

A Post-DIspatch reporter asked Robert M, Medll, director of the All Ilinois miners who belong IlinoIs Department of Mines and tbe United MIne Workers reMinerals, It safety measures rec- to a current bu. rata at ;i,18'h ommended by state 111spectors had ceive an hour, This rate Is tor a 3b to be compiled with or were merely suggesUoDs,

hour week. Additional work carrles the overtime rate of $1.78 a.n'

"We have the power to close a hour. It waa estimated last yea.r

duateü (a precaution agalnst ox-

miie If we consider It Is operating In too ha.ardous a fashion," he

co.slve duat)," Reommenaed Seallr Area.

Asked why recommendations re- was negotlated last Ma.y. peatedly made by Inspector Scan-

tlons, Advance workings not rock-

It wa. pointed out that some

entries wve heing worked toward

an area which had been sealed off. and whlch connected with a near~

by abandoned mlno, The Inspector i"ecomnended th~ the north iec.

tlons ot the mln be sealed all,

Another comp1 int of llinade-

auate ventilation' and excessIve

dust wag made la.st Jan. 21.

Last week, In additlon to urging that previous recommenda.

tions be followed, the Inspector repeated thRt dust control measures

were not adequate and recor:-

mended lurther, that "dirty haul-

age roads be cleaned and l!prinkled,"

replied,

that because of heavy production

iichedules mlner8 in the Illinois tields would earn about $3.00 annually, at the present scale, which

lan were not enforced, Medlll said,

"We went through a war, While

the war was on, we didn't dare get too tough, because we needed the coal, Since then, there have

Story of Survivor.

Typical of the account of the explosIon toi~ by survivors was the .tory told by August Holz-

been a couple of strikes (by the

hauer, a veteran of 35 years in the

United Mine Workers).

Centralia' mIne.

"Despite what has happened, the

company has made a lot of Improvement. In the last 18 months, We didn't think ita .hortcomlngs were Berloud enough to warrant

shutting the mIne. You can go

I'I was working with a crew ot

12 men nèar the ba.se ot the

shaft," he satd, "when a putt of

.,moke .wept tn and the power ll¡¡ts taIled, I didn't hear any

blaet, but I knew what had bap-

pened.

to almost any mine and find .101Ilar reports,"

30

Centralia Disaster

March 26, 1946

"I got to the pit car. On the wa.y, In the west entry, I found

Johnnie Lorenzen!. It was pretty

smoky there and he was in a bad way, I took him on the cage with

earlier that he WGuid go to Cen. tralla to overeee rescue work, but

later It wae announced' he W8.

prevented from ¡¡olng by a cold

me, and when I hIt the fl'esh air at the top I P!eed out,

and tever,

"That waa my first accident, and It'll be the last. I'm not go-

Illnol. Department at pubnc

ing back. I'm through."

Rescue squads, early in their

work, found the body 01 Mark

Watson, 65-year-old Centralia miner, and brougbt It to the surface.

Other bodIes were ignored, John-

T, P. SullIvan, dlredor or the

Safety, and Wlllam E, Kal.er, chaIrman or the Industrial Commleslon or Ilinol., both were In Centralia, Investigating the mlne

Order at the mIne ecene was

being maintained by stat. ortlclals:

80n !atd, as the e:quads concen-

mine.., state police, deputy sher-

lave those who might ,till be alive, Pumping Bad AIr Out, Rescue woi'k advanced by a pro-

out alIve wsrs Holzhauer, Earl

trated their e!torts on attempts to eesi at erecting lumber a.nd fabric

barrlcades, pumping the bad air out 01 the walled-o/! aroa, then

movIng on tntn the shaUs, Truck loads of lumber waa iowered Into

the mine to au1øt the frantic squads.

Rescue crews from Bellevile, Herrin, Duquoin, Eldorado, West

IUs and .oldlerø from Scott Fjeld. Among thnse who were brought

mediately after the. explosIon brought :50 ambulances to the :¡cene. Cots for the injured were

::ent from the Scott Field Army ;i.r base. Red Cross relief work-

renzinI, Henry Zeigler, Harry GutJlsr, Henry Gororth, Stephen

Ben KIrkland, Guy Baldridge,

Clemenze Zlnkevlcz, Gus Harting, Ted Ke.ii, George ReId, Waltec

George. Cruse, WlIllam Oesteièh,

liam Ferkle and Floyd L, Wei.i.

"r carried a .tretcher from the

point where we picked tho men up In the south passage to within about 50 feet or the shaft, r had

plasma and pulmotor equipment

taken of! my mask In the good air, but r must have had a snoot full, because suddenly I couldn't stand

were rushed to the scene. White.

up any more,

ers came tram St. La'l!'. Blood

apronéd nun! 'Jt the FelicTan Nurs.

Jng Order iud prle.ts wIth wind-

breakers over theJr caSiockli ald.

to re.t and close my eyes I'd .ee

the bodIes ly\n' there, I'm not goIng home or leave here until Its over.

"I tell you ¡t's pretty tough to

pa:is up the bodle~ at your bud. dies, ~ooking for those still alive, "I'm not saying how it happened

-only what could have happened,

out of their working. Into the

Don Soper, Manzle Gregory, Wil-

Appeals tor help broadcast Im-

"I may be chicken~heartedi" he

said, "but every time I'd lie down

Shaw, Lawrence strehe, John Lo-

foreman, headed one reBeue l!quad

and was overcome by the gas.

ported that he had counted 14

bodies,

That Is, those men hea-rd the

Sharp. Settlmo POllaccl, Fred

nUnols min. town. Joined In the e!forts to reach tho trapped men,

Harry NJermann, an 8JUilstant

the mIne, after a four-hour shift doing rescue work in the mine, re-

C, Wilkinson, Scott Ward, Lynn

Sundermeyer, Fred Bright, Jack Pick, William Rowekamp, Harry Greathouse, Joseph Vancil Jr.,

Franklort, SprIngfield and other

U Bodle. Counted, Elmer H. Baird, a "ruce 00891' at

"1 don't think there'. much

.hance for the others down there."

'whoosh' at an explosion and ran

maIn passageway for fresh air. "Then .the fan !tapped, the air

reversed, and the 'black damp' prObably doubled back and got

them, As I say,' that mIght have happened."

Those rescued from the mine

were all taken out last night, the last at about 10:30 o'clock, Today,

familes of the trapped men could

only wail Scanla.n said no effort woúld be made to remove bodies

until ventl1atlon is restored, which

means that a week might elapse before rescue squads rench the

end of the 10nge15t passageway,

about three and a halt rolle! from the entrance.

In Operation Since 1901\

The Tl1ne had been worked sInce

1908 and employed 265 men In aU.

It produced 2200 to 3200 ton. 01 80ft coal a day. All operations

ment for resuscitating gai victims

Gutzler, who operate an engine'

down. i

fi..uling coal cars In the mIne, re-I

Chapter at the Red Cross from City Hospital in at. Lou!s and

lated they saw 16 or 17 men In a group, all but tour at whom were,

lost it wll be the worst mine

d!iiaater In TIltnoie: iitnce the Cherry

dead, .hortly atter they ob"erved, "a rush at dust." Merkle "aid the

worst nationally since 195 men

ed In carIng for the Injured,

ThIrteen pIeces of special equip-

were collected by the ,8t, Lou!, Lambert-St. Louis FIeld and taken to the mino. Four nurses trom St. Mary's Hoapital, Richmond Helghta, volunte".ed to go to Cen-

tralia to ll,¡,t with the, work there and the Ohio Chemical Co"

"Dead Lying Cloee Together."

WIIllam Merkle and Harry'

dead "were all lyIng clo"e to-

gether,"

"Gutzler and I took the tour

U16 Olive street, sent a quantity

who were alive to the cage, and

or bl()od plasma..

we all went up to the surface,"

Qivernor Pledge. AId. Gov, Dwight II Green 01 Ili

noig decI(Jred that "every resource or the state l. beIng thrown 1nto

the rescue efforts and wtl be placed at the disposal or the tam,

ilies of thel!e men." He announced

were on a linR'le level 640 feet

It all 01 the trapped mIne.. are

Mine tragedy 01 1909, and the

were lost at Mather, Fa., In 1928.

The lut msjor 111nol. mine di.-

aster W8.! at Moweaqua, DI., Dec.

23, 1932, when M mlnera Ioat theIr lives.

Merkle continued, "thJs Ie my second mIne accident-the other was

In Sandoval, Ll., and 17 were klled, It's a bad lire, I don't

thInk I'li ever go back In a mine after what 1 saw today,"

3 i

Belle Island Disaster 1, 1968

April

lla~

Drniug Jtl?3 ß SoctlOn8 "***

DalIaø, Texas, Saturday, March 9, 1968

Bodies of Miners Found Carbon Monoxide Blamed BELLE ISLE, La. (UP!) - Re.cue,. found the bodies of 21 miners Friday deep in the huge Cargil salt mine on Loisiana'ii

marshy coast, apparently dead of carbon monoxide from a fire. Sixteen boies were found late Friday morning about 3.000 feet from the quarter~

mile-deep main shaft. The other five were discovered later in another part of the mine.

It was the worst mine disaster In Louisiana history. There were no survivors of the work crew

sun a connect e war inll!l. He al,o .ald a second .haft ,hold be

the fire burned.throuh êlevator.~uipm~nl and blackened the mouth, of the ,haft with thlck black smoke. Evans' trip was at Cargill.s requèst, and company officials, said they were working on or had in the planning stages most of hi.

14 recommendations.

"TIlEY WERE .1I.btnched up ",gether," said Raymond Ashby of Madisonvile. Ky., a member of the Lman; team which found

trappe undergroud by a roaring fire at

the first 16 boie!. Another rescue team. went down and

midnight Tuesday. '

found the other five men.

Exhausted rescuers, who made seven separate trips into the mine, will not try to remove the boie! unti Saturday.

AT WASHINGTON, the U,S, Bureau of

Mines said inspector Arthur M. Evan! of Dallas told Cargill in September the mine needed more fire protection and a second .halt. Evans' report said the huge mine, one of

the world.! largest salt excavations, "WB.

constructed mainly of woo and heavy tim~ beri and lacked fire protecion,"

"They did not dl. . painEul death." A,h.

by said. "It was just like lying down and

At the docks at Calumet, La., a rew

miles from the nearly iniiccesiiible mine, Cargill executive Evan William! walked into a steel warehouse and told sobbing

relatives the news. Three women collapsed and were taken away in ambulances.

Gov. John McKeithen. who flew to the

scene Thursday and then reurned to hle ca.pitol at Bato Roge, exended hi! profound sympathy" to the family member!.

uIT is INE:EO a great sorrow for our state." McKeithen said. The victim! were Homer B. SmiUi of Smithdale; Mi.!s.; C. J. Benoit, John Chd!!-

ten!'en, Dennis Romero.. Leroy Sanches, Harry Touchet, Leroy Trahan and Paul Granger of Franklin, La.; Michae! Bou-

going to sleep." Grimy miner! gathered around the mine

dreaux. Roy Byron, MinoS' Langlinais. Ches-

entrance, some of whom had been working

La,; Dall.. Olivier, tulo.Boutte, Loui,

without sletp for SO hours, collapsed in

tears when Clayton Tonnemaker, former

University of Minnesota and Green Bay Packers football star and now a Cargill vice-president, made the annocement the first 16 bocies were found.

ter Vlce and Wilbur Jenkin! of Abbevile,

P'riot¡ Artur Olivier IridAIcite Olivier of Jeaner.tto, La., an Porè Peltier and Hi!. ton Primaeu. of N.. iberli\' Li:;'ìÍ1~ Hol' ,ii. Touch.t, FranJllrt,' La.

All re'cue eilort.w.. N.¡ìnded until

9 !l.rn. Saturday.

32

Belle Island Disaster

April 1, 1968

Page 6

United Mine Workers Journal

4prl 1, 1968

An Inlerview Wilh Jim Westfeld

More About The Salt Mine Fire "This rescue operation wa one of the most dicult

The bucket was .. harne-rigged afai, Westfeld told the

I have ever participated in," says James Westfeld, speak- JOUTru, which was lower very slowly SQ !,at tt wouJd not too (reely wid capsize, which would have hur the rescue ing of the mie rescue operation which he superved at swi men to thei death There was alo another hazard in Uie shat a sat mie on Bele Isle, La. beus its wooden support had bured up; leaving bolts stickig made lie gut fro¡n the sides whict1 could have snag~ed the fragile elevator literaly heli for the rescue workers was the intense heat .which would alo have dumped the rescue men to the faraway widergroiíd and the fact that the only way to enter the alt bottom. Westfeld said tht eac det into the mie and each escent mie was straight down a 1,200 foot shaft in a swigig He said the two outstaclg factors which

bucket. Becaus of their depth, salt mies are usualy much hotter than coal mies, and, of coure, the Cargill operation' was heated

even more by the fie that gutted it ann. its shaft supports Westield, who is Assistant Director-Health and Safety, U. S. Bureau of Mins, told the Journal that tempe.atues undergrOW1d dur the rescue and recovery o~ the bodes was between' 90 to

100 degrees and was usuay abou,t 97 degrees Fahrenheit.

triii!t tok 20 to 30 miutes.

At the bottom of the mie th ma used a grpplig hook to hltc to the side of the sJl; then lowere themlves into the

mi,

The fit team to descend found the sump fi with water,

t! result at vai efforts of a loc fie department to exguh the fie. On th trp the fit job was to put out a fie which Wll sti blazg on the bottom near th sl The second ta was to buid a wooen hoo ove Uie sup to prevent any rescue workers frm tumli into __the. watl a.

droi.g. All of this work. ot -coune, wu ~e ç1çiubly ~

by the intense heat and by the heavy breathg apparau..tJ, rescue workers wore. As in an mie rescue ef~ the pr ai and hope at fit is to fid the trapped men alve. 'I, Ui

Louiiaa as in10ther intaces, ¡nant tht ~are$duri...t, fit two days. were conducted with a'grat-deaJ.ot ~te bei,

in ma_intances in the past tie ha sayC( Ui lives.of trP~ men However on Mach 8 the two grups at, boes were ,d,. to the. wo+ld tht,al-.21 cove.red and the sad neWS was relayed

men had bee sufocated

There was never any question that the .bo would be brougt

to the surface but the nee for haste termte with th d.

covery of the' bodies. It wa then that 'Westfld sai tht. a fresh ai room, eight feet high and

about, 1..'teeu- squa."'&S

buitunderground. Even th job was' ver ~cut. beus 0:

the heat. But th meant that the rescue, team, could ded to th 'bottom of the, shaft in fresh ai an-put on th ~u.e equipment after reachg the bottom. ,

The bodies were brought to, the"sur~ce in ~Hi?~ oI- tb~ with one live ma' on eac trp,' T1e live II ,"ho i;de th:t¡p staYeQ at the" top and another ma was sent, dD-. i: the bot-

tom to replace, hi on the team and perform tle ~ sad dUty. The number two ma in lie then accompaned_ the, ~nex ~up of bodies to th sw:ace-. ~ procedure was followed unt: al

of the bodies had been recovered Westield toid the Journal that one oi, hl, greatet ,te..

fear he' never expressed out loud-was tlat the mie Sht woul collapse before' the recovery opeation had be copleted. Th

danger was created the intat the wooen shaft suppo bured up. As reported in the last isue ot th Journal, vi al qf

the personnel who perfonned these herculan labors were å"oin

the coal industr. The coal miing tea. were trorr Western Kentucky and wer

sent by Island Creek Coai Co, and Pittsburg an Mldwa~ Oi (;, EIght UMW A members from th~ Di.trict JJ LocaL_Clmo~ ¡,tiipated In the arduous effort to reacue the 21 me_

33

Farmington Disaster November 24, 1968

FARMINGTON MINE

Reopening Tomb for 78 Men WASHIN"GTO:\ (AP) - Slow-

Offcials have yet to set-or

ly, agonizingly slowly for the

even discuss-any date for

relatives of the 78 men whose bodies lie below, the searèd

walls of Mountaineer CoalCo.'s No, 9 mine are cooling 'of!. And as steel bits chew

through the West' Virginia mountai shielding ~the shafts

cracking the cement caps block. from the fires which

ing oxygen

ravaged the mine fur 10 days

before it was seakd off Nov. 30, Westfield, when pressed by ;i reporter, said he would guess

arM and erect another seaL. A second, and newer method

suggested hy ConsolidatioD Is whå.tthc driling already going

FarmIngton is ahout. Under this plan, blowers clear 3,00 'feet of tunnel through one

on in

bore bole, a new seal is installed

aDd another bore hole is driled,

and tunels, offcïálsprepare

the mine can.t be opened for at

The bore boles won't be opened unti the Bureau of

the plans to enter the, mine for

least another two months,

Mines decides which method it

tà recovery expedition and the

first step in resuming digging, Already developing are signs

An explosion which killed 16 men at the same mine ii 1954

prefers. ' 'The November disaster has

kept the pit sealed four months,

had heavy impact iD spurrir ~

company and the United Mine Workers over the reopening,

Westfeld said thrce indicators -Carbon monoxide, oxygen iind

coal safety legislation.

Closedd.or 8 Months Consolidation Coal Co" parent

whether fires are stil burning

available to engineers

have dropped to points where it appears the mine is near the reo

out what caused this explosion

opening stage, Concentration. 01 Methane

"ne." said Westfield

o( a struggle between the cval

f ¡rm for the Farmington, W, Va" mine, has proposed two

methods for reopening No, 9, closed now for eight months, "We want a faster method," said Lewis E, Evans, formerly

of Ebensburg, Pa., safet:f'di-

rectOI for the union. "Our fist consideration is to remove the

bodes-to get them out inddo It safely," James Westfield of the U,S, Bureau of Mines, which is con. sidering the plans, said safety is

his first consid€ration, As to the company's plans: "We have

found nothing wrong with them," he said.

temperature-which point to

But concentration of deadly

methane gas is as hig!) as 67 per cent in some places, A 2 per cent concentration wil kil a

and we will take corrective m-esures to prevf'nt another OWe hopp, to lea rl rtlim th.,

one_ God fMliid we should 1""" another one,"

between S

Afer miners begin pressing into the, deadly section of the mine where the bodies are 10. eated, progress wil be slow,

The traditional method-air.

speeüic proposals for entering

teams to move 1,00 feet at a

ny,

"I'm quite sure WP will (iad

and 15 per èent.

locking-allows the recovery

CliSS the matte" with tbe compa-

pact on the safety tcchni~u,"

man. Explosions can be sparked when the figures are

Evans said the union !)as no tk~ n\lnp hilt. hp said h" will dis.

Westield also hopes reop"¡~

ing the miDe will have an 10',

ti me through the 10 miles or so of passageways as Uiey ease

ahead of one seal, explore an

34

Farmington Disaster November 24, 1968

Schenectady Gazette, Schenectady, N. Y. --Saturday, November 28, 1968

Her Man Trapped With 77 Underground-

Baby Due, Wife Keeps Vigil at Mine Head By :\ILES LEE HCKSON

The three nurses at the com-

;\L\:.N"INGTON, W Va. (.~p'.)

pany store say they'll try to

- Her baby is due at any moment but dark.haired Barbara

take Barbarw to the nearby

Toler is not about to leave the

i.i\~ l, '~ .w.rning,

mine where her husband is trapped with 77 other men 500

feet underground,

Her 26-year-old husband, Dennis, has been entombed in the

Fari-U'îM Clinic if she gives 11 i- .. ii Wil be born near

the in, .,. Uie

Red eot:;llIiiøÛQ cameen 1W, It was used TJda tØ ..

aminatiorr room 'WBai:a

las ¡:eck he gat was for $U2, a: "l.rst 1r his work in the

mina was taken out ahead to pay our debts," Denns avera¡¡es about $270,

every two weeks as a miner. "He's trying to get out of deht but once you're in as deep as we are, it's impossible to get Duti"

she said. Barbara said Dennis worked

another full-time job at the cem-

flaming passageways of Mountaineer Coal Co. )10. 9 since

thought she felt labor painS, It

etery-digging graves and settig headstones-for eight hours

Wednesday morning, And there is little prospect he'll come out

wil be used as a delivery room

íI necessar.

alive.

"I'm so hopeful he'll get oot

I hat I brought him a nice de,.

ili:rt In case his work cloth6i gl' burned off," the 24.ycar-olt

brunette said, "But I forgot to

bring a pair of pants for him," Barbara squirmed in an easy

chair, not knowing whether

Denns and Barbara were

married four years ago, He!

0l2erates a caabea¡,~ stttJe bU~~ in No.9, Their

two

bage a lot at home, But it" get.

13 moi:lis.are staying with

out of garnishing the first of the

er thought anytg about him ¡

going down there," Barbara!,

the baby's birth would come

fir;t.

he says he wants to go back 'i

from here," she said as:i:i

down, I

mine's entrance, "I just can't,"

-from. ~i¡g hours. of wear. She! tatitf!dabout her life as a coal

mIner's wife and what It means

days," she said, "But if I have

to be ïn debt,

bay' and won't allow it in the hospitaL."

"That song '16 tons' sur Is tre for him," she said. "That

blue dre5s, now badly rupled

make me stay there four or five site-they'll declare it a 'cl

She referred to a popular song

about coal mining, one on juke boxes across the nation a few years ago,

Barbara wore a loose-fiting I sur Is his song If any Is."

"If I go to the hospital, they'll

the baby here-here at the mie

ting belter all the time. We':! be

year. But now, he only gets friends. "When we g't married, I iiev-, about two hours of sleep a day." said, "Now, I'll clobber him if

tinued her long vigil althe

"He takes cabbage sandwiches to lunch in the mines and he's giving up smoking," she said, "We eat beans and cab-

chU hiid, !, and Melissa,

word of her trapped husband or

"I'm just not gOÎl-øici'lt.

after his midnght shift In the coal mie,

"We owe the company store and other poeple so routh, ben-'

r¡S .has got only two pitctecks in two y,ears," she said. "The

35

Sunshine Disaster '-arch 2, 1974

TI~ K~!iQ~g'._~Y~nln~D.~t?)vS AFET-YEAR NO. n KElLOGG, IDAHO, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1914 TEN CE PlR CO

SUNSHINE MINE DISASTER MEMORIALIZED TODAY

Giant Miner Statue Symbohzes Feelings A large crowd was on hand today during the dedication

program for the Sunshine

Memorial, held under partly cloudy skies in the area

iiounding the 12.foot statue of A miner that now stands on a petal of natural rock.

Senator Frank Church, in

performing the offcial

decation, said he admires the Ilirit of the widows, children,

moers, fathers, and friends of those 91 men who lost their lives In the disaster that occurred at

the Sunshine Mine two years ago, He urged young peple to

R.J. Bruning represented (;v.

L¡, Gov Jack Murphy also

Anrus as he expressed humility

!lke, saying he felt pride in the

and pride in the various as¡Jts lÍ the disaster and the eventual

wection of the monument. He conveyed Andrus' message of

keing the memory of these LaVerne Melton spoke on

way the people of Idaho

demonstrated their metal at the lime of the Sunshine tragedy Others introduced ineluded O:mnty Commissioners Vernon

and other miners alive.

Lønnen who served as master of

behalf of the USWA union in

ceemonies, A,E. Sagdal and Vince Alexander, Hep, Tom Snyder, Senator Art Murphy,

maintaining that more rigid cotrols are needed in the line of safety, He said the monument !i for all miners who have

be or will be kiled in the mines.

treat the monument with the

Se, of State Pete Cennarussa, Rot Robson, Don Hiley, Pres,

of the Boise Chamher of COmmerce; AI Tesky, Executive l!e. of the Ida ho Mining

ÀlBociation; and Sen Art Murphy,

same re8¡Jt that they hold for their own homes al\d churches,

President Nixon Says Mine Safety In Forefrnt President Richard Nixon toy forwarded a telegram to

the Sunshine Wives and Mothers organization regarding the

go back ,in time to undo that

fateful day, hut there are ways

to prevent another similar

"In this occasion the hearts of countless fellow citizens go out

to the families of those who have

Miers Memorial event. Mrs, Elizabeth Fee, secretary.

disaster.

"The Sunshine mine fire

died here. I add my personal

treasurer of the Sunshine or.

victims have been the symbol

ganization, released the wire as

for rallying government, industry and unions to put mine safety practices and mine safety

prevent another such mine disaster, ..

follows:

"The tragedy that took the lives of 91 men two years ago in

technologies in the forefront of

the Sunshine fire is still sadly

our concerns,

pledge to do all in my power to Richard Nixon,

etched on the American

ronscience, There is no way to

36

HISTORICAL COAL MINE DISASTERS IN THE UNITED STATES 1839-2000 (FIVE OR MORE FATALITIES)

II II

03-18-1839 Black Heath , Near Richmond, VA 53 Explosion

06-15-1844 Black Heath 01-12-1946 No.1 02-1846 Spencer 1850 Cox's Pit, Clover Hil 1854 , Chesterfield 1855 , Midlothian 1859 Bright Hope _.. 1863 Raccoon, Clover Hil 04-03-1867 Bright Hope . 09-06-1869 Avondale

03-22-1870 , Potts 08-10-1870 Heins & Glassmire 08-29-1870 Preston No.3 05-27-1871 West Pittston 08-14-1871 , Eagle Shaft 10-02-1871 Otto Red Ash 07-02-1872 Atwater Slope 06-10-1873 Henry Clav 05-20-1876 Midlothian 07-24-1876 Black Diamond 05-09-1877 Wadesvile

07-11-1877 ' Brookfeld 01-15-1878 Potts 11-21-1878 05-06-1879 11-02-1879

11 14 7 7 19

Pottsvile, P A

, Winterpock, VA New Richmond, VA Coalfield, VA Winteroock, VA

55

.

9

17 69 110

~interpock, VA.

' Winterpock, VA Plvmouth. PA Locustdalc, P A

5

Middleport, PA , Girardvile, PA ... West Pittston, PA Pittston, PA Branch Dale, PA Atwater Township. OH

9 7 20 17 5 10

Shamokin, PA

10

Coalfeld, VA . Nortonvile, CA Wadesvile, PA Brookfeld, OH

8

6 7 7

' Locus! Dale, P A

Sullvan

Sullvan. IN

5 8

Audenried

Audenried, PA

6

Mil Creek

Mil Creek, P A

5

03-05-1880 , Nanticoke No.2 Shaft 05-03-1880 02-10-1881 03-04-1881 02-03-1882 05-24-1882 01-09-1883 02-16-1883 01-24-1884 02-20-1884

, Near Richmond, VA Carbondale, PA

Lvkens Vallev

Robbins Almv

Midlothian Kohinoor Coultervile Diamond ,.. Crested Butte West Leisenring 03-13-1884 ' Laurel

...

Nanticoke, PA , Shamokin, PA

6

Robbins,OH i Almv, ~y

6 38 32

5

Coalfiel¡l, VA Shenandoah, PA

Coultervile, IL Braidwood, IL Crested Butte. CO

West Leisenrin!!, PA ! Pocahontas, VA

!

5 ...

10 69 59 19 112

,

Explosion Cave-in

-_.----

p

' Explosion

Explosion Explosion Explosion , Explosion Explosion Explosion Fire Explosion Cage fall (sbaft) Cage fall (shaft) ' Fire Explosion Explosion i,'ire

; Explosion

Explosion Explosion Explosion Suffocation Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion EXflosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Inrush of water

-..

' Explosion

Explosion Explosion

37

08-21 - 1884 _..._~"

Shamokin, PA Uniontown. PA Raven Run, P A MocanaQua, PA Nanticokc, PA ' Almy,_\yY NewblIrg, WV ¡Dunbar, PA Scrantliri, P A S_cranton, PA Wilkes-Barre PA

Buck Rid!!e

Youngstown Cuyler ~:11-1885 , West End Collery 10-27-1884 04-06-1885

12-18-1885

Nanticoke No.1

~-1886 _. Almy No.4 .Q1-1§.8..6 . Newburg

~. - .

Uniondale ..Fair Lawn Marvine Conyngham Old Savanna No.2 Tunnel Bast Keith & Perry No.6

03-08- 1886 08-30- 1886 09-13-1886 11-26-1886 04-04-1877

.

-04-27-1877 10-01-1877 03-29-1888 11-03-1888

7 . 14 10 10 26 13 --

39 6 6 8 ,~._--12 18 5..m._"'__ 5 ..

Savanna, OK . Ashland, P A .Girardvile, P A

----

Kette Creek

Rich Hil, MO Clinton County, PA

11 -09-1888

Shaft No, 2

Frontenac, KS

05-09-1889

Kaska Willam

Middleport, PA

.._..

02-01 - 1890

,

03-03-1890 Shaft No.3 04-02-1890 SusQuehanna No.4 05-15-1890 i Jersev No.8 06- 16- 1890

Hil Farm

01-27-1891 02-04-1891 05-22-1891 10-23-1891 11 -08- 1891 .... 01-07-1892

Mammouth Spring Mountain Pratt No.1 Richardson Susquehanna No.1

- ----No.

11

04-20-1892 , Lvtlc ()5-10-1892 ' Roslyn 06-23-1892 York Farm 01-10-1893 Como 02-14-1893 Chicago and Iowa 03-13-1893 Choctow 04-01-1893 Neilson 06-22-1893 Susquehanna No.1 09-21-1893 02-13-1894 07-17-1894 08-24-1894 10-08-1894

, Golden, CO

White Ash Nottin!!ham

Lance No. 11

Gavlord East Sul!ar Loaf Franklin Luke Fidler

----

10 , ,

10

..

Mount Pleasant, PA

8 8 5

26 i

__n

--.--

Pratt City, AL ._---

Krebs. OK Minersvile, P A

Kinl!,CO Albia, IA Alderson, OK Shamokin PA ¡Nanticoke, PA i Plvmouth. PA Plvmouth, PA Stockton, PA Franklin. W A ' Shamokin, PA

Gas/Boiler fire Inrush of water EXDlosion EXDlosion -

Explosion Explosion Suffocation bv !!as Explosion Explosion Suffocation bv !!as Suffocation bv !!as Explosion Explosion Explosion .... Mine car fell on men in

-

-

' Explosion EXDlosion

Fire

9 11

Inrush of water

8 i

Inrush of water Explosion Fire

31 109

7 12 100 10 45 15 24

' Gle-ii"Ç_ari!ll P A ..N_anticoke, PA

Roslvn, W A Pottsvile, P A

Roof 1.'all

ca!!e

Plvmouth, PA ' South Wilkcs-Barre. PA .- ..~anticoke, PA Ashlev. PA Dunbar, PA J eanesvile, P A

40

17

- - --

-09-09-1889

24

Fire Explosion

9 10 5 6 13 8

37 5

EXDlosion

--._------._--.-----

' EXDlosion

Suffocation bv !!as --_. EXDlosion

Explosion Inrush of water Explosion Explosion EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion

Fire Explosion Explosion Roof fall Dvnarite explosion

Fire Fire

38

10-11-1894 Henrv Clav Collerv 11-20-1894 i Blanche 01-22-1895 Tate 02-18-1895 West Bear Ridge 02-27-1895 White Ash .Q-20-189~ Red Canyon

~:08-1895 Blue Canyon

.. ~ndard, WV

H

Sturgis, KY ' Mahanoy Plaue, P A

Cerrilos, NM Red Canyon, .WY , Lake Whatcom, W A

~N

I Explosion

7 8

Shamokin, PA

Powder explosion

-i Explosion Explosion

62. . Explosiou

_1--24 Explosion 23 IExnlosion

~i1kes-Barr~,PA 10-07-1895 ' Dorrance Cumnock, NC 12-19-1895 Cumnock 12-20-1895 Nelson . New Castle, CO 02-18-1896 Vulcan Dubois, rA 03-23-1896 Berwind ~ittston, PA 06-28-1896 Twin ._ South Wilkes-Harre, P A Shaft No.3 10-29-1896 Princeton, IN 12-26-1896 Oswald Alderson, OK 01-04-1897 No.1 Wadesvile, PA 01-13-1897 Wadesvile , Huntington, AR 03-04-1897 Kansas & Texas No. 44 Sunshine, CO 09-03-1897 Sunshine Belle Ellen, AL 09-20-1897 Belle Ellen Rendham, P A 09-28-1897 ' Jermvn No.1 Scranton, PA 10-30-1897 Von Storch Alabama No.2 Slope 03-19-1898

' 7

J-39 28

Exnlosion .

49 13

1

T Explosion

.. -------

I Explosion Explosion Exnlosion

6 ,-Explosion . .-

t=+7Roof fall Explosion 5

Explosion Haulage

14 12

I Exnlosion Explosion

5

- I --

5

9

' Cage accident

02-21-1899 Blocton No.2 04-21-1899 Cook & White

West Pittston, PA Blocton, AL Madrid, NM

07-24-1899 . Grindstone

Grindstone, PA

12-09-1899 i Carbon Hil No.7 12-23-1899 Sumner

Carbonado, W A

-"---

10-01-1898

Midvale

11-05-1898 Exeter

03-06-1900 Red Ash 05-01-1900 Winter uartcrs 1&4 05-23-1900 Cumnock 08-21-1900 Issa uah No.4 11-09-1900 Buck Mountain 02-25-1901 Diamondvile, No.1 04-29-1901 . McAlester No.5 05-15-1901 , Chatham 05-27-1901 Richland

6

Middleport, P A

6 8

~rownsvile,p A

Sumner, PA

5 5 5 I

31 19

--

..-

-

--

Explosion Exnlosion Exnlosion Explosion Exnlosion

--

-

.-

Explosion Ex losion

Red Ash, WV L___ __..__

Scofield, UT Cumnock, NC Issaquah, WA Mahanoy City, PA Diamondvile, WY . Alderson, OK Farmington, WV Da ton, TN

-

._..-

5 Fire ,--.6 'Fire

Wilkes-Barre, PA

------

--

5 I Fire.

I

Explosion Inrush of water ~ --Explosion Fire

05-26-1898 ' Kaska Wiliams r-09-23-1898 Umpire

--

23 ,Ex losion

5 ' .Fire

-~xplosion

u.re

- ..

10 Ex losion .=b, 6=tEX 10.s..ion 20 Ex losion

39

06-10-1901 ! Port Royal No.2 09-16-1901 ' Spring Gulch 10-25-1901 Buttonwood 10-26-1901 Diamondvile 11-11-1901 Pocahontas 12-28-1901 No.1 - -"-01-13-1902 Milby & now 01-24-1902 Lost Creek No, 03-06--- 1 902

03-31-1902 05-19-1902 07-10-1902 08-07-1902 09-15-1902 09-22-1902 10-01-1902 11-29-1902 12-09-1902 03-15-1903 03-23-1903 03-31-1903

Cats

Port Royal, PA Spring Gulch, CO Plymouth, PA -~-Diamondvile, WY

_.

un

Mononl!ahcla, PA

burg

Davton,TN Coal Creek. TN

Nelson

Fratervile Rollnl! Mil

.

,Johnstown, PA

Bowen Algoma No.7

Bowen,

Stafford Lawson Luke Fidler South Wilkes-Barre Cardiff Athens, No.2 Sandoval Central SloDe 77

06-19-1903 06-30-1903 11-20-1903

Blossburl! No.3 Hanna No.1

-

.

Ferguson Harwick Stearns No.5 05-05-1904 ' Locust Gap 11 -21 - 1903

01-25-1904 04-20-1904

CO

Cardiff, IL Athens, IL Sandoval, IL Carbon, OK Blossburg, NM

-

i ,

_.

Fire Fire Explosion

5

EXDlosion

16 184 112 13 17

Explosion Explosion

6 11 7 5 5 6 8 6 5

179 5 5 10

---,-"

Willamstown, P A

Tercio Auchincloss

Tcrcio, CO

..,

Nanticoke, PA

Horton, WV Burnett,. W A

.

Dacatur, IL ,

Minervile, P A

, Virginia City,AL Wilcoe, WV _. West Pittston, PA Red Ash, WV Princeton, ID

Zeil!ler,IL Kavford, WV

-----

10 19 10 7 17 6 5

112 6 7 24 9 49 6

-.-

Haulal!e

20

Cheswick, P A

Herrin, IL

--

17 6 10

11 17

Wiliamstown

.

EXDlosion

169

Bil! Muddy

.-

6

22

Bonanza, AR Connellsvile, PA

Locust Gap, PA

EXDlosion

Explosion _Explosion

Hanna, WY

Stearns, KY

02-20-1905 Virl!inia City 02-26-1905 ' Grapevine 03-09-1905 Clear Spring 03-18-1905 · Rush Run & Red Ash 03-22-1905 Oswald 04-03-1905 Zeil!ler 04-20-1905 Cabin Creek

-

All!oma, WV -. Stafford, WV Black Diamond, W A Shamokin, PA Wilkes-Barre. PA

--

Bonanza No, 20

Horton No.5 No.1 .i18-1905 Lvtle

19 6

Pocahontas, VA . Hartshorne, OK Dow, OK Oskaloosa, IA

2

04- 12- 1903

05-11-1904 05-25-1904 10-28-1904 11-02-1904 12-04-1904 12-07-1904 01-16-1905

,

-

¡ Explosion

Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion EXDlosives EXDlosion

, Explosion

Explosion EXDlosion EXDlosion

Explosion EXjllosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Fire Explosion Suffocation EXDlosion

Haulal!e

Fire-------~-Exp!o~!on

Fire Haulal!e Explosion EXDlosion

Haulal!e EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion

..40

Haulage

04-26-1905 Conyngham____ Wilkes-Barre, PA 10

04-27-1905 , Eleanora Dubois, PA. _-+ Il- Explosion_ ~~:~~:~g~~I ~~Jel!ater~- '. ... -j ~~~i;t;~ OK____1 15L 1 ~:::~::~~ -07-06-1905 ' Fuller~_ _-Searight;PA "T-~plosion. 10-13-1905 r Cly~_ _ --edericktown, PA.. I ~,Fire. 10-29, -1905.. lIaZel. Kirk No.2_--onon.g. ahela, p. A . ___+ --5. .1 Explosion

11-04-1905 GTidewater ' Vivian, WV _--7 Explosion

11-15-1905 Braznell _ _~entleYVile, PA .' -~ I Ú~Iosion 12-02-1905 'Diamomivile No. l--iamondvile, WYI 18. Ex losion 01-04-19.06 ' coaldalei Coaldale, WV . . 22, EXPiosio,n,'

01-18-1906 Detroit Detroit, WV--_~ ~XPlosion 01-24-1906 . Poteau No. 6__ _ Wittevile, OK _ _L. ~plosion

02-08-19061 Parral . . .. .¡ Parral, WV 23 ~xjJlosion 02-19-1905 ,Maitland -- __ Walsenburg, CO ,--., 14 _j-l~plosion 02-27-1906 , Little Cahaba . Piper, AL .. lL+_li!Iosion

03-22-19.06 Æentury N~.I- ._. '~~~ntury,..wv'_--.. -; ~~L.,. 'E E!)xpl~sion

04-22-1906 Cuatro ' Tercio, CO _.l- 'Ex¡:losion

MT _I~ Fire__

05-15-190.6 . Shen.andoah.City ." . i Shenandoa..h Citi:..PA. .. '. 7~. Explosives.. 06-07-1906j Red

Lodge,

Lodge . Red

08-06-1906 ' Susquehanna No.7 _' Nanticoke, PA ._~ ~plosion __ 1O.-03-190~y Pocahontas .. .--..()Cahontas, VA .--,.' 36...1, E Exxplosion ." 10-05-1906 Dutchman, . I Blossburg, NM ---I 10 .~osion_ 10-24-1906

Rollng Mil . __.. ,Johnstown, P~ _~. _-ii ¥~plosio-i

11-.03-1906 San Toy No.l_~n Toy, OH_ _ i-- Haulage 12-2Ü-1906j No.1. .., --Stone City, KS ,i-Explosives 12-22-1906 ,Breese-Trenton . __ ,Breesc, Il- 6 --aulage 01-14-1907 Deering Ni ._ ~,.Clinton, IN --- 7 _iEX~losion ___

01-23-1907 Primero ., I'rimero, CO _ 24 Ex losion

01-26-1907 Lorentz Penco, WV ..tI2 Explosion 01-29-1907 Johnson City . IJOhnSonCity,IL _ "7 ~losives __

01-29-1907 Stuart _ ' Stuart, WV 84 Explosion__ 02-04-1907 . Thoma.s No. 25. . -. ....' Thom.. ~.s, WV ~ L Explosion

03-02-1907 'Holden__ n_~avlor, PA. __ _ 7 Explosion__ 03-16-19.07 Bond & Bruce (Greeno)'T-oma.,. V A---... . 1_~ 1 . Explosion__ 04-26-1907 Morgan

Black

Diamond,-'¥A _+_-b~losion ___

05-01-1907 Whipple. ~. Scarbro, WV ..._.' 16 1 Explosion.

05-19-1907 Englevile . Englevile, CO ..__+--Fire .___ __ 06-18-1907 Johnson No. 1__. ' Priceburg, P~ --~IExPlosi()ii___

08-17-1907 Sonman . Sonman.Ll'A. .' 5 Haulage _"

12-01-1907 Naomi ' Fa ette City, PA __ ~ Explosion

12-06-1907 Monongah No.6 and8 MOnOngah,Wi---~2~Plosion__~___ 12-16-1907 Yolande , Yolande, AL 57 Explosion

12-19-1907 Darr ' Jacobs Creek, PA 239 Ex losion

41

12-31-1907 01-30-1908 02-10-1908 03-28- 1908 05-12-1908 05-13-1908 07 - 15- 1908

08-26-1908 .Q~28:1908 11-16-1908 -_...11-20-1908 11 -28- 1908

Bernal Backman Moodv

-

Hanna No.1

Mount Lookout ProsDeet : Wiliamstown

..

Hailev-Okla. No.1 Warrior RUD

Pratt No.3 Red Lodge Rachel and Agnes

03-20-1909 03-31-1909 04-09-1909 06-23-1909 07-06-1909 10-03-1909 10-21- 1909

10-31-1909 11-09-1909 11-13-1909 12-11-1909 12-23-1909 01-11-1910 .Ql:31-1910 02-01-1910 02-05-1910

No.

Han'!ii, WY Wvomiril!, PA Wilkes-Barre, PA Wiliamstown, PA Hailey.vile, OK .. Wilkes-Barre, PA .. Ensley, AL Red Lodge. MT

...

..

----,

Clav, KY

Herrin, IL

Nottinpham Primero Browder

...: Plymouth, PA .. ,l'rimero, CO Browder, KY

Ernest No.2

Ernest, P A

---- --

Amsterdam Palos No.3

Starkvile

Mull!a, AL .

Amsterdam, OH , Palos. AL

Starkvile, CO

21 9

9

259 ... .

_. . , .

_...~.

Mulim

Explosion

10 10 13

Barthell No.1 JgQ8: 19 10 .- .Stearns, KY ~-i2-191O South Wilkes-Barre No.5 '. South Wilkes-Barre, rA 03-31-1910 Great Western No.2 Wilburton, OK 04-20-1910 04-21-1910 05-05-1910 10-08-1910

,iJ(pI()~~on

6

! Explosion ' EXDlosion EXDlosion I EXDlosion EXDlosion

.

Fire Fire

8

Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion

7 6

40 15

84 56

.......-

EXDlosion EXDlosion

EXDlosion

6

---"----

Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion

7 7 75 34 12

-----

¡Haulage

-_.7

Cherrv, IL ------

A

26

5 5 18 8 6 6

Roslyn. W A

Johnstown, PA Nanticoke, PA

. Haulage

67 6

Tollervile, CO

Auchincloss

J,xplosion Fire

Fire - .--- -Fire 154 Explosion 50 .- l';~I()sioii

Evansvile, IN Buerv, WV Wimber, PA Wehrun, PA

Hartshorne, OK

;

6

6m ___ ------8 9

Pittston,PA

Rock Island No.8

! ExpI()sion ' EXDlosion EXDlosion . Roof fall/BumD

e-

Zeigler,IL

Franklin No.2

,.._....._.-

.. .J'xplosion

29

Franklin, MD Short Creek. AL

Lackawanna No.4 Toller Northwestern

Explosion

5

I..

Gavton, VA Switchback, WV Chancellor, CA Boswell, PA

Eureka No. 37

Mine

9 59 12

Marianna, P A

Sunnyside Echo

Cherry Baker No.5

----

Switchback, WV

-

14

11 9

South Carrolton, KY..

12-29-1908 Lick Branch 01-10-1909 , Zeigler 01-10-1909 , Carbon Hil 01-12-1909 Lick Branch 01-19-1909 Stone Canyon 01-25-1909 Orenda No.2 01-25-1909 Washinl!ton No.5 02-02-1909 Short Creek ~ --.Q3-02- 1909

. _Carthage, NM Hawks Nest, WV

..

EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion

,..---

-......-

,.

42

Yolande, AL i 51 EXDlosion

11-03-1910 Yolande No.1

11-06-1910 Lawson 11-08-1910., ' Victor American No.3

11-11-1910 Shoal Creek No, 1 11-25-1910 Providence No, 3

-, -

-_. .

()-20-191~ Carbon Hil 02-09-1911 Cokedale 16 03-18-1911 No. 03-22-1911 Hazel

Leyden, CO ' 10 rr'ire

... ¡ ~::~~ea:,~ .=+ .180 I ~:~li:~~n . , Carbon Hil, VA -- 7 I EXIJlosi~n

04-07-1911 Price-Pancoast

Mineral, KS I L.J-Plosion . -t' Trinidad,CO.--l~plosion I~Troop, C. anonsburg, 9 Haulage PAPA 731fue

04-08-1911 Banner

04-24-1911 Ott No. 20 05-10-1911 Boston

05-27-1911 ' Cameron

07-15-1911 Svkesvile

08-01-1911 Standard 10-03-1911 ' Drifton 10-23-1911 O'Gara No.9 11-09-1911 Adrian 11-18-1911 Bottom Creek 12-09-1911 Cross Mountain

01-09-1912 Parrish

-,

01-16-1912 Carbon Hil

~.

01-19-1912 Central 01-20-1912 Kemmerer No.4 02-22-1912 Western No.5

03-20-1912 San Bois No.2 03-26-1912 led ,

04-21-1912 Coil

06-18-1912 Hastings 07-11-1912 , Panama

u___

07-16-1912 Carbon Hil

07-24-1912 Superba and Lemont 08-13-1912 Abernant

02-19-1913 Seagraves .., 04-23-1913 Cincinnati 05-06-1913 Tavlor Mine 05-17-1913 Noble

08-02-1913 East Brookside --"

-

Providence, KY T-.. 101 ~.XPlo~ion

12-14-1910 Levden 12-14-1910 Greeno

12-31-1910 Lick Fork

¡. Black Diamond, W.A I. 16 ! Explosion

. . Delagua, CO i . 1';;xplosion . Panama, IL I 6 I Explosion

10-22-1913 Stal! Canon No.2 11-18-1913 Acton No.2

~ Litteton, AL--i:iL1E;plosion Elk Garden, WV -L- i EXDlosion

Larksvile, PA ; 5 '1 Fire

_d~' Shamokin, PA ,. 5 Explosion

S kesvile, PA 21 I EXDlosion

Welch, WV ~. ".EXDlosion

~and, PA -I ~ ¡DroWning --risburg, IL ,8 Explosion " Punxsutawnev, PA 8i Exnlosion

Vivian, WV ' 18 I Exnlosion

, ilricevile, TN 84..~losion Plymouth, PA 6~~osion Carbon Hil, VA t 5 ' Explosion

. Central City, KY . S I Explosion Kemmerer, WY. .. ..6";;xplosion Lehigh, OK -T 9 i Fire , McCurtain, OK -I 73 I EXDlosion

led, WV ==' .. 81 'Explosion Madisonvile, KY' . =rEXPlosion , Hastings, CO 12 ,Explosion Moundsvile, WV --8 . i Exnlosion Gavton, VA -1-8 r- Explosion Evans Station. PA 18 Inundation Abernant, AL 18 T Exnlosion Eldorado, IL 5 T Explosion ,.

.' T.

Explosion ,... Finleyvile, PA. ! 98 , Beaver Dam, KY I 5 T Suffocation

BelleVallcy,OH i 15 ! Explosion

. Tower City,PA -+0~plosion

Dawson, NM ~6~plosion Acton, AL ' 24 'ExDlosion

--

---

-

---

.43

12-16-1913 Vulcan 01-10-1914 Rock Castle 01-14-1914 No.7 04-28-1914 ._Eccles No.5 & No.6 04-30-1914 No,2 i rv( 05-29-1914 Mar d ---06-30-1914 No, 1 09-04-1914 No.1 09-16-1914 · Lchigh No.4 ------10-05-1914 Mulga 10-27-1914 North or No.1 12-09-1914 Tripp 02-06-1915 Carlisle 02-17-1915 Prospect 02-18-1915 New Home No.2

Ncw Castle, CO Rock Castle AL _Mulberrv, KS Eccles, WV Cumberland, WY

Adamson, OK Lansford, PA Mull!a, AL

.Q7 -30- 1915 Patterson No.2 08-31-1915 Orenda 11-16-1915 Northwestern 11-30-1915 ; Boomer No.2 02-08-1916 Lanee 02-11-1916 Ernest No.2

Scranton, PA

Carlisle,-,VV - ----, Wilkes-Barre, PA

1

,

.

II - 18- 1 916

Ocean Mine Fidelitv No.9 -Henderson No.1 Hastinl!s -Rend No.2 Banner West Kentuckv No.7 Orient ----Old Ben No. II

12-13-1916 03-13-1917 04-27.1917 06-02-1917 06-13-1917 08-04-1917 09-17-1917 11-29-1917 12-15-1917 12-17-1917

9

"Exjllo.sio.n

Christonhcr,IL

9 9 19 31 23 7

~E!Ilo~ion

---- --

27

----

Greensburv. PA------

Stone City, KS Hendersonvile. PA Hastinl!s, CO

..

_ lferrin, IL

lJanner, AL Clav, KY

Orient,IL Christopher,IL _..

Bluefield. WV Wilkeson, W A

16 6 10 8

Ißeward, PA . .~i1kes-Barre, PA Barrackvile, WV Marvel, AL ----- Palos, AL

6

ii

-

-- ---

-

18.. ,

EXDlosion

8

Roof fall Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Haulal!e

14 121 9 6 62 5 . -_. - 18 18 6

r

Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion E"plosion

30

--------20

--

' Haulal!e

---_.., ,

; Kimball, WV

Bessie

Wilkeson

II

.Johnstown PA

Wilkes- Bar~.lA

Kin!'

Yukon No.1

115

Paiiama, IL

.~l\empton, MD

Hollenback Robindale Woodward .Jamison No.7 Roden -

Lavland, WV

, Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion

! Ernest, P A ..

----

' Explosion

5

i PlymouthPA

Davis No. 42

Explosion Explosion Explosion , Haulal!e

Rich Hil, MO

Elizabcth, P A Boswell,I' A Ravensdale, W A Boomer, WV

02-29-1916 03-09-1916 03-28-1916 03.30-1916 08.08.1916 10-19-1916 ~_._-----_..10-22-1916 ----------1l-04-1916

---_-.

---

Roof falllumD

13 7 16 52 13 21 13

Rovalton. IL

,

Haulal!c

181__ _ExRlosion 5 Haulal!e Haulal!e 6 ' Fire 5

' Cinderella, WV

-----

04-05-1915 IS_hoal Creek 05-24-1915 Smokeless Vaiiey No. 07-27-1915 United Coal No.1_._-

EXDlosion , EXDlosion

12 6

_ _Marvd, P A

Lavland No.3

03-02- 19 15

37

----

._-

---'.--"

"E"Rlosion Explosion , Inundation

44

---'-

12-20-1917 05-20-1918 08-07-1918 08-28-1918 09-28-1918 03-31-1919 04-29-1919 06-05-1919 Jj6-30-1(H9 ~07-08-1919 07-18-1919 08-06-1919 08-18-1919 10-29-1919 12-03-1919 04-14-1920

--

No.3

Catoosa, TN

11

Vila Harmar

Vila, WV Harmarvile, PA

13

Burnett, WA Burnett _. Rovalton, IL North Aguilar, CO Empire Majestic, AL Majestic Wilkes-B!lrre, PA Baltimore Tunnel Alderson No.5 == Alderson, OK -

--

---

=t1

13

22

' 92 Explosives

_ Amsterdam, OH Jacksonvile, IN Dawson, NM Clinton, IN Mallory, WV Cokeburg, PA Sublet, WV Renton, PA Degnan, OK Earlington, KY

Bol!lc No.3 Stal! Canon No, 1 & 6 Mallory No, 3

-

Ontario No.6 .. Renton No.3 No.

19

Arnold ' Parrish -----Moffat No. 1& 2

-

Raleigh-Wv!lming No.2

Lake Creek No. 11 Progressive

5 Ex losion

.

-= , 6 6

9 25

n

Sopris, CO

Acmar, AL Huntington, AR - Glen Rogers, WV n Johnston City, IL McCurtain, OK Olyphant, PA

No.4 Anthracite Mine

Madrid, NM

Reilv No.1

Spangler. PA

Dolomite, AL

--

6 Exnlosion 8 Exnlosives Explosion 9 Explosion 10 Fire 6

Pinson Fork, KY Diltown, PA n

Eddv Creek

Explosion Fire Explosion

== 5 - .- " Roof fall/ump

Morrison, CO Hulen, KY Belle Ellen, AL

-

' Explosion

7 Fire

Seek. P A

,Gates, PA

Explosion

5 ' Explosion

Harrisburg,IL

- -

.

*. Explos~on

Rahn No. 11

' Gates No.2 Marietta Diltown No.1 Sopris No.2 Acmar No.3 ' Central Coal & Coke

6

Parrish, AL Oak Hil, CO

Harco Satanic Lavman

Belle Ellen No.2

..

~on 20

' Dowell, IL

Kathleen

11-22-1922 , Dolomite No.3

6 7 18

La Veta, CO

No.2

n

-- --

' Wierwood, WV

-

---

8 Explosion =r Explosion_

Carswell Kimball, WV

~03-1920 Submarine 05-22-1920 06-02-1920 06-26-1920 07-19-1920 08-21-1920 11-16-1920 11-23-1920 02-12-1921 n. 02-23-1921 03-09-1921 08-31-1921 12-13-1921 01-30-1922 02-02-1922 02-02-1922 02-07-1922 03-20-1922 03-24-1922 05-25-1922 06-25-1922 09-23-1922 09-29-1922 10-11-1922 11-03-1922 11-05-1922 11-06-1922

I

Lansford Collery ,Lansford, P A Wierwood Oakdale

8 12

Explosion Fire Explosion Explosion Exnlosion Explosion Explosion

9 5 17 11 5 5

r i

.

5

8

6 7

79 90

--

Explosion ' Explosion

Fire Exnlosion E;\l'losion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion

Suffocation Haulage Explosion Explosion Explosives Explosion Exnlosion Exnlosion

-

45

11-25-1922 01-10-1923 02-08-1923 02-21-1923

No.4 Dolomite No.1 Sta!! Canon No.1_.

Cerilos, NM Dolomite. AL Dawson, NM

EXDlosion ,. Expl()sion_ 120 ,I';xpl()sion EXDlosion 5 10 EXDlosion l';xpl()si0I1.. . 10 12

Allance 03-02- 1923 Arista 05-05-1923 Southwestern

¡ Kaska, PA

06-26-1923 Richards Collierx 08-14-1923 Frontier No.1 10-07-1923 Midwest- -_..------11-06-1923 Glen Ropers 12-07-1923 -l Black Hawk 12-08-1923 ' Mount Jessun No.1 01-25-1924 McClintock

' Mount Carmel, PA ¡ Kemmerer, WY

01 -26- 1924

Lancashire No.--------. 18

03-08-1924 No.2 03-28-1924 Yukon No.2 -04-28-1924 Benwood 06-06-1924 ¡ Loomis Colleries 07-25-1924 ¡ Gates No.1 09-16-1924 Sublet No.5 09-21-1924 Rains 12-17-1924 Burnett 01-15-1925 Diamond No.1 ,02-20-1925 City Jll) 7-1925

04-26-1925 04-26-1925 05-22-1925 05-27-1925 05-31-1925 06-08-1925 ---07-23-1925 08-03-1925 11-13-1925 12-10-1925 12-14-1925

01-29-1926 01-29-1926 02-03-1926 02-16-1926 03-08-1926

Arista, WV Aguilar, CO

Palisades. CO

Becklev, WV Hannv. KY

5

Johnston City, IL Shanktown, PA

Nelson Eccles No.5

5

7 ,

¡Providence, KY Sullvan, IN --.--

Milgrove, P A

6 , ,

Farmvile, NC Piper, AL

Sturgis,KY

Explosion Explosion EXDlosion EXDlosion

., u_____

' EXDlosion

Explosion

Explosion

10 10

Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Fire

5

i

53 5 9

Bellaire, OH Wlllmrton, OK

Explosioii_

91 __LJi!J!()~ion 19 ' Explosion 5 EXDlosion 27 EXDlosion

l;'.armington, WV

West Frankfort, IL Helena, AL ----------~-----

Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion

6 17

¡

Tacoma, W A

Eccles, WV

.

Roof fall/ ump

7.-' EXDlosion 53 Explosion

-------

Rockwood, TN Wilkes-Barre, PA Madisonvile. KY Irondal~, AL

52 33 5 5

.l!-dwardsvile, P A

¡ Nelson. KY

26 119

--

.F:2'Plosion 14 Explosion 10 Explosion 39 .- K!Jl()sion.

Rains, UT , Burnett, W A

.¡Horning, PA

33 36

in i

: Brownsvile, P A ' Sublet. WY

Sewicklev, PA

HorningNo.4

-------

Nanticoke. PA

New SloDe

Mossboro No.1

..

Castle Gate, UT Yukon, WV Benwood, WV

Barrackvile, wy"

New Orient No.2

Explosion 99 Explosion 6 ... ---------------- Explosion - 27 _"-l!.Xflosion 9 Explosion 5

Jessun, PA

Barrackvile

Hutchinson Woodward Carolina No.2 No.9 . Rockwood Dorrance Finlev Overton No.2 -. Wilkeson 12-22- 1925 Webb 01-13-1926 : No.21 Jamison No.8 1°1-14-1926

.

5

.~ i i

20

Explosion

8

, EXDlosion EXDlosion

19

46

5 EXDlosion

~5-06-1926d_ Randolph Collery I Port Carbon, P A

_. _ m_ . .. _

~03-1926 ~ettebone Collery No. 6 .~Kin ston, PA

. 7 EX)Jlosion

~ .~XPlosion

07-21-1926 Dixie Moffat, AL 08-26-1926 ' Clymer No.1. Clymer, PA

. - 44 EXDlosion 16 EXDlosion

09-03-1926 Tahona Tahona, OK 10-04-1926 Rockwood .. Rockwood, TN

10-30-1926 Collery No.7., Nanticoke, PA

11-15-1~_~(jlmd ._. -I Mounds;ille, WV 12-09-1~ncisco No.2. ' Francisco, IN

- " ._ .5. Explosion ::; i;l~;::: --I' 37. 'Explosion

" 5 IExplosion

01-31-1927 Nortonvile Mining f.Nortonvi.l.le, KY 03-30-1927 Saline No. 2_l.Ledford,)L

f.8 r Explosion

L6~osion

04-02-1927 No.53. . Cokeburg, PA 04-08-1927, Carboiiado Carbonado, W A

04-30-1927 Federal No.3 Everettvile, WV 05-26-1927 Woodward No.3. Edwardsvile, PA

97 Explosion ., . 8_ I Explosion--. 7" I Explosion

05-27-1927 Dela!wa Delagua, CO

_-' ..-. --,xplosion

. .1'. 7 _I,i..IQInUndation

05-13-1927 Shanon Brauch No.3 tcapies, WV

,. 15..-J Explo~ion

08-03-1927 West Kentucky No. 7 ...~ Clay, KY

.==. ,Explosion 12-20-1927 Franco No. 1.1 Johnston City, IL 21~EXPlosion 18 ,_ West Frankfort, IL 19-20-1928 Kinloch --arnassus, PA i--F - Explosion. 1l09-1928 No.

~~3 Ex losion

02-24-1928 Mama No. 3 ~enny Lind, AR

__ m 8

04-02-1928 Kcvstone No.2 Kevstone, WV

05-19-1928 Mather No.1 Mather, PA 05-22-1928 'i No. 30. ' Kenvir, KY

05-22-1928 No.1 Yukon, WV 05-25-1928 Baltimore No. 5 '-~;~ns, I.A 06-20-1928 ' No.1. 'National, WV

Ex losion

...-

..-

--

.,-

--

. I 195., Explosion

~ I Explosion Explosion ., ,17,

08-09-1928 Hilside i Johnstown, PA

08-15-1928 ' Irvons No.3. Coalport, PA ~22-1928 ' McAlpin ' McAlpin, WV c!-30-1928 Princess Poca LR. o. derfeld, W. V

.. r- ll j ::~:~~~~~

12-18-1928 No.2. -l)rakesboro, KY

-- 6 ~Iosion --- 6 _f~plosion .. ' _. 14 EXjllosion

~-21-1929 Kinloch =H' Parnassus, PA

-- 46 I Explosion

05-27-1929 Connellsvile Yolande, AL .

06-05-1929 Halcon Wise, __ I.VA

09-27-1929 Tahona, OK ,.' Covington ,. , .... 12-01-1929 Old Ben No.8 West Frankfort, IL

lo-';losion

I ~ I Roof falIIumjJ

.+- 'l Explosi(jn 7 .. 'Explosi(jn

12-17-1929 , Old Town ._ McAlester, OK 01-13-1930 Peerless ._ Straven, AL

-+. '__u6;;1 EXDlosion

01-19-1930 _!\0.1 _ Lilvbrook, WV

8 Explosion 23 EXDlosion 5 EXDlosion

02-06-1930 Standard Standardvile, UT

._-

5 Explosion. 13 l"ExPiosion i .. ..6, Explosion

~26-1929 Kingston No.5. 'Kingston, WV

03-08-1930 , New Peerless Lynn, UT

-.'-

--

_.-+ EXDlosion

47

tl-26-1930 i Yukon 03-30- 1930 Pioneer 04- 12- 1930 Carbonado 08-08-1930 Gilberton ---- - - ----------10-27-1930

Wheatley No, 4

--------

01-03-1931 , Midvale No.4 01-06-1931 No.2

----,

17 __I !L-"losion Roof fall/umD 8

Gilberton. PA

Milfield, OH

30 82

Lutie, OK Madrid, NM Midvale. OH Glen Rogers, WV

15 5 5 8

.

Mount Carmel, PA

--_.

------

Oakmont

5 5

Parrott, VA Boissevain, VA

6 38

i Splashdam, V A

05-07-1935 ! South Wilkes-Barre

.

.-

! Explosion

Explosion

7 5

17 13 __00___7 6 9

,

I Dowell, IL----

.

8

Jonesvile, AK Harwick, P A

5

.

i

10

!

5

i ! !

Praco, AL

18 9 6

20 34

14 10 _.-_.._--- -

----- ------_._~---_.-

Afton, WY HanQ"ar, VA Pottsvile, P A i Pittston. PA

9

5

45 8 ---~-r

---_.

-------

Explosion Explosion Explosion Fire

Bil! Stone GaD, VA Gilberton, P A 'Wilkes-Barre, PA

, Macbeth, WV I . Bates, AR Macbeth, WV DuBois, PA Kevstone, OH Sullvan. IN Mulga, AL

..

Explosion Explosion

' Wheatcroft, KY

' Barrackvile, WV ¡ VanLear. KY ! Broomfeld, CO

"."

EXDlosion

23 54

i West Pittston. PA --.---.,---

Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion . Explosion

10 _+ Explosion 14 Explosion

i Madrid. NM ' Yancev, KY Moweaaua. IL

-

EXDlosion

.2~ 5

Ifold~Il'" WV Irondale, AL

_.I!arking, P A

03-12-1934 ! No. 10 08-06-1934 , Dcrbv No.3 01-21-1935 Gilberton

05-11-1935 No. 41 07-17-1935 No. 155 01-20-1936 Monarch No.2 08-01-1936 Kathleen 08-24-1936 Clear Snrin" 09-02-1936 Macbeth 11-19-1936 Bates 03-11-1937 Macbeth 03-28-1937 cramer 06-21-1937 Rupert Mine 07-15-1937 Baker 10-15-1937 Mul"a 10-26-1937 ' Jonesvile 01-12-1938 Harwick 02-11-1938 Vail (Star Citv) 04-22-1938 Keen Mountain 04-27-1938 No.1 Slone 06-02-1938 Butler Slone 07-01-1938 Praco No.7

n 16__,E"ELosion_

Carbonado, W A

DUQ"Q"er, IN

Litte Bettv

05-29-1931 Richards Collery ~o._".~"_, 11-03-1931 No. 20 12-28-1931 Overton No. I 01-18-1932 Parrott 02-27-1932 Boissevain 06-13-1932 _Splashdam No.6 12-07-1932 Morgan-Jones 12-09-1932 Zero 12-24-1932 Moweanua

~i-l-1933

-"

EXDlosion

12

r

~A!tster, OK

-i-05-1930 .. No.6 11-29-1930 , Lutie No.5 12-06-1930 Lamb

~:1931

Arncttsvile, WV Kettle Island, KY

EXDlosion E-"IJlosion_

.--.----"

Haulal!e

Fire Explosion Explosion Fire Explosion EXDlosion EXDlosion

---

---- "n .._

Explosion Explosion ' Explosives

Explosion Explosion Explosion . Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion

10

EXDlosion

6

Roof fall/umD

48

07-14-1939 i Duvin I Providence, KY i 28 Explosion ~c____.-_.--_. . 01-10-19~ndcreekNo.1 ~ Bartley, WVT9bEXPiosion

_.

.Q16-1940 Wilow Grove No.~. St, Clairsvile, OH. ..~ Explosion

.-..-

07-15-1940 . Sonl1ai__.Portage, PA . 63 i Explosion

_.

08-27-1940 bNO.2 3ates, AR

1----_.-

11-29-1940 Nelms__ __ Cardiz,OH

12-17-1940 No.4 ~2-194i Carswell 02-14-1941 Fidelity_ .. 05-22-1941 Panhandle No.2 06-04-1941 Docena ll6-30-1941 Kent No.2

--

07-10-1941 Acmar No.6

~7-19~ Daniel Boon~ 12-28-1941 No.

47

01-27-1942 , Wad!!e 05-11-1942 Peerless No.2 05-12-1942 Christopher No.3 05-18-1942 Hitchman

Pursglove No.2 11-30-1942 West KY No. 10 ,Q09- 1942

12-15-1942 Lain!! No.1 01-08-1943 No. 15 02-27-1943 Smith 05-05-1943 NuRex 05-11-1943 Praco No. 10 08-28-1943 Sayreton,No. 2 09-16-1943 ' 3 Point 09-24-1943 Primrose Collerv 11-06-1943 Nells No.3 03-24-1944 Katherine No.4 06-07-1944 Emerald 07-05-1944 Powhatan

--

Jl8- 1944

Brillant No.2

Bond Valley 03-12-1945 ' Crucible 03-14-1945 Kennilworth 05-09-1945 No.1

Jj17-1945

12-26- 1945 Belva No.1 01-15-1946 i Havaco No.9 04-18-1946 Great Vallev 01-15-1947 Nottin!!ham 03-25-1947 No.5 04-10-1947 ' Schoo

lev

----

_ Kimball, WV

.ifaleigh, WV _Duquoin,IL

, ==eii, IN

-_...-

10 31

I Excelsior, Mount Harris, AR CO Osal!e. WV Benwood, WV Pursglove, WV

Wheatcroft, KY Lain!!, WV Purs!!love, WV Washoe, MT. , Lall0llette, TN ' Praco, AL Savreton, AL Three Point, KY Minersvile, P A

Madison, WV Lumberport, WV Clarksvile, P A

Powhatan Point, OH

Crucible, PA Kennilworth, UT

Sunnyside, UT Fourmile, KY Havaco, WV McCov, VA Plymouth, PA

Centralia, IL Exeter, PA

-

=D~sion

Adamsvile, AL ' McIntvre, PA Acmar, AL Daniel Boone, KY ' Harco, IL

Briliant, NM , Haileyvile, OK

Explosion Explosion

, 6 E"plosion . -i.. Explosives

I 14 _~os~on 5 Explosion

4 7

i

15

, Explosion I Explosion I EX¡Jlosion

T:4 I Explosion .~'XPlosion =r '565' Explosion ~osion .J 6 , Explosion 20_ Ex losion Haula!!e 5 13 74 10

i

i

..

.--

..-

Ex .n_ losion ,___ I Explosion EX~losion

28

EX¡Jlosion

B

,,-

Fire

12

14 11 16 6

--

-

' Explosion I Explosion

Explosion

~osion Fire Fire

66

-

~~XPlosion .

9 Explosion 5 Roof falllumn Explosion 7 Explosion 23 , Explosion 25 Exnlosion 15 Exnlosiiin 12 Explosion - 15 Exnlosion 111 Explosion 10 "

49

04-30-1947 Snrinl' Hil 07-24-1947 Old Ben No.8 12-11-1947 : Franklin 02-08-1948 Sun Excelsior 05-20-1948 No.2 07-27-1948 Kin!! 07-30-1948 Ed!!ewater 08-06-1948 No. 11

----

,"

11-04-1948 Milt No.1 01-18-1951 Burnin" Snrinl's 03-29-1951 Buttonwood 10-15-1951 Bunker 110-31:1251 United Gas No.1 112-21-1951 Orient No.2 02-02-1952 CarDentertown 03-27-1952 03-30-1953 11-13-1954 01-18-1957 02-04-1957 09-23-1957 12-09-1957 12-27-1957 02-12-1958 10-27-1958 10-28-1958

-

.!erre Haute, IN

8

West Frankfort. IL

10

.

Wilkes-Barre, PA .Excelsior, AR Dante, VA Princeton, IN Birmin!!ham, AL CaDles, WV

Kitzmiler. MD Kermit, WV

Explosion 8 ----- Explosion

West Frankfort, IL

EXDlosion

8 6

13

.,

Fire . .I"_~losion Explosion 10 Explosion 12__,.Explosion 119_1E.xplosion ----,_.-.

! EXDlosion

6

Holmes SloDe

Forrestvile, P A

O'Brien Jamison No.9

Lovilia, IA Farmin!!ton. WV

5 5

16

Evan Jones Slope

Jonesvile, AK

5

Bishon No. 34

McDowell Countv. WV

Marianna No. 58

Marianna,J'A

37 6

Explosion Explosion . Explosion

5 11

Explosion

Glen Ro"ers No.2

Lundale Bisti°p ,

Burton 01-22-1959 River Slope 03-23-1959 ' PhiliDs and West 03-08-1960 No. 22 03-02-1961 Vi kin" Mine 01-10-1962 Blue Blaze No.2 12-06-1962 Robena No.3 04-25-1963 Comnass No.2 12-16-1963 Carbon Fuel No.2 05-24-1965 C.L. Cline No.2 10-16-1965 Mars No.2 12-28-1965 Dutch Creek Mine 06-01-1966 ' Dora No.2 07-23-1966 ' Siltix Mine 08-07-1968 River O~een 11-20-1968 Consol No.9 12-30-1970 Finley Coal No. 15 & 16 02-26-1972 Buffalo Minin" Co.

---- _.-

07-22-1972 , Blacksvile No.1

GIen Ro!!ers, WV McDowell Countv, WV Lundale, WV ---- 1_McDowell Countv, WV i Ncar Crai!!svile, WV

, Port Griffth. PA Robbins, Tj\

6 22 14 12 9

-.....

Pine Creek, WV

18

, Terre Haute, IN : Herrin, IL

22 -----

Carmichaels, P A

5

7 9

Redstone, CO

I).ora, PA , Mt. Hope, WV ' Greenvile, KY Farmin!!ton, WV Hvden, KY Saunders. WV Blacksvile, WV

11

37 22 9

Dola, WV HeIner. UT Robbins, TN Wilsonbur!!. WV

5

7 9 "_..-----

.

-

¡Roof fall/Bum.£

6

CarDentertown, P A

Amonate No. 31

------

Roof fallf Bum£. Explosion Explosion

11 5 11 5

Wilkes-Barre PA Cassvile, WV United, WV

ExploJ_i(jn

78 38 125 9

Inundation EXDlosion EXDlosion

Roof fall/ump Roof fall/ump

Explosion EXDlosion

...._-

-

Inundation EXDlosion

Fire Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion Explosion

._--

.-

EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion EXDlosion

Explosion Dam failure Explosion

".~

._-~ -"."

50

12-16-1972 03-09-1976 03-11-1976 03-01-1977 04-04-1978 11-07-1980 04-15-1981 12-07 -1981 12-08-1981

01-20-1982 06-21-1983 12-19-1984 02-06-1986

Itmann, WV

Itmann No.3

Scotia ~ Ovenfork, KY Scotia (second explosion) . Ovenfork, KY

Ferrell No. 17

Tower City, PA Dutv, VA Uneeda,.WV

Dutch Creek No.1

Redstone, CO

No.

11

Kite, KY

No.

21

Porter Tunnel

Moss No.3

No.1 .. No.1 Wilburi! Loveridge No. 22

'. 15 i Explosion ..

~+EXPlosion .,. i I

I

. == Whitewcll, TN

... Craynor,. KY McClure. VA Oran!!evile, UT Fairview, WV

I

13 7

I

7

i

27

i

Wiliam Station

12-07-1992 I No.3

-,

Sullvan, KY Norton, VA

--

.,

9 Inundation ¡Inundation 5 Explosion 5 15 Explosion Explosion 8

5

I

09-13-1989

Explosion

5

I

,~

i Explosion

Explosion Explosion i Fire

- ~.-

I Collapsed coal pile

10 8

caused suffocation Explosion Explosion

Information for historical coal mine disasters list was obtained from the following publications: Mine Disasters in the Unites States, Volume I, Coal Mines, 1810-1958 . Historical Summary of Mine Disasters in the Vnites States, Volume II, Coal Mines, 1959-1998 . Historical Summary of

. 1998, 1999, 2000 Fatalgrams and Fatality Reports, Coal Mines, www.msha,gov

. Newspaper article citations when available . Archives at the National Mine Health & Safety Academy Library

51

HISTORICAL METAL AND NONMETAL MINE DISASTERS IN THE UNITED STATES 1869-2000 (FIVE OR MORE FATALITIES)

'~rr'nJJ'I' I 9.",.l. .i~, . _ _ .. _ __ Date

Name of

Mine

Location of Mine

Kiled

Product

Type of Disaster

r" ~ ~~~ - - - - - - - ~ - - - - - i 04-07-1869 09-20-1873

Kentuck -Yellow Jacket i Gold Hil, NV Yellow Jacket Gold Hil, NV

Gold Gold

37 6

Fire in timbers Fire blacksmith for e

02-13-1874

Phoenix

Phoenix, MI

6

Copper

05-30-1874

Amador

Amador, CA

5

Gold

Cage fell to , bottom

10-03-1879 02-16-1881

Tioga Belmont

Bodie, CA

Belmont, MT

6 6

Gold Copper

i Ca e accident Fire from blacksmith

05-03-1884

Gouverneur

Gouverneur, NY

6

Marble

Explosion of

Silver/Gold

boiler Dynamite

Explosion of -- dynamite

!

11-13-1885

Bull Domingo

06-24-1887

Gould & Curry

Silver Cliff, CO

10

ex losion

Virginia City,

11

Silver/Gold

Fire in shaft

Butte, MT

6

Copper

Fire

West Rutland,

5

Marblc

Roof fall

VT Butte, MT Calumet, MI

9 10

Co er Copper

Fire

28

Iron

8 12

Gold Gold

overwind Inrush of water Fire Mine flooded

30

Copper

Fire on the 2ith

NV 11-23-1889

02-11-1893

Neversweat-St. Lawrence Sheldon Quarry

04-21-1893 05-14-1893

Silver Bow No.2 Rcd Jacket Shaft

09-28-1893 08-29-1895

Mansficld Old Abe Sleepy Hollow

09-07-1895

Osceola

Sleepy Hollow, CO Calumet, MI

09-26-1895

Belgian

Leadvile, CO

6

Gold

01-04-1896

Anna Lee

8

Gold

04-08-1896 04-11-1896

Hope St. Lawrence

EI Paso County, CO u.ßasin, MT Butte, MT

Dynamite ex losion Cave-in of shaft

7

Gold Co er

Fire Powder ex

03- 10-1895

Crystal Falls, MI White Oaks, NM .

Hoisting cagc

level

6

52

~

MI.. H ' explosion 11-20-1901 Smnggler-Union . Pandora, CO 31 Silver/Gold Bnnkhouse fire

08-15-1902 Park-Utah Park City, UT 34 Lead/Zinc! Powder Fumes 11-06-1903

--

01-26-1904 05-12-1905 11-30-1907 12-07-1907 02-26-1909 04-13-1909 03-02-1910

~.. .,

' MT

Stratton's Independence , Victor, CO

14 7 11 10 5 5

Butte, MT Drytown, CA Negaunee, MI Joplin, MO Granvile, NY Treadwell, AR

Cora Fremont

Rollng Mil Keystone Slate Quarry Alaska-Mexican

~

9- GOld~-7

Kearsarge ~ Virginia City,

Gold =:e accident C0J.per Explosives

Gold _ . Fire foot of shaft Iron Lead Slate Gold

37 ,

04-13-1910 06-01-1910 06-02-1910 06-07-1910

Nazareth, PA Devils Slide, UT West Coplav, PA Dover, NJ

Limestone Quarry Union Quarrv Lehigh Quarrv

Richard

8 5

12-09- 1912

Limestone Limestone Limestone

Iron

Explosion of

powder Quarry explosion Quarry explosion Quarry explosion Fallng from mancar

13 6 Radersburg, MT 17 Tonopah 14 Virginia, MN 7 Negaunee, MI 7 Elv,NV 6 Butte, MT 14 Dome Creek, AR 12 Hibernia, NJ f7 Ironwood, MI 10 Ely,NV

Asphalt Gold Silver/Gold

Cordova, AR

9

Gold

Cave-in Dynamite explosion Snowslide

Miami, AZ

5

Copper

Air blast due to

Butte, MT Clifton, AZ

5

Copper Copper

Hoisting accident

Durant, OK

11-28-1910 Jumbo Keating --_." 01-18-1911 Belmont 02-23-1911 03-11-1911 " Norman Mine (openpit) Hartford-Cambria No.2 05-05-1911 Giroux 08-23-1911 Butte & Superior 09-03-1911 Shakespeare Placer 09-28-1911 10-19- 1911 ' Wharton -05-13-1912 Norrie 07-07-1912 Eureka Pit

Great Northern , Development Miami 04- 17- 1913

11

25

Fall of skip Fall of rock Cave-in

Iron Iron Copper Zinc Gold Iron Iron Copper

~XPlosion of gas _ " Powder explosi()n_

Fire, asphyxiation

.. ' Slide of baiik,_ Fire Fire Cage accident Shaft cave-in

Shaft flooded

,

cave-in 04-23-1913 08-03-1913

Leonard Coronado Ineline

9

Breaking draw

bar

of car

01-21-1914 07-14-1914

Boston , Balkan

-.

08-04-1914

, Bingham, UT Palatka, MI

5

co''': I ~re

7

Iron Rush of water in

-,,-

Copper Flat

McGil, NV

5

, raise

Copper Premature blast 53

09-17-1914 11-09-1914 10-19-1915

Centennial-Eureka SibleyNo.9_~haft

02-14-1916 02-25-1917

Pennsvlvania North Star

Eureka, UT

Elv.NV Butte, MT

11 5 16

; Butte, MT Hailey, ID

21 16

Granite Mountain Shaft

i

--

04-28-1917

I, Mountain _.King 06-08-1917 Granite Mountain 07-17-1917 Three Forks o.;~~~v 02-21-1918 Amasa-Porter

Mariposa Co.,

7

i CA

-."-', -

Butte, MT Trident, MT Crystal Falls, MI

,

Gold

! Cave-in

Iron Copper

Shaft cave-in

Dynamite ¡explosion

,.-

Fire

Copper ! Gold/eadJ Silver Gold

Snowslide

----

Powder

fumes/ Asphvx,_

¡

163 -- Copper 8 GVDsum 17 Iron

' Fire , Powder explo~ion

¡ Cave-inlnrush of

water 06-27-1918 07-25-1919 04-15-1920 04-19-1920 08-13-1920

Virl!inia, MN Burke, ID Delcambre LA

Silver (open pit) Hecla Jefferson Island Lehigh Quarrv

Ormrod, P A Pounding Mils,

Pounding Mils Quarry

!

18 Iron 5------" Lead 6 Salt ! Limestone 6 9 Roek

VA

! Hol~ton Quarry 08-27-1922 , Arponaut 07-12-1923 i Sloss No.1 02-05-1924 Milford

06-27 -1922

11-03-1926 10-29-1927

e---._--

11-24-1927 02-28-1929

47

' Bessemer. AL Crosby, MN

41

5

DominI!, MI

51 7

Hencock, MI

Mal!ma Superior. AZ

7 7

ç()I!)ler

i Copperapolis, ! CA

5

Copper

: Union, WV

6

Stone Mountain Quarry ,Decatur, GA !

-_..-------

09-04-1929

Calaveras

05-17-1930

Tery and Butterskil

07-14-1930

Glenn

-----

02-08-1933 _! B & C Quarry_ 11-12-1934 Rohl Connolly Quarrv 08-13-1936 Mountain City Copper

--..-

Rock

EXDlosives

Fire Haulal!e-man-trip Inrush of water

Flood Fall of rock in shaft , Shaft fire Expl. of air , receiver ----' Cave-in

Explosives

i

6

Lake County,

CO Placer County, CA ' Fletcher, NC

i, -Avalon,CA

Mountain City,

Morninl! Mine

Mullan, ID

Funkhouser Quarrv

Delta, P A

i Molybdenum

Cave-in

!

-T

5

Gold

7 9 6

Limestone Granite Copper

10 9

Lead Slate

NV

10-06-1936 11-30-1936

Granite

----

, Ouarrv 06-07-1930 T Climax Mine

Marble Gold _. Iron Man. Iron Ore Iron Copper

9

Jackson,CA

Ish

Gas explosion Explosion Explosives .

i Straw)llains. TN '

Barnes Hecker Quincy Mine No.2 Shaft

Powder eXDlosion Cal!e accident

--,

-Fire

i Fall and slide

i! E i. xp osives

Suffocation

--

--

-,,----

i Shaft accident ' Explosives

54

02-19-1937 08-31-1938

Walkeriine, CA !

Walker Ashvile Quarry

Ashvile, NC

' Dynaiite I Granite ! Zinc

I

01-31-1939 01-09-1942

Treece, KS

Southern Pride

5

02-10-1943

Roof

fall

I

I Lead/Gold Copper/Zind' Lfire Fumes from ~urf at tunnel

i

,

Sandts Eddv Ouarrv

I Limestone

31

I

I, portal/Suffocation Quarry blast

" Ducktown, .:~i Copper

Boyd Mine

C.F.&H.

Allentown, P A

-

-

Shullsburg, WI . 8 I_Lead/Zinc

03-15-19~:J Atkinson Quarry..., T ~~ursion Inlet, ~ Loci02-20-1945 'S1. Anthony ~r, AZ I 5 ; Lead 07-16-1950 07-24-1952

I explosion

8

I Silverton, CO

03-26-1942 01-05-1943

T Explosives

I Copper

6 5

I fumes Asphyxiation by Cave-ins (2)..

n__

i Blasting

. m.

I Fire Bunkhouse fire -Lark, U.S. SmeltiUl! Lark, UT I 5 I Lead/Zinc i Rock & Stone I Collapsed

Pre-Cast No.1 & 2 , Claims 10-30-1952 Herron, Alpena EnterDrises 11-05-1953 American Gilsonite Co. 03-31-1954 Kennecott Copper Co.

Maricopa County, AZ

5

I i

I' Bonanza, Herron, MI UT

5

I I

Santa Rita, NM

8 5

L nlaliorm

Gold Prospect -T Shaft explosion

j Gilsonite ~~Plosion

--

' Copper

explosion -iwder truck

06-01-1d Sherwood Mine, Inland ~ Iron River, MI

I

6

Steel

08-28-1963 ,Texas Gulf Sulfur Co. Moab, UT 03-05-1968 04-12-1971

.. Barnett Complex Mine

I Cargil Salt Mine -_.,-

05-02-1972

Sunshine Mining

ComDany 06-08-1979 ' Belle Isle Mine

L 18

Rosiclare, IL 7 I Calumet, LA--

I Iron

~Sh Salt

~ - ---i .

--

Gas explosion '._.-'-

(HTS) I Fluorspar . 'Asphyxiation

Fire

"._~ Kellogg, ID

Franklin, LA

Inrush hot

~ases/Steam

L91 I Silver 5 Salt

I G~s eXDlosion

Information for historical metal and nonmetal mine disasters was obtained from:

. Historical Summary of Mine Disasters in the United States, Volume III, Metal and l\onmetal Mines, 1885-1998 . 1998,1999,2000 Fatalgrams and Fatal Investigation Reports, Metal and Nonmetal Mines, www,msha.£ov

. Newspaper article citations when available . Archives at the "ational Mine Health & Safety Academy

55