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Crown Coal Company
Yukon Mine Explosion

Arnettsville, Monongalia County, West Virginia
March 26, 1930
No. Killed - 12

USBM Final Investigation Report  (26 Mb)  PDF Format
See also: Yukon No. 1 Mine Explosion, Dec. 15, 1917
Yukon No. 2 Mine Explosion, Mar. 28, 1924
Yukon-Pocahontas No. 1 Mine Explosion, May 22, 1928


Cause of Explosion: Roof fall pushed dust and gas over an arcing cable reel locomotive.


Mine Explosion Kills 2, Entombs 9
The Lima News
March 26, 1930

Arnettsville, W. Va., March 26. -- (AP) -- Two miners were killed and nine others were entombed today in an explosion in a heading of the Yukon mine of the Crown Coal Co. here.  The fate of the nine entombed has not been determined.

Mine rescue crews were attempting to reach the entombed men.  There apparently was no fire in the workings.  Both of the dead men were burned beyond recognition.

Members of the rescue crews believed there was little chance that the miners unaccounted for would be alive.

The explosion was believed to have been caused by gas.  It occurred 4,000 feet from the mouth of the mine.

The mine, opened in 1922, is a slope mine.  Two hundred men are employed in it during the day and 25 at night.

The blast occurred shortly after 2 a.m.  The eleven men entombed were working in the ninth right heading where the explosion happened.  Two others were at work behind the heading and were not aware of the accident.  The electric power suddenly was cut off and the men sat down to wait until the power was restored.  When the power remained off for three hours the two miners walked from the workings and it was learned then that an explosion had occurred.

The 11 entombed were cutters and scrapers.  Paul Payes, a scraper, and Stanley Kendrew, a cutter, were the two working in back of the ninth heading and were not aware of the disaster that beset their fellow workers until four hours later.

District Inspector A. B. Spencer, of Morgantown, was directing rescue efforts.  A mine rescue crew from the United States Bureau of Mines with headquarters at Pittsburgh was also enroute to the scene.

The deceased:
  • J. H. Livingston
  • E. N. Casteel
  • Charles Jacobs
  • Sisco Fransco
  • Henry Willis
  • William Thompson
  • L. H. Harvey
  • Andy Smith
  • Frank Maricus
  • Adam Cult
  • Ed Groves
  • Hillard Nelson




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