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| Successful Mine Rescues in August |
| 1865 |
Hubbard Mine Inundation, Hubbard, Ohio — Four miners became trapped in the Hubbard mine in Trumbull County when a dam gave way at its opening allowing a large volume of water to enter. The four men, comprehending their situation, fled to the highest portion of the mine, about a half mile from the entrance. Their fellow workmen outside, supposing they would seek this point, commenced boring immediately over it, as near as they could judge, and after penetrating sixty-eight feet fortunately struck the pit in close proximity to two of the half-famished men. They were able to communicate with them and give them food by means of a tube. Of the other two no information could initially be obtained. Later, the water in the river had so fallen as to admit a small boat. They found two of the men speechless with exhaustion, and a few rods further they found the other two, and brought all safe to the open air. About, two thousand people were present, at the time. The men were resuscitated with difficulty but were later doing well. The four miners who were imprisoned were John Turrill, Thomas Bowen, Jacob Miller, and Thomas Miller. Source document 
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| 1869 |
Pine Ridge Mine Explosion and Fire, Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania — 30 miners were rescued from the burning Pine Ridge mine near Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania after an undisclosed period. An ignition of firedamp caused the fire. Source document
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| 1878 |
Abandoned South Utah Mine Fall of Person, Cedar Hill, Nevada — There was a good deal of excitement in town when it was announced that a man had been discovered in the bottom of a winze in an old tunnel on Cedar Hill, where he had been for more than 3 days. The discovery was made by two men who were out on the Geiger Grade for a walk. Arriving at an old tunnel called the South Utah they concluded to enter and take a look at the formation of the rock through which it had been cut. They had proceeded for some distance along the tunnel when they were startled at hearing in advance what appeared to be faint human moans. Calling out to know if anybody was below, there came a feeble cry of "Help, help." They then asked his name, and the answer came back, "Patrick Maguire." After help arrived, he was lifted to the surface and with little delay the poor fellow was taken to the County Hospital. Upon examination Dr. Kirby found that Maguire's left thigh was broken in three places, and the right in two places. The man was terribly injured, but Kirby thought he would be able to save his legs and his life. His many cuts and bruises were severe but not dangerous. Source document
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| 1885 |
Pardee & Co. No. 3 Colliery Cave-in, Hazleton, Pennsylvania — Intense excitement was created at the No. 3 Colliery, operated by Pardee & Co., near Hazleton. Word was sent to the Superintendent that two miners, Bernard McMonagal and William Butler, were entombed in the mine by a massive fall of rock and coal, which had carried with it many props, shutting off all communication between the imprisoned men and the other miners in the slope. In a short time the news of the accident had spread, and soon nearly 400 men, women, and children had gathered about the mouth of the shaft anxiously awaiting news from below. A rescuing party was organized, and 100 men set to work, and in about two hours had succeeded in removing 30 tons or more of debris, when the voices of the entombed men could be heard. An hour later they were reached and were brought to the surface in an exhausted condition, having been rescued just in time to save their lives. Source document
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| 1886 |
Fair Lawn Colliery Explosion, Scranton, Pennsylvania — Following the explosion, a crew of men making repairs were sent to the east gangway where groans had been heard. There they found 3 men still alive. After an undisclosed period, the first man to be brought to the surface was John Nofin. He was badly burned about the face and arms. John Kerrigan was alive when found and talked the strongest of all but he died before being brought to the surface. The last was John Connor. He had two large scalp wounds and a bad cut on the knee and another on the arm. His face and hands were badly bruised.
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| 1889 |
Allegheny Mine Inundation, Frostburg, Maryland — Forty miners were driven back and became trapped in the Allegheny mine following a break in of water from the adjacent abandoned Aetna mine. After an undisclosed period, they were rescued thanks to the bravery of Hugh Meen and William Stevens. Several animals were in the mine and probably perished. Source document
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| 1890 |
Hollenback Colliery Rescue and Recovery, Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania — There was great damage caused by a record-breaking cyclone that descended upon Wilkesbarre and vicinity. Included in the devastation was the lengthy entrapment of 27 miners working in the Hillman vein. The mammoth Hollenback breaker was a complete wreck, the roof being blown off and the windows all blown in. The structure was completely disjointed and would have to be entirely rebuilt. The front of the engine house was also blown in. The fans were stopped while twenty-seven men were at work in the Hillman vein, but, luckily, they were able to start them right away, and although the hoisting machinery was damaged the work of conveying the men to the top was accomplished without accident. It was a very narrow escape. Four men standing on beams were able to guide the rope of the drum, and it took several hours to hoist them from the Hillman to the Baltimore vein. They were then able to walk up to the surface in safety. Source document
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| 1894 |
Gilberton Colliery Explosion, Ashland, Pennsylvania — Eleven miners, plus another number whose names could not be learned, were brought to the surface following a methane explosion in the Gilberton Colliery at Ashland. A roof fall occurred where pillar robbing was being performed which pushed the gas more than 1,000 yards to the gangway where it was ignited by naked lamps. One miner was killed outright and another died while being carried to his home.
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| 1896 |
Coleraine Colliery Cave-in, Hazleton, Pennsylvania — Peter Liko was trapped for 14 hours following a cave-in at the Coleraine Colliery near Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Rescuers had to dig a trench fourteen feet through rock to get beneath him and not disturb overhanging boulders. Although no bones were broken, he was taken to the hospital, being unable to move a muscle of his body. Source document 
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| Clark City Mine Fire, Kankakee, Illinois — In a fire in the Clark City mine, 300 men were in the shaft when the fire broke out, but all but forty escaped easily. Of the forty, fifteen were nearly suffocated, but all would recover. Source document
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| 1899 |
Quincy Mine Fall of Persons, Houghton, Michigan — Four Finnish timbermen were standing on a ladder in No. 2 shaft of the Quincy mine at Houghton, Michigan at a depth of 4,900 feet, when the ladder broke, precipitating all four to the 5,200-foot level. Andrew Millimakki was instantly killed, two others were fatally injured and one man received serious internal injuries, but may recover despite the fall of 300 feet. Source document
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| Valley Mine Fall of Person, Bessemer, Michigan — While repairing a steam pipe in the Valley mine from a bucket which was 120 feet down a shaft, Fred Albert was scalded and was compelled to catch the under strap of the bucket. He hung on with one hand until he reached within twenty feet of the top, when he called to his partner that he was unable to hold on any longer. His partner in the bucket was unable to give him assistance. Albert had to let go and he dropped to the bottom of the shaft into about six feet of water, a fall of 320 feet, without serious injury. When a rescue party went down after what they supposed to be his remains, they were surprised to find him with his head above water. Source document
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| South Hecla Mine Fall of Person, Calumet, Michigan — William Kitti fell down the shaft at the South Hecla mine of the Calumet & Hecla company and fractured his skull all the way around. Strange to say, although the entire brain was exposed, Kitti lived. He was taken to the hospital and his wounds dressed, the skull placed back in position and the physicians claimed that, unless a severe type of brain fever sets in, he will recover. He was resting nicely. Source document
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| 1900 |
Parrott Mine Fire, Butte, Montana — The shaft house of the Parrott mine was destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of $100,000. The mine was 1,600 feet deep and 200 men were underground. They were rescued through the levels of an adjoining mine after an undisclosed period. The shaft, it was feared, was badly damaged. The property was owned by the Parrott Copper and Silver Mining Company, which was one of the corporations controlled by the Amalgamated Copper Company. Source document
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| 1901 |
Belmont Tubes Construction Fire, New York, New York — The following story is related to the construction of the Belmont Tubes under the East River between Long Island City and Manhattan. On August 14, 1901, the two-story shaft house caught on fire. During the rescue which followed, a man named G. C. H. Van Duzen became most prominent, by virtue of his heroism and perseverance. Van Duzen was the last to leave the crib, and he finally sprang overboard with a plank and aided in keeping the others afloat until succor reached them several hours later from the city, three miles away. Then, despite the fact that everybody around the workings believed that the twenty men in the tunnel below had been suffocated by the smoke from the shaft house, he insisted in rigging up a temporary windlass and was himself lowered down the shaft, only to be repeatedly driven back half suffocated by the gas that filled the shaft. He finally reached the imprisoned men underground, and they were all rescued. When the names of the workmen were checked up, he insisted that two of the men were still missing, although the books apparently showed that every man was accounted for. Six days later, when clearing away the wreckage from the top of the burned crib, he was startled by hearing a signal coming up from the depths of the shaft along an old air pipe. The signal sounded: one, two; one, two; one. This meant "danger, call out the gang." Without saying a word to anyone he picked up a piece of iron and going over to the air pipe, returned the signal. For the first few minutes, those about the crib thought the exertions and scenes of the few days had driven him insane, and they were about to seize him, when clear and distinct came the answering signal from the depths — One, two; one, two; one. Then everybody was crazy said Mr. Van Duzen, relating the incident: "and the wonder is that in the excitement and haste, somebody didn't fall down the shaft. After supplies were sent out, Van Duzen was lowered into the depths of the shaft. "I found the two men five hundred feet back from the mouth of the shaft, too weak to walk. We got them out and for all I know they are both well and living today." These stirring scenes are recalled to Van Duzen every time he pulls out a heavy gold watch, for inside the case of that timepiece is the inscription: "Presented to G. C. H. Van Duzen by the workmen of Crib No. 2 for services rendered on the fourteenth and twentieth of August, 1901." Source document
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| Bossworth Mine Explosion and Fire, Belleville, Illinois — The lives of twenty miners at the Bossworth mine were saved by women and children. The mine was near French Village. The entrance to it is by a sloping shaft, which descends from a hillside. An explosion happened at the lower end of this slope. It set fire to the coal and the timbers of the shaft and imprisoned the miners. Alarmed by the explosion, they ran to the slope, only to be turned back by a wall of flames. The women and children heard the explosion and ran to the opening and saw what had happened. A hundred feet from the shaft was a rude reservoir in which water had been collected for the engine. They dug a trench down to the shaft opening and turned the water into the mine. The fire was extinguished, and the men came out unhurt. Source document
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| Lake Erie Waterworks Tunnel Rescue, Cleveland, Ohio — Adam Kest and Joseph Engine, who were working on the new water works tunnel under Lake Erie were rescued from their living tomb. The pair were cut off from communication with the world the 5 days earlier by the burning of the crib at the outer end of the tunnel. The crib was burned when all hands were asleep. A number of men were burned to death or drowned. A crew was in the tunnel below. By the burning of the crib the pumping machinery was stopped and the first notice those in the tunnel had of anything wrong was the rising of the water and the increase of gas. Rescuing parties went down from the crib and a number of those below were brought up in safety, but a number could not be found, and some had perished. Two of the rescuing party died from the effects of the gas. All who were not found after a diligent search were supposed to have perished, but while a force of workmen were repairing the crib and machinery, the superintendent of the work at the crib heard a faint rapping on one of the pipes that ran down Into the tunnel. Going to the pipe he listened closely and again heard the faint signal. He immediately gave a responsive signal on the pipes. The two men were nearly starved and were becoming prostrated from the effects of the gas and water and did not know how many days they had been in the tunnel when rescued. They remained in the hospital for several hours before they could converse but were later out of danger. Ten men in all lost their lives by the accident. Source document
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| 1904 |
Lykens Valley Coal Mine Cave-in, Wiconisco, Pennsylvania — Frank Paul was completely buried in a mass of coal which fell down upon him while he was working in what is known as the Little Vein of the Lykens Valley Coal Company and was so terribly bruised that he was unable to move. Morris Woest and William Plark were working with Paul, when suddenly coal from only a few feet above him came down and covered every portion of his body. His two companions were uninjured by the cave-in and were able to render him immediate assistance and succeeded in extricating his body after an undisclosed period before he was suffocated. Source document
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| 1905 |
Mountain Consolidated Mine Cave-in, Butte, Montana — After facing death for 24 hours, Con Sullivan was rescued by a force of about 50 miners, who worked in gangs of three and four with feverish haste. He was working on the 100-foot level of a section of the Mountain Consolidated mine, when a cave of many tons of rock, covering a distance of over 40 feet, entombed him, and narrowly escaped crushing him to death. Sullivan had barely enough room to stretch himself out and with rare presence of mind, though death hovered over him. He devoted many hours of his imprisonment to sleep, believing he could better preserve his strength, as the air was rapidly growing bad and he feared suffocation. When the rescuers reached him, the man emerged from his narrow prison with a smile on his countenance, and unassisted climbed the ladder to the top. Over 100 miners had gathered at the shaft, and he was accorded an ovation. Source document
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| 1907 |
Unnamed Anthracite Coal Mine Cave-in, Inkerman, Pennsylvania — Thomas Huntley, 40; John Merrick, 50; and Patrick F. Walsh, 29, helped to rescue John R. Eustice, 52, timberman, from a mine cave-in, Inkerman, Pennsylvania, August 22, 1907. Eustice and four others had been caught by the caving of the roof. While the roof was working, the walls squeezing, and small stuff falling at intervals, Huntley, with the assistance of the others, dug Eustice from under the coal and debris where he lay injured and carried him to safety. Eustice recovered. All four rescuers were bestowed the Carnegie Hero Award for their bravery. Source document 
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| Butler Colliery Rescue, Pittston, Pennsylvania — Lost miner Paul Swanbeck was found on August 19th, just in time to avoid the postponement of his daughter's wedding. Swanbeck had been missing for 48 hours in the Butler Colliery at Pittston, Pennsylvania. He had wandered into some remote workings, lost his light, and been sickened by foul air. He was semi-conscious when found. Safe and sound after his ordeal and lying on the sofa at home, he was able to witness the wedding. Source document
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| 1908 |
A fall of top rock occurred following an explosion in the Knickerbocker Colliery near Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. Two miners died, but John Kuza, William Suso and Charles Cowley were rescued. The three men were seriously injured.
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| 1911 |
Rescuers worked for three days to free Joseph Clary, 32, from the White Oak Mine near Villa Heights, Missouri, where a cave-in had occurred on July 30. Once a drill hole was large enough, a fried chicken dinner, water and whiskey were lowered to Clary along with a telephone from which he conversed with his family and rescuers.
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| Rose Hill Mine Cave-in, Cannelville, Ohio — Charles Pringle, aged 35, was buried under a pile of slate in the Rose Hill mine at Cannelville for an hour, and was so seriously injured that it was believed he would die. He was unconscious when found, cut and bleeding on all parts of the body when rescuers finally freed him from the mass of rock. Many bones were broken and his head was badly cut. Miners worked for an hour in rescuing Pringle. Source document
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| Bast Colliery Cave-in, Big Mine Run, Pennsylvania — After working without cessation for 48 hours, two or the three men imprisoned in the East Holmes Gangway of the Bast Colliery at Big Mine Run, near Ashland, were rescued alive. The rescued miners are John Dolan and Anthony Tamashitos. The third man, Peter Zemonskie was buried beneath the fallen rock which had imprisoned the three men at the face of the gangway. He was dead. Dolan and Tamashitos were uninjured. The men said they could hear the muffled sounds of the work of the rescuers which grew more distinct as they approached nearer to the small place where they were imprisoned. They knew nothing of their missing companion, Peter Zemonskie, who was probably killed outright by the first fall of top coal. The men had been in the mine 50 hours. Source document
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| 1912 |
Abernant Mine Explosion, Abernant, Alabama — The day after the explosion, an exploring party found a man in the 14th right aircourse, still alive. He was brought to the surface, but in such a condition that he never regained consciousness. Another miner, after repeated efforts to penetrate the afterdamp, took refuge at the face of 14th right aircourse and came out unassisted after about 3 hours.
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| White Mine Inundation, Broad Ford, Pennsylvania — Caused by the most terrific rainstorm in recent years, the White mine of the H. C. Frick Coke Company became flooded, trapping two miners. Their rescuers, led by Superintendent John Shields waded into the mine and finally reached the two men after an undisclosed period. The trapped miners were Jesse Addis and another miner identified only as a Slav. Source document
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| J. F. Aldrich Mine Equipment Fire, Joplin, Missouri — A hand bellows at the top of a drill hole leading into a drift of the J. F. Aldrich mine at Joplin, furnished the air that saved at least two men's lives when debris from a burning derrick fell into the shaft. One man. however, would probably die. He was Joe C. Cathgers, an aged workman. He was overcome by fumes and was in an unconscious condition. Source document
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| 1913 |
Barnes No. 2 Mine Roof Fall, Willis Creek, Ohio — Lester Jennings was saved from death after an undisclosed period when a large rock under which he was working in the Barnes No. 2 mine at Willis Creek fell and pinned him to the ground. The rock rested upon piles of waste when it came down and Jennings was alive, thankful to have escaped with bruises, a dislocated shoulder, and a twisted knee. Source document
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| Reading Railway Colliery Asphyxiation, St. Claire, Pennsylvania — A remarkable case of the resuscitation of an apparently dead man by the use of the pulmotor was reported from St. Claire, when Joseph Mango, a miner employed in a colliery of the Reading Railway, ran into a pocket of mine gas, and when found by his companions life was apparently extinct. Although the case seemed hopeless, three members of the first aid corps rushed for the pulmotor, with which the mines are provided, and began the work of resuscitation. The body was first wrapped in seven blankets to retain any heat that might remain, and the machine for producing artificial respiration was operated vigorously. As they worked the men shouted loudly into the ears of the patient to breathe, and finally they were rejoiced to observe signs of life. Keeping up the work of pumping pure oxygen into the lungs of the man they had him breathing freely at the end of an hour and a half. Persons who saw Mango when his apparently lifeless body was found, said the feat of bringing him back to life was unequaled in the coal regions. He was at his home, still very ill, but physicians said he would recover. Source document
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| 1914 |
William Penn Colliery Cave-in, Shenandoah, Pennsylvania — After firing a blast at the William Penn colliery, Michael Wasso was caught in a rush of coal and buried up to his chin and was being gradually carried to a terrible death, down a chute, when his cries for help brought rescuers. It took 12 miners seven hours to extricate the victim from his perilous position, owing to the continuous falls of top coal. Wasso collapsed five times, but a doctor on the scene revived him. He was lacerated from head to foot. Source document
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| Cameron Colliery Cave-in, Shamokin, Pennsylvania — After being entombed for 48 bours in a low breast at the Cameron colliery, Leo Bulcosky was rescued alive. Bulcosky was working in the breast when the face broke. He put up props to hold it, but the push was too strong and forced the timber and carried props and man down the breast. The battery broke and the miner was entombed. He was taken to the State Hospital where he was listed in good condition, but would remain until he regained his strength and to guard from the danger of him collapsing. Source document
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| 1915 |
Orenda Mine Explosion, Boswell, Pennsylvania — After an undisclosed period, a foreman and others rescued 10 miners who were overcome by afterdamp following a local explosion in the Orenda Mine near Boswell, Pennsylvania. Two of the rescued men were among the 19 that perished in the disaster.
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| Camp One Mine Entrapment, Ninshew, California — Five men worked strenuously to move a huge boulder that had rolled ten feet down the side of an embankment in a little canyon a mile from Camp One and pinioned C. F. Seward, a miner, in a shallow stream, crushing his left leg. At the end of his two-hour entrapment, when the rock finally had been moved, the five men carried Seward a mile out of the canyon over an almost impassible trail to Camp One. Their efforts probably saved Seward's leg for him. From Camp One the injured man was rushed to Ninshew. Dr. P. L. Hamilton went to his assistance there last night. Seward was later taken to Chico and placed in the Sacramento Valley hospital. Seward was at work at a little mine in the canyon near Camp One. Suddenly the rock toppled from its resting place a few feet above and crashed down the embankment. It struck Seward low, knocking him down and holding him in a nearby shallow stream of water. The left leg was crushed from the knee to the ankle. Dr. Hamilton did not believe amputation would be necessary. Source document
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| 1916 |
Central Mine Powered Haulage Accident, Chariton, Iowa — Joe Montgomery, who was employed at the Central mine, was painfully injured and had a narrow escape from death in a powered haulage accident. He was driving the mules to a car of coal, when they got loose and the car ran over him, throwing him down and crushing his foot and ankle quite badly. He was alone in the dark for an undisclosed period, and knowing that another car was coming, he called loudly for help. A man happened to be close by, heard him and rescued him from his perilous position, and stopped the other car before it reached him. Source document
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| Woodward No. 3 Colliery Explosion, Westmoor, Pennsylvania — Six men were dead as a result of a gas explosion in the Woodward No. 3 slope of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Coal Company at Westmoor. Three were killed instantly and the remaining three died within a few hours at Nesbitt West Side Hospital where they were taken as fast as modern methods could convey them. The injured were taken from No. 3 shaft at Westmoor. Those injured received first aid in the mines and their wounds were re-dressed when they reached the surface, and then they were immediately rushed to Nesbitt West Side Hospital. They were all horribly burned and they died one after another within a few hours after they reached the hospital. Those instantly killed were burned almost beyond recognition. Source document
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| Tennessee Mine Cave-in, Chloride, Arizona — After being pinioned seven hours against the wall of a drift in the Tennessee mine at Chloride, W. A. Peterson was extricated by miners who dug him out of the fall of rock which had caught him. Peterson seemed only slightly hurt and ate a hearty meal after his rescue. He died a short time later. Source document
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| 1917 |
Thanks to the heroism of Frank Mattson, two miners who were overcome by smoke in the Lincoln mine fire at Virginia, Minnesota were rescued after an undisclosed period. Mattson was lowered into the mine without a mask where he found Oscar Pakkala and Joe Reinshe. Mattson found the victims near the flames and carried both of them to the surface. All three were revived by a pulmotor.
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| West Kentucky No. 7 Mine Explosion, Clay, Kentucky — Forty six had been brought to the surface alive from the West Kentucky Coal Company's No. 7 mine explosion after 3 hours. Of the rescued, 24 were uninjured. The remainder were suffering from burns, none of which were said to be serious.
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| Short Mountain Colliery Coal Slide, Lykens, Pennsylvania — Eight miners were entombed in a shaft of the Short Mountain Colliery, owned by the Susquehanna Coal Company. Six were rescued. Two others were missing. The men were caught by a slide of coal. The rescued men were William Kiener, Harry A. Miller, John Pasco, Peter Roman, Paul Budwork, and Davis David. The missing included Lewis Shadler, and John Charney. Source document
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| 1918 |
Sayre Colliery, Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania — After being closed in a blind heading for five hours at the Sayre colliery Saturday afternoon and evening, Frank Leski was rescued alive and well, without a scratch. The entombment was discovered immediately and the officials quickly had a force of men on the scene to rescue the man. Rapid headway was made and by working carefully, Leski was taken out of his underground tomb safe and without any injury. Source document
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| Men Lost in Abandoned Mine, Morgantown, West Virginia — Lost in an abandoned coal mine, without lights, and prisoners for five hours, Walter Mayfield, Harley Warman and J. C. Fortney, prominent residents of this city, were saved by a searching party after they had given up hope of rescue. The men went into the mine to investigate it when their lamp went out and for five hours they wandered about vainly in an effort to find their way out. Source document
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| 1919 |
Oakdale Mine Explosion, LaVeta, Colorado — One man was rescued alive in the Oakdale mine of the Oakdale Coal Company near LaVeta, which was wrecked by an explosion. William Davis, a miner, was brought out by rescue crews after an undisclosed period and resuscitated. Eighteen miners were killed in the incident. Source document
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| 1921 |
Seven miners were rescued after an undisclosed period following an explosion in the Harco Coal Company mine near Harrisburg, Illinois. The men were suffering from the effects of blackdamp and taken to local hospitals.
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| Gibbons Mine Cave-in, South Scranton, Pennsylvania — Mathew Schrader was held prisoner for over six hours after a cave-in occurred in the mine workings of the Gibbons Coal Company in South Scranton. Schrader directed the work of rescue telling his comrades where to dig. He was removed to a hospital where it was said he was not seriously injured. Source document
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| Unnamed Anthracite Mine Fall of Person, Pittston, Pennsylvania — The two-and-a-half years old son of Joseph Bigsigani was engulfed by a mine cave while playing in the yard at his home. The child was imprisoned four hours before being rescued and was unconscious when found. Soon after the child was found, the enraged father led a mob of about two hundred foreigners against the home of John Gibbons, owner of the mine in which the cave occurred, threatening violence. A riot call was sent in, and the mob was dispersed by the police. It was not known whether the child would recover. Source document
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| Czar Mine Asphyxiations, Bisbee, Arizona — Dan Hearch and a fellow miner named Taylor were gassed last while working in the Czar mine. They were taken to the Copper Queen hospital. At midnight both were reported as doing nicely. Source document
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| 1923 |
Kemmerer Coal Company, Frontier No. 1 Mine Explosion — At 5 o'clock rescuers found a man lying in the main slope who was nearing death from inhalation of smoke and gas fumes. He was revived by a pulmotor and brought to the surface, where he was taken to a hospital. He was expected to recover. A short time later, two men who had hidden in a remote corner of a room off the main slope were taken to the surface, apparently not suffering greatly from their entombment. Another man, found further in along the main slope, showed signs of life when rescuers reached him, but when doctors attempted to revive him, it was found that he had died.
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| Co-operative Mining Company Cave-in, Silver City, New Mexico — Six of seven miners trapped for an undisclosed period in a cave-in at the Co-operative Mining Company were rescued. The seventh man was killed in the incident. Source document
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| Mine Subsidence Fall of Person, Mahanoy Plane, Pennsylvania — Mary Gussie, age 12, was playing at Mahanoy Plane when earth settled into a mine breach beneath her feet, and she was carried into the cave-in. An alarm was sounded by her companions and a large force of rescuers saved her after several hours. A rope was thrown to the girl and she tied it around her body to prevent sinking deeper. An effort to draw the girl from her perilous position failed because her feet were caught, and she was in danger of being buried alive as rushing culm encircled her body. Source document
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| 1924 |
Unnamed Anthracite Coal Mine Cave-in, Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania — Joseph P. Riley, 34, mine trackman, rescued Chester Stavinski, 12, from a mine cave-in, Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania, August 4, 1924. While Chester and several other boys were gathering berries on a hillside, Chester fell into a narrow hole at the top of an old chamber of a mine. The chamber had been abandoned for five years, and the top had caved in. Nothing was known of its depth or condition. Riley, having a rope tied around him, was lowered 200 feet to Chester, who lay at the bottom of the chamber. He held Chester as men at the surface pulled them to the surface. Chester died in a few hours as a result of injuries received when he fell. Mr. Riley was bestowed the Carnegie Hero Award for his bravery. Source document
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| Rekley Colliery Cave-in, Hazleton, Pennsylvania — Adolph Minnick and Lester Miller, miners in the Buck Mountain section of the Rekley Colliery of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company, were closed in by a fall of roof. They were rescued unharmed two hours later by fellow workers. Source document
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| 1925 |
Tilden Mine Cave-in, Bessemer, Michigan — After being buried under a slide of earth and rock for nearly ten hours, Suvie Guianni, 34, was rescued from the Tilden mine. He became trapped while attempting to reach Adolph Stencer, who had been crushed to death in an earlier slide. Guianni was engaged in removing the fallen earth from Stencer's body when the second slide occurred. Everyone but Guianni jumped in time to escape. Source document
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| Grant Mine Cave-in, Yreka, California — After being trapped for six hours by a cave-in at the Grant mine, Simeon Barrendon, 65, was rescued unhurt when miners and citizens dug a passageway through a cone-shaped pile of quartz rock that had imprisoned him. Barrendon crawled through the small opening to safety and was greeted by the rescue party and his wife who waited at the shaft throughout the ordeal. Source document
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| 1926 |
Five miners were trapped for six days and seven nights by a cave-in at the Hudson Zinc and Spar Mine near Salem,
Kentucky. Rescuers worked through much difficulty to free the men who were mostly affected by the cold and
their thirst. The 5 rescued miners included Randolph Cobb, Roy James, George Catillo, U. B. Wilson, and Harry
Watson. Underground prayer meetings had caused conversion of last man, read the New York Times headline on August
12, 1926. All were ready to die. "If we are dead when you find us, we are saved," was written on their cloth caps. Source document
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| Clymer No. 1 Mine Explosion, Clymer, Pennsylvania — Four miners were rescued by the first group of rescuers that entered the shaft after an undisclosed period. They were working at the foot of the shaft and were dragged to safety before the gases ended their lives. All were said to be suffering broken bones and internal injuries. Several minutes later four other men were found and brought out. They were still warm and first aid was given. After two hours' work and all means known to medical science had been exhausted, they were pronounced dead.
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| 1927 |
West Kentucky No. 7 Mine Explosion, Clay, Kentucky — Sixteen of the miners who were preparing to come to the surface at the time of the explosion were rescued after an undisclosed period. They were 10 white men and six negroes. None of them was seriously injured. The explosion wrecked the cages used to lift the miners and coal from the pit and those saved had to be carried through a mine hole used to circulate air.
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| 1928 |
Old Orchard Mine Asphyxiations, Cambridge, Ohio — Benjamin and William Kissenger, brothers, aged 28 and 26, were rescued from the abandoned Old Orchard coal mine, after being overcome by gas in the old workings for 30 hours. They were revived and tonight and apparently are out of danger but were too weak to relate their unusual experiences. The thrilling rescue of the brothers was effected by State Mine Inspector Jerome Watson and a crew of experts from his office In Columbus. Several attempts were made to find the men which proved unsuccessful because of the dread black damp. Late in the afternoon, after the rescue car had been brought to the scene, the squad found the unconscious men 3,000 feet from the mine entrance. Search for the Kissenger brothers was started after they had failed to return home from an expedition to explore the abandon workings. The state mine inspector rescue office was notified, and Watson, with his squad, rushed to the scene. Fresh air was pumped into the old mine, enabling the workers to search for the men in comparative safety. The Old Orchard mine had been closed for the previous 15 years. Source document
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| Buckhorn Mine Cave-in, Buckhorn, Pennsylvania — Trapped four hours in a mine in the Buckhorn district, Jesse Marlett, 22, John Lauer, 28, and John Biggleman, 36, narrowly escaped death. They were rescued from an air shaft after being trapped by a fall of dirt at the entrance of the mine. The cave-in was not discovered until truck drivers, failing to find anyone at the entrance made an investigation. The cave-in was discovered, and a search made for the three men. Assistance was sent from adjoining mines and after attempting several means of communication with the entombed men, it was decided to try the air shaft. Russell Lauer, nephew of the mine owner, descended the shaft and located the trio. The three men were considerably weakened by the long stay in the mine. Source document
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| 1929 |
Sherman Mine Explosion, Pottsville, Pennsylvania — After an explosion struck the Sherman Coal Company mine near Pottsville, Pennsylvania, forty trapped miners were rescued after 1 hours of absolute horror and hopelessness. A second explosion rocked the colliery, sending another sheet of flame roaring through the corridor. This flame seared the rescuers "like a breath of hell," as one of them described it. The rescue squad made its painful way back to the surface and the four injured were rushed to a hospital. The third blast occurred, literally blowing the imprisoned men through the chute to safety. All the men who were in the mine made it safely to the open. Source document
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| 1930 |
Scranton Mine Subsidence, Scranton, Pennsylvania — Ralph Massankiel, age 25, and William Williams, age 52 were caught in a residential fall of ground in Scranton, Pennsylvania which trapped them for 9 hours. Williams body was free above his hips and no more than Massankiel's head was free during their ordeal. This was the second of 2 subsidence events that took place. The first occurred at 2 a.m. and the one which caught these two men occurred while workmen were repairing damages from the first. Source document
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| Hudson Coal Mine No. 3 Cave-in, Carbondale, Pennsylvania — Edward DeLaney and Nicholas Muschamto, miners at the No. 3 shaft, Hudson Coal company, were entombed for more than six hours by a rock fall on Saturday afternoon and made their way to safety only after rescue workers drove a tunnel through the debris. Presence of mind of the men, who are said to have run behind the fall as they heard the roof cracking over them, saved the two from being crushed under the rock and coal. Neither of the men was injured. The rescue squad brought the entombed men to safety without any great difficulty. Source document
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| 1931 |
Unnamed Mine Cave-in, Silver City, Nevada — William Donovan, miner, was rescued after three hours of frantic digging after becoming buried in a cave-in. Only his head was protruding when rescuers began their work. Loose rock and fresh slides threatened to bury the entire rescue crew. Source document
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| Richards Colliery Coal Rush, Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania — Joseph Yusinski, a miner employed at the Richards Colliery of the Susquehanna Collieries Company, had a miraculous escape from sometime later by a force of rescuers. Yusinski was employed as a miner in a breast in the west No. 10 vein, first lift, south dip workings. He was taking a skip off the rib of the breast to prepare a manway when he started a serious rush of coal. Realizing the danger, Yusinski flattened himself against the rib at a heading, thus leaving a small air pocket about him when he became buried in the coal. Rescuers were rushed to the scene and a half-hour later succeeded in rescuing the miner alive. He had escaped with a few minor bruises. Source document
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| 1932 |
Abandoned Badger Mine Fall of Person, Little Lost River, Idaho — Ole Meddaugh, 50, Little Lost River miner, was suffering from an imprisonment of six days and nights in an abandoned mine shaft 45 miles east of Arco, Idaho. He was rescued the day before in a weakened condition after his continued absence had given rise to fears for his safety. A week earlier Meddaugh lowered himself with a rope for 60 feet into the abandoned shaft of the Badger mine and descended the remaining 40 feet to the bottom of the shaft on timbers. When he attempted to ascend the timbers gave way and he saved himself from dropping to the bottom by hanging to a projecting rock. Since he was unable to reach the dangling end of the rope, he found a seat on a rock and waited for help to arrive. Source document
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| 1934 |
William Jones, 35, from Minersville, Pennsylvania was rescued from a rock slide in a bootleg anthracite mine where he was trapped for more than 24 hours. Source document
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| Derby No. 3 Mine Explosion, Big Stone Gap, Virginia — After an undisclosed period following the 7 a.m. explosion, two men, Lawrence Fleener and Walter Bayless, were brought out alive and were taken to the Stonega hospital for treatment. Artificial respiration was resorted to in vain efforts to save some of the others.
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Upper Donaldson, Pennsylvania — Harold Dinger was entombed in a bootleg mine hole when a rush of coal and debris covered him as he and a group of men including his father and brothers were working the hole. He was rescued practically uninjured after an undisclosed period. The group, including his father, H. Dinger, a brother, Lester, Herman and Harry Myers were working the coal hole with Harold in the hole digging. He dislodged a large rock which precipitated the slide. Aside from shock and bruises he was uninjured. Source document
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| Wolfe Colliery Cave-in, Oneida, Pennsylvania — Joseph Thomas, of Oneida, near Hazleton, was recovering at the Hazleton state hospital from severe shock and injuries suffered when he was buried seven hours beneath a fall of coal and rock at the Wolfe Colliery, of the Wolfe Coal Company, where he was employed as a miner. Source document
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| 1936 |
Following a 72 hour entrapment in the burning Esry Mine near Moberly, Missouri, two of four men were rescued. The deceased were Ed Stoner, one of the owners, and George Dameron. The rescued men were Demmer Sexton and Jack McMann.
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| Anthracite Bootleg Mine Cave-in, Pottsville, Pennsylvania — Edward Hartley, 23, was rescued several hours after he became a cave-in victim in a bootleg coal hole near Pottsville. Hartley was conscious when he was removed, however, he was unable to walk since he was engulfed in rock and dirt up to his neck. He was transported to the Pottsville Hospital where he was listed in fair condition. Source document
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| Unnamed Mine Fire, Downieville, California — A faithful dog ran 900 feet through a fire and smoke-filled tunnel and attracted two miners to the entrance where flames which soon would have trapped them were raging. The miners, Joseph Stark and his son, Herman, left a fire in the stove in their quarters in the mine mill before they entered the tunnel. The stove pipe became hot and ignited dry timbers. The dog ran through the blaze into the tunnel and barked until he summoned the two men. Source document
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Shenandoah, Pennsylvania — Simon Kapaczewski, an unhired miner, was rescued from his makeshift mine after he was entombed for 11 hours. Kapaczewski was caught by a fall of rock far down the jagged hole yesterday afternoon. Other unhired miners heard his screams and for hours shoveled at the several tons of rock. He was removed to a hospital. Source document
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| 1937 |
Gopher-Boulder Mine Cave-in, Holden, California — Frank Libby was rescued after being trapped for several hours in the Gopher-Boulder Mine. The cave-in occurred when a tractor operating on the surface crashed into some old workings, precipitating a shower of giant boulders into the open cut where 2 miners were working. The second miner, Harry Achzig, was killed in the accident. Source document
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| Abandoned Coal Mine Rescue, Marion, Illinois — Jesse Wilson, 30, was rescued 2 days after becoming lost in an abandoned coal mine near Marion, Illinois. Wilson, a mine owner, had entered the pit with the announced intention of exploring the workings which were adjacent to abandoned workings of a deep shaft mine no longer operating. The search for Wilson began when he failed to come out at 5 p.m. with the other workers. Source document
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| Unnamed Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania — Two miners are rescued and 1 miner was killed when a cave-in occurred at an Independent Anthracite mine at Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania. John Micomanico, 56, was rescued and hospitalized after being buried up to his neck for 8 hours. Benedicto Riccoletti, 36, and buried up to his knees was freed after 2 hours. A third miner, Angelo Lorendi, 48, was suffocated and died in the incident. Source document
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| Defender Mine Fall of Person, Amasor City, California — Clyde Wright, a diamond drill operator, fell down the Defender Mine shaft. He suffered a fracture of one arm, cuts and bruises. He was taken to the Sutter Hospital in Sacramento for treatment. Source document
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| 1938 |
Shawnee Mine No. 4 Cave-in, Peckville, Pennsylvania — Four miners were trapped for almost nine hours after a cave-in occurred in the No. 4 slope of the Shawnee Coal Company at Peckville, Pennsylvania. The cave-in occurred when a runaway loaded coal car demolished mine props at the mine entrance. The four miners were treated for shock at the Mid-Valley Hospital. Source document
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| Unnamed Anthracite Mine Powered Haulage Accident, Scranton, Pennsylvania — Five miners became trapped when deep in an Anthracite mine when a coal car they were riding hurtled out of control down a steep slope and crashed through timbers supporting the tunnel roof were rescued alive and unharmed after an undisclosed period. Source document
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| 1939 |
Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Good Springs, Pennsylvania — John Carl, 30, was rescued from the bottom of a 400-foot coal hole where he was trapped the night before by a rock fall. He was not injured and went to his home after being hoisted to the surface by friends who worked throughout the night. They found him huddled in the safety of a passageway that branched off from the bottom of the slope at a forty-five-degree angle. The mishap occurred in an abandoned colliery a mile from Carl's home town of Good Springs. A companion, Homer Smith, 45, scrambled to safety and summoned aid. Source document
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Greenbury, Pennsylvania — Raymond Levashausky, 21, was rescued tonight from a "bootleg" coal hole six hours after it collapsed on him. The trapped miner sustained life and avoided injury by clinging to a pocket in the side of the shaft. A companion, working at the surface, brought aid. The accident occurred at Greenbury, Pennsylvania, five miles from Pottsville. Source document
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| 1940 |
Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Heckscherville, Pennsylvania — Aloysius A. Brennan, 19, was rescued alive from a collapsed bootleg mine hole, and when he arrived at the surface following the rescue it was found he had escaped with a minor hip injury. Brennan and a brother, Leo, 16, drove a 20-foot shaft into a vein on an abandoned stripping operation at Pine Knot Colliery. The elder brother was working alone at the bottom of the shaft when the place collapsed. Rescuers were summoned from other independent mines and after two hours the workers removed sufficient debris to release the young miner. Source document
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Kulpmont, Pennsylvania — Charles Griscavage, 27, Kulpmont, was a patient at Shamokin State Hospital, suffering a probable fracture of the skull and other injuries sustained when caught under a fall of top rock in a bootleg mine hole. He was partly buried, but fellow miners quickly rescued him. Source document
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| 1941 |
Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania — Trapped for eight hours in his coal hole near the highway between Mahanoy City and Delano, Peter Gerasinovich, 43, was rescued, but died five hours later at the Locust Mountain Hospital. He suffered internal injuries when struck by part of the fall. Source document
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania — Peter Benson, 47, was rescued alive after he was entombed for several hours in a bootleg mine operation near Mahanoy City. The miner was at work at the face of the gangway when the workings closed in back of him. Fellow miners formed a rescue party and it was first believed Benson was crushed to death under the fall. After a time, workmen heard him tapping and still later engaged with them in conversation. He hid himself in back of a ledge while rescuers continued the removal of coal, rock and earth. The man was not injured. Source document
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| Kent No. 2 Mine Cave-in, McIntyre, Pennsylvania — A fall of rock in the Kent No. 2 mine of the Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal Company near McIntyre injured one miner and trapped three others for 5 hours. Edward Brink, 23, was caught by the outside edge of the fall just as the men were ready to quit work and leave the mine. He was extricated after three hours of rescue work and was rushed to the hospital suffering from possible fractures of the left hip and right foot. Two and one-half hours later, crews succeeded in clearing an opening to the other three miners trapped by the fall. They were uninjured. The three men were John T. Wysocki, 27; Gerald S. Swan, 54; and Fred Fogle, 30. This was the first day of employment with the R. & P. Coal Company for Mr. Fogle. All four men in the room were working as conveyor loaders. Source document
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| 1942 |
Blue Goose Mine Entrapment, Picher, Oklahoma — The life of Cecil Case, 38 years old, was saved by the frantic efforts of 40 or 50 miners, millmen, ambulance drivers and others when he was covered by tailings at the Blue Goose mine. He remained covered for the greater part of two hours. Case was assisting in punching down tailings when he was caught. He had a rope about his waist and when the flood of gravel closed in on him, he poked his arm up so he could be seen. The flood of fine rock was pushed away from the man's head and the end of a rubber hose inserted into his mouth for breathing. Time and again the gravel covered him but the men shoveled on and finally uncovered him enough that he could be pulled out, wet and almost frozen. Case was taken by ambulance to the Picher hospital where it was found that he was practically uninjured and he was taken back to the mine and then home. Source document
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| Abandoned Clay Mine Lost Persons, East Liverpool, Ohio Two youths lost for 15 hours in an abandoned clay mine were found safe by a rescue squad. The youths, Robert Clutter, 17, and Donald Mahon, Jr., 18, became separated from companions after entering the multi-chambered mine, extending from five to six miles into hills overlooking the Ohio river. They were frightened but unhurt. Source document
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| 1945 |
Abandoned Mine Landslide, Beechwood, Maryland — The cows came home safe and sound — All four of them — After being trapped by a landslide for three days in an old coal mine without food or water. Shifts of men worked by lantern and carbon lamp hauling out wheelbarrow loads of rock and attempting to erect roof supports against recurrent rock fall. All were in good condition, their owners said. The last cow to be rescued, found about 150 feet from the entrance, was temporarily light-blinded, but was expected to make out all right. Source document
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| 1946 |
Elcomb Mine Fire, Harlan, Kentucky — William Viles, 49, was rescued after he was trapped for five hours in the Elcomb Coal Company mine by a fire ignited by friction from a conveyor cable. He was taken to the Harlan hospital and treated for shock. Source document
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| 1947 |
John McNulty Mine Slide, Owensboro, Kentucky — Two men were trapped in a slide at the John McNulty coal mine, formerly the old Lee Rudy mine, five miles west of Owensboro. William Hays, 33, and Tom Gray, 61, the two men trapped in the mine, were at work cleaning a path toward the new shaft when the main shaft curb gave way. They were the only men in the mine at the time of the accident. An alarm was sounded and a rescue squad was organized and succeeded in getting the two men back to safety within the space of an hour. A motorized winch was dispatched to the mine and the men removed through the new shaft on an improvised swing chair. Neither man suffered any ill effects from their ordeal. Later, the rescue squad was successful in bringing the mine pony to safety. Source document
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| 1949 |
Peabody Mine No. 59 Fire, Springfield, Illinois — An underground fire sent dense smoke through Peabody Mine No. 59 north of Springfield forcing between 250 and 300 men to use emergency escape shafts. All the men reached safe areas and were evacuated three at a time. Most of them had been brought to the surface three hours after the fire broke out. The fire broke out 1 hours before the regular day shift was to end. Source document
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| 1953 |
Scrub Oak Mine Cave-in, Dover, New Jersey — Emergency crews rescued a miner who was trapped six hours by a cave-in at an iron ore mine. The miner, 51-year-old John Fortner was brought to the surface and taken to Dover General Hospital. Another miner, Robert Allen, 47, was hurt in the cave-in last night, but managed to scramble out of the path of the falling muck, which consists of bits of iron ore. He was treated for minor cuts and released. During the rescue operation, the crews were able to keep a running conversation with Mr. Fortner. When they reached him, he was found pinned by the ore. Police said the cave-in at the Scrub Oak Mine of the Alan Wood Steel Company apparently was caused by previous blasting. The rescue workers dug a pathway to Mr. Fortner and found him on the fifth slope of the lower level, about 1,800 feet below the ground. Source document
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| 1954 |
Abandoned Mine Fall of Person, Diamondtown, Pennsylvania — A seven-year-old Mt. Carmel boy was rescued after an undisclosed period from an abandoned coal hole into which he fell while flying a kite on the hillside north of Diamondtown. William Boychuk was taken to Shamokin Hospital where he was treated for multiple abrasions of the back, arms, right ear and legs. The youngster, one of several flying kites on the mine-scarred hillside, was believed to have been running backwards with his tow string when he failed to notice the abandoned shaft and dropped into it. His playmates didn't notice his absence immediately but discovered him when they saw his kite string leading into the old mine opening. The alarm was spread, and rescue workers used a clothesline to haul the lad to the surface. A loop was fashioned in the rope and lowered to the boy who was instructed to fasten the loop beneath his arms. Rescue workers said it appeared the boy landed on sandy soil that had created a shelf 50 feet from the
top. Had he missed the shelf he would have plunged to an unknown depth. Source document
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| 1957 |
Sewage Tunnel Fire, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Fifteen men were rescued after being trapped for nearly three hours in an underground sewage tunnel. None was injured. The workers were trapped after fire set off by an electric motor of a locomotive blocked the tunnel entrance. The men are employed on a sanitary authority project. The locomotive burst into flames about 4,000 feet from the tunnel entrance and about a mile below the surface. Source document
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| 1961 |
Worley Mine Asphyxiations, Whitley County, Kentucky — A coal mine superintendent who was rescued after an undisclosed period from a Kentucky mine in which two other officials were found dead later died in a Louisville, Kentucky hospital where he was taken for treatment. Tracy Eugene Lafferty, 39 died the day after his rescue at the hospital in Oneida. Lafferty had been given new blood and an artificial kidney; however, he could not survive the effects of the poisonous gases accumulated in the mine. Two others who died in the old Worley Mine of Stearns Coal and Lumber Company in neighboring Whitley County, Kentucky were Maurice Blevins, 63 and Otis Tucker, 53. The three had gone in the old mine to see about taking coal from pillars left standing and were overcome by carbon monoxide. Source document
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| 1962 |
Abandoned Gold Mine Fall of Person, Hill City, South Dakota — Airman Gerald Becker spent 3 days trapped in an abandoned gold mine pit near here. Becker, 18, of Mapleton, Minn., had the night off from his duties as a mechanic at nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base and decided to go swimming in Sheridan Lake. "But it was too cold, and I started exploring instead," said Becker at the base hospital, where he was under observation. "I came across this big hole. Suddenly the edge gave way and I fell 50 feet to the bottom." After recovering from the initial shock, Becker looked for a hold on the shale and slate walls to enable him to climb out but found none. Then he started shouting for help. Early Monday the vacationing Pete Ptacek family from Phoenix, Ariz., stopped in the area to let their children exercise. Becker, with his very hoarse throat, heard them and called out. Ptacek hurried to a cabin resort near the lake for help. Two forestry men, a rancher and Ptacek returned to the pit with a rope, and with it tied around his waist Becker made his way up the sheer wall. Source document
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| 1963 |
David Fellin and Henry Throne were trapped for 14 days in the Sheppton Mine in the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region following a cave-in. In the early hours of Tuesday, Aug. 27, 1963, first Throne, then Fellin was pulled from a depth of 330 feet to the surface wearing parachute harnesses and football helmets. A third miner in the mine at the time, Lou Bova, was never recovered. Vintage Video
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| Cane Creek Mine Explosion — Seven men erected a barricade in 3U drift. Two of these men left the barricade and traveled to the shaft station where they were met by a rescue crew and brought to the surface 19 hours after the explosion. The other five men remained behind the barricade and were rescued 50 hours after the explosion.
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| Abandoned Mine Fall of Person, Webb City, Missouri — Mrs. Margaret Hayes, 29, fell 90 feet down an abandoned mine shaft and landed in deep water, then clung to the timbered sides of the shaft more than an hour until rescued. Suffering only from bruises, hospital attendants said she was in good condition. Source document
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| Abandoned Mine Fall of Person, Pittsburg, California — Ronald Buffo, 15, was pulled safely out of a 65-foot mine shaft Wednesday after spending over an hour on his backing looking up at "that little hole in the sky." He suffered minor injuries. Two friends lowered him into the shaft with a rope. It broke when he was halfway down, dropping him to soft ground at the shaft bottom. Two Pacific Gas and Electric Co. linemen climbed down and rescued him several hours later. "It was pretty gruesome," Buffo confided while recovering at his Pittsburg home. "I was knocked out, I guess, and then I woke up, I was lying on my back, and I looked up and all I could see was that little hole in the sky." Source document
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| 1965 |
Unnamed Mine Cave-in, Chillicothe, Ohio — Ernest L. Bradley, 36, heavy equipment operator, sustained fatal injuries helping to rescue Jack W. Berryman, 45, heavy equipment operator, from a cave-in, Chillicothe, Ohio, August 6, 1965. Bradley immediately entered the ditch and, kneeling in front of Berryman, began digging the earth away with his hands. As Bradley continued digging, another man entered the ditch. A man outside the ditch shouted a warning. A section of earth weighing about six tons caved in from the side nearest Bradley. The other man jumped back, and only one of his legs was trapped. Bradley managed to place his arms about his head before the falling earth knocked him face down and covered him completely. Workmen extricated Bradley and Berryman, both of whom had suffered fractures. Berryman recovered, but Bradley, who also had suffered internal injuries, died. Mr. Bradley was bestowed the Carnegie Hero Award for his bravery (posthumously). Source document
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| Bethlehem Mine No. 32 Roof Fall, Revloc, Pennsylvania — William Ferguson, 64, was rescued unharmed 12 hours after he was trapped in a roof fall in the No. 32 mine of Bethlehem Mines Corporation at Revloc. Ferguson was operating the continuous miner. Two other miners working nearby were uninjured. Source document
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| 1966 |
Abandoned Mine Shaft Fall of Person, Springfield, Missouri — A Springfield youth fell and injured himself in an abandoned mine shaft, but rescuers brought him out, mud covered, within two hours. Eighteen-year-old Charles Stoner was taken by ambulance to a hospital suffering from a fracture in his leg or back. A rope broke while he was lowering himself in an old lead mine. He dropped about 50 feet. His companion, 19-year-old Paul Montgomery, crawled back out of the shaft and flagged down a sheriff's office patrolman for help. Montgomery, a student at Southwestern Missouri State College, told officers he and Stoner entered the shaft about 8 am to explore. They descended the original shaft about 40 feet, then crawled 300 feet to where they found a rope. Stoner began to lower himself 50 feet into another area, but the rope broke. Rescuers scrambled into the hole in the eastern part of Springfield. They strapped Stoner to a cot. Covered with mud and moaning from pain, the youth was brought out and carried to the ambulance. Source document
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| 1967 |
Abandoned Mine Fall of Person, China Lake, Nevada — A 14-vear-old China Lake boy was reported in good condition after being rescued from the bottom of a 50 foot deep abandoned mine shaft. Gilbert Soto, the boy who was rescued, and Allen Comb, also of China Lake, were exploring while on a visit to the Wheeler Ranch, some 70 miles east of Bakersfield. Soto accidentally dropped his pellet gun into the shaft. He lowered himself into it but lost his grip and fell to the bottom. The Kern County sheriff's office summoned the China Lake mine search and rescue group which pulled young Soto out. Source document
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| Cave Shaft Fall of Person, Powell, Tennessee — Rescue workers hoisted a mud cake, semi — conscious young cave explorer to safety 11 hours after the youth fell to the bottom of a 70-foot shaft. His right leg broken, and his face battered by the fall, 17-year-old John Cheka was rushed to a hospital after being pulled from the cave aboard a wire basket that had been lowered to him by rope. Two companions, Vernon Bruner, 20, and John Connell, 20, helped rescue workers save Cheka. The youths entered Carpenters cave, which slices a quarter of a mile deep into copper ridge in the foothills of the great Smoky Mountains. John was repelling down the side of the shaft when his rope broke, said Bruner, a junior at the University of Tennessee. Source document
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| 1968 |
Buried up to his waist in debris, Ervin Roark was rescued following a roof fall accident in the Amherst Coal Company's No. 1 mine at Lundale, West Virginia. Three other miners, Charlie Lowe, Enoc Tudor, and Emmett Copley, were recovered dead after 8 hours. Source document
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| Galena Mine Cave-in, Wallace, Idaho — Dean Cody, 33, was in satisfactory condition Saturday at East Shoshone Hospital, after being rescued about three hours after the cave-in. Rescuers continued their search for another miner, Fred Stepro, 53, trapped in the same incident. Stepro was believed to be buried at the end of an 80-foot stope leading horizontally from the mine's central shaft. Mine officials held little hope that Stepro would be found alive. Cody told rescuers he was about 80 feet from Stepro, who apparently was working farther up the stope. Cody said he was struck in the back by a support beam and bent double under the fallen material but had enough of an air pocket around him to be able to breathe and remain conscious. Source document
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| 1972 |
Unnamed Strip Mine Entrapment, Washington County, Pennsylvania — Cecil Clark, 65, a Washington County strip miner was pulled from a would-be grave by coworkers who saw him buried accidentally beneath thousands of pounds of earth. A worker who witnessed the accident ran to where Clark was entombed and bored a hole through the dirt with his arm. Some 35 minutes later Clark was pulled free by fellow workers who, with small tools and bare hands, had worked feverishly to save him. McDonald was taking core samples at the Luzerne Township strip mine and apparently didn't hear a warning that dynamite was about to be set off, police said. When the charge exploded Clark was buried in earth and debris. Source document
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| 1977 |
Jefferson Mine Rescue, Cottonwood Heights, Utah — A 17-year-old Salt Lake City youth was rescued unhurt from the Jefferson mine about 8 p.m. Monday but not until he spent four frightening hours perched on a narrow ledge. The youth was one of five to walk into the mine through a tunnel. They found the four-foot diameter shaft rising to the surface on the mountain above. The youth climbed up the shaft to tie a rope to a beam. When he climbed to the break, he found that it wasn't safe. That was about 4 p.m. The rest of the party tried to rescue him, but couldn't. They called the sheriff from nearby homes. Source document
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| 1984 |
LTV Corp. Mine Entrapment, Nemacolin, Pennsylvania — Three miners were rescued uninjured after being trapped in a mine shaft lift in an LTV Corp. mine for more than an hour. The accident occurred when an outdoor crane struck a 25,000-volt power line, causing a motor in the lift to burn out just as the midnight shift workers were leaving. Source document
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| 1989 |
Abandoned Coal Mine Asphyxiations, Grand Junction, Utah — A group of teenagers exploring an abandoned coal mine apparently were overcome by poison gas, and three were killed, authorities said. A fourth youth rescued from the mine was hospitalized in serious condition. The fifth member of the group walked and ran more than five miles through rugged desert to get help for his friends after they collapsed, said Mesa County Sheriff's Lt. Wayne Harms. Miles Slape, 17, the boy who went for help, reported he had trouble breathing in the mine, and investigators believed the teenagers were poisoned by gas, Harms said. Autopsies were ordered. "Those old mines have all kinds of gas: the older the mine the more gas they have," Harms said. "They 're very, very dangerous things. Killed were two girls — Christian Rossman, 15, and Catherine Schrettner, 16 — And a boy, Greg Folchert, 17. Frank Warner, 16, was listed in stable but serious condition Monday at St Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction. Source document
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| 1991 |
70 miners were rescued after more than seven hours following a roof fall at the Consolidation Coal McElroy Mine near Moundsville, West Virginia. The fall occurred when a mine car struck a roof support causing the collapse. Rescuers lowered food and extra mine lamps to the trapped miners during their ordeal. Source document.
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| Canada Coal Company's Mine No. 2 Roof Fall, Kimper, Kentucky — Roger Dean Blackburn was seriously injured when rescued from a roof fall after 6 hours at Canada Coal Company's Mine No. 2 near Kimper. He was rescued at about 7:30 p.m. and spent much of the next day in surgery at the University of Kentucky's Albert B. Chandler Medical Center in Lexington. Mine workers reported that they could see and communicate with Blackburn, who was trapped under a pile of large and small pieces of shale about two miles deep in the mine. As they worked for nearly six hours to free him, rescue workers conversed frequently with Blackburn, Dept. of Mines and Minerals Supervisor David Phillips said. "He was conscious the whole time six hours," Phillips said. "Occasionally, he would lapse into a period where we didn't hear anything from him. We would holler extra loud and he would respond. He'd say, "Hurry up and get some of this stuff off me." I can't understand how someone could live through that. Some of the shale pieces were so large that Phillips feared they would break if workers used hydraulic jacks to lift them. For that reason, he said, workers had to cut pieces of the rock and manually lift them from Blackburn. Source document
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| 2002 |
Walter L. Houser Strip Asphyxiation, Kittanning, Pennsylvania — At 7:15 a.m., Timothy E. Barrett, a 40-year-old auger machine operator became overcome from low oxygen after crawling in a 30-inch diameter auger hole at the Walter L Houser Strip mine. Barrett crawled into the auger hole but did not return, nor did he respond when Darlene Orr, helper, called to him. Orr crawled into the hole and found Barrett unconscious about 120 feet into the hole, but was unable to drag him out. Joseph O'Donnell, MSHA inspector, donned a self contained breathing device, tied two ropes around himself and entered the hole. Barrett was found unconscious due to the oxygen deficiency. O'Donnell tried to drag Barrett, but could not. He then tied a rope to Barrett and signaled to the rescue personnel to begin pulling. Barrett was removed from the hole at approximately 9:15 a.m. was given emergency medical treatment. Barrett was transported to Armstrong County Memorial Hospital where he unfortunately was pronounced dead at 9:44 a.m. Source document
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| 2004 |
Unnamed Abandoned Noncoal Mine Rescue, Ogden, Utah — Steve Mahoney, 46, of Ogden suffered a broken leg (tibia-fibula fracture) from a fall in a mine. He had descended an 85-foot winze located 150-200 feet inside the mine using a 75-foot polypropylene waterskiing tow rope. He jumped the remaining ten feet and was injured (how he planned to reach the rope to exit was unknown). A companion summoned help, although she originally denied being in the mine and gave changing stories to emergency responders. The rescue by Weber County Search and Rescue required a difficult in-mine litter hoist to get the victim to an ambulance. Source: Weber County Sheriff Search and Rescue Training Newsletter.
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| 2008 |
Abandoned Gold Mine Rescue, Sonora, California — Darvis Lee, Jr., 34, was rescued from an abandoned gold mine after tumbling more than 100 feet and spending two nights at the bottom of the dark shaft. Lee fell down the shaft while exploring the mine. Source document
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| 2016 |
Keystone No. 1 Abandoned Mine Rescue, Keystone, West Virginia — Three men were found and rescued in the abandoned Keystone No. 1 mine following a search lasting more than 12 hours. The three men found, Justin Bolen, Brandon Collins and Steve Cordle, along with Dustin Bolen and Jimmie were arrested following an investigation into the copper thefts at the mine. A fourth man lost in the mine, Clay Epperly, was never found.
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| 2022 |
Abandoned Mine Fall of Person, New River, Arizona — Firefighters rescued a teenage boy from an abandoned mine shaft after he fell about 50 feet while driving an all-terrain vehicle in a desert area the northern outskirts of metro Phoenix. The 17-year-old boy was taken by helicopter to the hospital for evaluation after being pulled out of the shaft near New River. Rescuers arriving at the scene found the boy at the bottom of the shaft with the ATV on top of him. The 17-year-old was reportedly somewhat responsive by the time he was pulled out of the shaft, but the extent of his injuries were unknown. Source document
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| Rescuer Deaths in August |
| 1913 |
East Brookside Mine Explosions, Tower City, Pennsylvania — Five miners met their death when they entered the East Brookside Anthracite Mine following an explosion there. While attempting to rescue victims of the first blast, a second methane explosion occurred, sealing their fate. The first explosion, believed to be caused by dynamite, killed 15 miners. One of the rescuers managed to escape, but died a few hours later.
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| 1919 |
Confined Space Fatality, Trinidad, Colorado — On August 25, 1919, James S. Cunningham, foreman miner of Bureau of Mines rescue car No. 2, died while wearing a Salvus ½-hour apparatus in a gasoline storage tank of the Sinclair Oil & Refining Company, Trinidad, Colorado.
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| 1927 |
Unnamed Zinc and Lead Mine Asphyxiation, Waco, Missouri — Dewey J. Beck died assisting to save Fred Spencer from suffocation, Waco, Missouri, August 11, 1927. Spencer, 48, driller, was overcome by carbon dioxide in a zinc and lead mine about 20 feet from the bottom of a shaft that was 330 feet deep. He fell from a hoisting bucket to the bottom. Beck, 28, driller's helper, and another man, who were fellow workmen of Spencer's and had been warned not to go below the point at which Spencer had been overcome, had themselves lowered in the hoisting bucket to go to Spencer's assistance. When they were about 10 feet from the bottom of the shaft, Beck was overcome and fell out of the bucket to the bottom of the shaft. His companion fell shortly afterward. All three of the men were dead when brought to the surface 40 minutes later, after the shaft had been ventilated. Dewey Beck was posthumously awarded the Carnegie Hero Medal. Source document 
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| 1936 |
Kathleen Mine Fire, Dowell, Illinois — During the time the State mine rescue team was erecting seals outby the fire, several motor trips of material were sent into the 7th north haulage road which is on the return for this section. With these trips, there were between 15 and 20 men, who had been sent to assist with the sealing. All of these men were more or less affected with carbon monoxide; nine of them lost their lives.
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| Mountain City Mine Asphyxiations, Mountain City, Nevada — Two men persuaded a third to lower them to an area of dangerous atmospheric conditions. The third man realized the seriousness of the situation but gave little or no thought to the atmospheric conditions. He proceeded down the manway until he was overcome and fell to the bottom. A fourth man, in a solitary attempt to rescue the third, was overcome and also fell to within 5 feet of the bottom. When the shift boss and four others arrived, they attempted to recover the bodies. Two men were lowered in the bucket, and both were overcome.
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| 1938 |
Abandoned Mine Asphyxiation, Minersville, Pennsylvania — In an attempt to rescue Joseph Foran, who took refuge in an abandoned mine during a storm, Edward Woll donned a smoke mask and entered the mine. After locating Foran, Woll was only able to travel 6 feet with him before collapsing. The smoke mask of Woll was useless in providing protection in the oxygen deficient atmosphere. Rescuers better equipped found both men 6 feet from fresh air. Source document
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| 1943 |
General Chemical Defense Corporation, Point Pleasant, West Virginia — Three employees of the disposal plant were killed by the inhalation of toxic fumes believed to be hydrogen sulfide or an oxygen deficiency. Charles R. Miller, Water Treating Operator, was the initial victim. Delmar W. Oldaker and Gerard Colwell were overcome during rescue attempts.
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| Sayreton No. 2 Mine, Sayreton, Jefferson County, Alabama — About 12:40 a.m., August 29th, or 2½ hours after the first explosion, a second explosion occurred in the same area, at which time there were 18 members of a rescue party in the affected section. Two men of the rescue party were killed and 16 were injured. Eight of the sixteen injured died after being removed to the hospital. Total number of deaths from the second explosion was 10.
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| 1965 |
Unnamed Mine Cave-in, Chillicothe, Ohio — Ernest L. Bradley, 36, heavy equipment operator, sustained fatal injuries helping to rescue Jack W. Berryman, 45, heavy equipment operator, from a cave-in, Chillicothe, Ohio, August 6, 1965. Bradley immediately entered the ditch and, kneeling in front of Berryman, began digging the earth away with his hands. As Bradley continued digging, another man entered the ditch. A man outside the ditch shouted a warning. A section of earth weighing about six tons caved in from the side nearest Bradley. The other man jumped back, and only one of his legs was trapped. Bradley managed to place his arms about his head before the falling earth knocked him face down and covered him completely. Workmen extricated Bradley and Berryman, both of whom had suffered fractures. Berryman recovered, but Bradley, who also had suffered internal injuries, died. Mr. Bradley was bestowed the Carnegie Hero Award for his bravery (posthumously). Source document
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| 1985 |
R & R Mine No. 3 Carbon Monoxide Suffocation, Woodbine, Kentucky — Loading and hauling coal after a shot throughout the afternoon, a miner was overcome by CO when his scoop became stuck in the face area. Two others attempting to save the fallen miner were also overcome.
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| 2007 |
Crandall Canyon Mine Collapse, Huntington, Utah — On August 16, 2007, three rescue workers were killed and six others were injured when a seismic jolt caused a mine accident during an effort to reach six men who have been trapped at the Crandall Canyon Mine since August 6. The six men initially killed were Kerry Allred, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Don Erikson, Manuel Sanchez, and Brandon Phillips. The three killed during the attempted rescue were Federal Mine Inspector, Gary Jensen, Brandon Kimber and Dale Black.
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