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| Successful Mine Rescues in February |
| 1868 |
Oxford Mine Inundation, Scranton, Pennsylvania — On the morning of February 19, 1868 the citizens of Scranton, Pa., were startled by the announcement that the "Oxford Mines" had been suddenly submerged with water from the Lackawanna river, and that one hundred miners had been drowned. The mine was being worked under the bed of the river, and the miners had unknowingly approached too near the river's bed, and during the blast an orifice five feet square was formed, through which the waters of the river rushed in torrents. Fortunately the miners were all saved after an undisclosed period, only one being injured, and he not fatally. Source document 
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| 1875 |
Osage Mining Company Fire, Osage City, Kansas — Thirty men and three boys were at work in the mine at the time as flames shot out of the shaft high into the air. Two hours after the fire started, the first of the trapped miners appeared at the surface. Anxious hands were stretched out, and as the man was drawn to the surface he fainted. Coming up one after the other, some with strength to hold on and others unconscious. 4 hours after the start of the fire, every man was saved, and the town was wild with rejoicing. Later that in the evening, all the men were doing well. Source document
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| 1883 |
Unnamed Lead Mine Cave-in, Bingham, Utah — Buried by a cave-in for 48 hours, Edward Griffin was rescued from an unnamed lead mine at Bingham, Utah. The rescuers drifted sixty feet to free him. He was not injured. Source document
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| 1890 |
Nottingham Colliery Explosion, Plymouth, Pennsylvania — Fire Boss George Dunstan was the only man who could tell anything about the accident. According to Dunstan, he was going from the sixth lift to the fifth. When he got out in the passageway between the two lifts, he struck a body of gas. His light ignited and he was thrown violently to the ground. He managed to crawl to the gangway where he was rescued after an undisclosed period.
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| 1891 |
13 miners died in Jeanesville, Pennsylvania after they were trapped by water in the Spring Mountain No. 1 Mine operated by J. C. Hayden and Company on February 4, 1891. Four others were rescued 19 days later. They were John Tomaskusky, Joe Mautchwitch, Bosso Franko, and John Berno. Source document 
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| Following the firing of a blast, water rushed into the Susquehanna Colliery at Grand Tunnel, Pennsylvania trapping Michael Schilling, William Cragel, and John Riner. Freedom from the flooded mine came for the trio when rescuers found them after 115 hours. They had to wait out the 4 days perched on a piece of timber 3 inches wide. When found, the men were almost completely exhausted and would require care to bring them through. Source document
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| Grand River Mine Explosion, Denver, Colorado — What almost proved to be another Mammoth mine disaster occurred on February 2nd in the Grand River coal and coke mines. Just at 6 o'clock as the day shift, composed of seventy-five miners, were about to leave the mine a terrific explosion occurred, and immediately black smoke came pouring out the side of the mountain. Many women and children rushed toward the entrance of the mine, only to be driven back by clouds of smoke. Above the roar of escaping gases, the pitiable cries of the imprisoned miners could be plainly heard by their wives and children. Soon the seventy-five miners were brought to the surface, some of them more dead than alive, and none of them any too soon, as the flames immediately reached the shaft and came up with such force that it drove everybody away. Explosions had followed every few hours. At 2 o'clock the next morning the excitement was so great that it was impossible to tell if anyone failed to get out. It was thought several have perished. Had the explosion occurred when the miners were at work not one would have escaped. This mine had been on fire several times before in the previous ten years, caused by miners lamps igniting the gas, which had always troubled them. Source document
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| 1894 |
Boston Run Colliery Inundation, Shenandoah, Pennsylvania — Five miners were rescued 14 hours after an inundation trapped them in the Brooks Run Colliery at Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. The accident was caused by the breaking through of a huge body of water that had accumulated in a mine breach on the surface. The gangway was engulfed, but the men succeeded in getting to a place of safety where they sat perched in the darkness while the rescuing party cut an opening through 50 feet of solid coal through which they finally crawled to liberty. Source document
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| 1897 |
Reliance Mine Lost Person, Shamokin, Pennsylvania — After wandering around the dark underground chambers of the Reliance mine for four days, Willie Majorisik, age 11 years, was rescued in an exhausted condition by a party of miners. The boy had been without food, drink, or light. Majorisik entered the mine with two companions by way of an old drift, but he got separated from them while stopping to light his lamp. He failed to get a light and wandered about seeking an exit until he dropped in exhaustion. Source document
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| 1901 |
Linden Tree Mine Fire, Linden Tree, Ohio — For four hours, when egress for 40 miners became cut off due to smoke and gases, the miners carried water in their dinner buckets and threw it on the flames. In the meantime, a rescuing party had been organized that fought the fire from the other side. All were finally rescued without being injured. Source document
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| Hospital Mines Inundation, Tuscaloosa, Alabama — After an undisclosed period, ten of the thirteen Negroes entombed in the hospital mines were rescued at about 6 a.m. The other three were found dead. The rescued men are being taken care of by the authorities. Source document
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| 1902 |
Bon Air No. 5 Mine Explosion, Bon Air, Tennessee — Over fifteen men received injuries in the No. 5 mine dust explosion at Bon Air, Tennessee. All were rescued after an undisclosed period and all would probably recover. Five of the miners were seriously burned. About 100 men were employed in this mine. When the explosion occurred all were in the main entry, which made their rescue possible. Medical attendants say that none of the injuries were necessarily fatal, though five were very serious. The explosion was caused by the shots fired by the miners to knock down the coal for the day's run. If the men had been in the driveways and inner entries when the explosion occurred many lives would have been lost either by the concussion direct or by their being cut off from escape. Source document
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| 1903 |
Hostetler-Connellsville Coke Company Mine Explosion, Latrobe, Pennsylvania — Five miners were rescued after an undisclosed period following an explosion in the Hostetler-Connellsville Coke Company mine near Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Source document
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| 1904 |
No. 1 Mine Cave-in, Scranton, Pennsylvania — While at work in the No. 1 mines, John Chalice was buried almost to his neck, requiring many minutes work of a force of men to rescue him. He had been working alone in a chamber, being engaged in knocking down overhead coal, using a pick and bar for the purpose. Without any warning large chunks of the coal and rock fell and paved the way for an avalanche that threatened to smother the miner. He shrieked for help, and men in other sections of the mines were not slow in answering his appeals. After considerable work Chalice was released. The injured man was taken to the Emergency hospital in the mine ambulance, and his injuries attended to. He had suffered two fractures of the leg, and was also badly bruised about the body. Source document
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| 1906 |
Parral Mine Explosion, Parral, West Virginia — After an undisclosed period following the explosion, rescuers removed twelve miners alive, but it was believed that most of them would die from their injuries.
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| Rosco Mine Cave-in, Forest Ranch, California — For twelve hours, James Larkin, a miner in the Rosco Mine at Forest Ranch, lay pinioned under a mass of rock and timbers which had settled down on him while putting in a set of timbers. The tunnel was known to be dangerous, but the work had to be done and Larkin volunteered to do it. Twice when within a few feet of Larkin, the ground caved in again and it was feared he would die before aid could reach him. Finally, after twelve hours of hard work, their efforts were rewarded and Larkin was rescued. Both legs were broken and it was feared internal injuries would cause his death. Source document
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| King Jack Mine Cave-in, Joplin, Missouri — Graves Jett, a miner, lived twenty hours pinioned under hundreds of tons of rock, which fell from the roof of the King Jack mine. He was rescued by thirty of his fellow workmen, who had worked incessantly since the falling of the material and who did not know that he was alive until a short time before the rescue was effected. Jett recognized and spoke, cheerfully to his wife when taken to the top of the ground and declared that he would live, but despite his struggle for life, he died later at his home, his lungs having been affected by the foul air which he breathed while imprisoned. Source document
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| App Mine Cave-in, Stockton, California — Tomo Sablich and Gero Buvlch, who had been imprisoned in the App mine by a cave-in for five days, were rescued. Fortunately, there was plenty of water at hand and they did not suffer from thirst. They were extremely weak from lack of food when rescued, but were otherwise in good condition. Source document
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| 1908 |
Mid-Valley Colliery Cave-in, Pottsville, Pennsylvania — All but one of the miners who were entombed in the Mid-Valley colliery were rescued alive. One of the miners was killed following the accident which entombed the men and two were injured. When the rescuing party penetrated to the entombed men it was found that the men had dug for a great distance through fallen coal. Source document
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| Tombstone Consolidated Fall of Person, Tombstone, Arizona — John Ashcroft, a miner in the employ of the Tombstone Consolidated Company, met with an accident that might have cost his life. While going toward the ore shute, he accidentally stumbled into it and fell. He struck on a timber about ten feet down and, grabbing hold of it, saved himself from falling to the bottom of the shoot, a distance of about fifty feet. After an undisclosed period, he was rescued from his perilous position by fellow workmen and immediately taken to the surface and then to his home. A physician was summoned, and an examination showed that Mr. Ashcroft had escaped with but a few slight bruises and a small cut on the side of the head. Source document
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| 1909 |
Black Diamond Colliery Fire, Luzerne, Pennsylvania — Five men were entombed by fire in the Black Diamond Colliery of the Plymouth Coal Company. Three of them were rescued 4 hours after the fire started. They were found a short distance from the foot of the shaft. Overcome by the thick smoke, the men had fallen to the ground in a state of unconsciousness. A doctor worked over them for an hour before they recovered sufficiently. Source document
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| 1910 |
Ernest No. 2 Mine Explosion, Ernest, Pennsylvania — Andy Kragear was overcome by the gas arising from the explosion. A rescue party using an oxygen helmet rescued and brought him to the surface about 8 hours after the explosion. Shortly afterward he gained consciousness and was able to tell where he boarded. He was the only man in the mine in the vicinity of the explosion that escaped.
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| Sholl Mine Fire, South Bartonville, Illinois — After an undisclosed period, a rescue party entered the escape shaft of the burning Sholl mine at South Bartonville, a mile from the main shaft, and brought two miners, nearly dead from suffocation, to the surface. The fire is believed to have had an incendiary origin and started in the tipple at 5:30 p.m. All the upper works and wooden construction in the main shaft were burned. The blaze was extinguished by volunteers two hours later. Only the two men were in the mine. The mine is owned by Sholl Brothers of Peoria. Source document
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| No. 4 Mine Cave-in, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania — After 150 men had worked continuously for fifteen hours, they succeeded in rescuing alive John Yonke, Peter Dube and Alex Franke, three Lansford miners. The men were imprisoned by a fall of rock and coal in No. 4 mine. Source document
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| 1911 |
Homestake Mine Cave-in, Lead, South Dakota — Larry Nichols, who was imprisoned in the Homestake workings by the cave-in which killed Shift Boss Joe Thomas, was dug out after almost a day and removed to the hospital. He was not seriously injured. Source document
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| Cokedale Mine Explosion, Trinidad, Colorado — The Cokedale mine was wrecked by an explosion on February 9. There were seventeen men in the mine at the time of the explosion, and only two shot-firers were rescued after an undisclosed period. Superintendent Bailess of the company declared that the explosion was due to the accidental discharge of blasting powder. The mine is owned by the American Smelting and Refining company. Note: the news article called this the Gale Mine, however, the actual mine name is Cokedale, according to the final investigation report. Source document
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| 1912 |
With 140 rescuers tearing at the rock and earth blocking the shaft of the Bunker Hill Mine at Sutter Creek, California, freedom came at noon on February 8 for sixty-two miners trapped for 23 hours. Wives and daughters of the trapped men held torches through the nights while rescuers assailed the jam. Source document
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| Eddy Creek Mine Rescue, Dickson City, Pennsylvania — Michael Hudy was rescued by a searching party after being lost for 3 days in the Eddy Creek mine of the D & H Coal Company. Hudy was found in an abandoned working, exhausted, starving, and lying in a ditch. He could not explain how he lost his way. He was expected to recover. Source document
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| Western Coal and Iron No. 5 Mine Fire, McAlester, Oklahoma — Mexican youth, Reifne Rodriguez, was rewarded for his bravery by the United Mine Workers 21st district executive board. When it was discovered that the No. 5 mine was on fire, Rodriguez ran through the workings warning all 100 workmen except for 9 of the danger allowing them to exit before the fire gained headway. Nine miners died from suffocation in the fire. For his bravery, the board authorized to set aside sufficient funds for the education of the young Mexican. Source document
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| Fairmount Coal Co. Mine Entrapment, Danville, Illinois — After being imprisoned in the shaft of the Fairmount Coal Company's mine near Danville for 15 hours, 50 miners were released by men who had chopped the ice from the shaft. The men were entombed by the breaking of a wheel on the cage, while the cage was about 100 feet below the surface. Source document
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| 1913 |
Draper Colliery Inundation, Gilberton, Pennsylvania — Three miners were imprisoned for 3 days and 3 nights when the Mahonoy River flooded the Draper Colliery near Gilberton, Pennsylvania. The face of an old breast collapsed allowing the river to flow in upon them. The rescued miners were Joseph Drobas, William Kokas, and John Servillas. Source document
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| 1914 |
Cannon Mine Inundation — Andrew Churnick, 50, was killed by an inrush of water and gravel in No. 11 chute on the water level in the Gem seam. His body was recovered 4 days later near the first crosscut in the No. 12 chute. His partner, Mike Bobchurnick, was rescued after being imprisoned for 7 days near the 6th crosscut in the same chute.
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| No. 4 Colliery Cave-in, Pottsville, Pennsylvania — John Washaloski was closed in for several hours in No. 4 Colliery. When rescued he was pulled down a shute along with about fifteen tons of coal. Strange as it may appear, when he struck the bottom, he shook the coal off the top of himself and started away as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened to him. Source document
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| 1915 |
Explosion at Carlisle Mine, Carlisle, West Virginia — Twenty-one men were killed and four were rescued soon after the explosion by parties led by company officials. One of the rescued men, suffering from burns, was sent to a hospital. Source document 1 Source document 2
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| Maple Grove Mine Cave-in, Terre Haute, Indiana — One man was killed and eight other men were trapped in an entry at the bottom of a shaft of the Maple Grove mine when the timbers of the shaft gave way in a cave-in. After an undisclosed period, the eight miners were rescued by "first aid" workers through an air shaft about 100 feet from the main shaft. The men were brought to the surface by means of a rope. One miner, Frank Simmons, 52, was killed in the accident. Source document
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| Gagnon Mine Cave-in, Butte, Montana — After being entombed beneath tons of rock and earth for thirty-two hours, Richard Rogers, who was buried with four other miners by a cave-in in the Gagnon mine of the Anaconda Copper Company, was rescued alive. Rogers was weak from hunger and thirst but only slightly injured. He escaped with a few bruises about the body. The bodies of two men who were instantly killed, have been recovered, and two others caught in the cave-in were taken out alive, but died after being brought to the surface. The men were timbering up an inclined shaft when fifty feet of rock gave way. Another miner saved his own life by climbing a ladder as the rock came down. Source document
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| 1916 |
Davis No. 42 Mine Explosion, Kempton, Maryland — Those not directly in range of the blast hurried to the main entries and started for the foot of the shaft in which the cages were still operating. There they were met by rescue parties from the surface and quickly hoisted. Other rescuers made their way into the mine and located other miners who had been unable to reach the main lines of communication. These men were brought out after an undisclosed period.
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Ernest No. 2 Mine Explosion, Ernest, Pennsylvania — Five miners were rescued alive, four of whom were transferred to the hospital and the fifth at his home in Ernest. The patients in the hospital, all of whom were badly burned about the face, hands, and body and who were suffering from shock are: James McGuire, a member of the mine rescue team; W. R. Nord, Mike Carrel, and Tony Wilish.
No one on the outside heard the explosion. It was Jimmy Moody, the motorman, who brought the news to the surface. Moody discovered the body of one of the miners only about a mile from the entrance. Hurrying back to the surface, he quickly summoned help.
One of the men, Ben O'Hara was just walking out of the mine when he felt the force of the explosion on his back. While on his way to the entrance of the mine he had passed George Bunton, Jr., going to work and as soon as O'Hara realized what had happened, he started back after his friend. Before he reached Bunton, however, O'Hara encountered two other men lying on the floor of the mine. He succeeded in dragging both fallen miners to safety and went back after Bunton but was unable to reach him. Bunton's body was brought to the surface shortly before 9:00 p.m. that evening. The exact time of the tragedy was later determined from a watch found hanging from a pocket of one of the dead men. The watch was smashed, and the hands pointed to 3:20 p.m. Source document
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| 1917 |
Isle Royale Mine Inundation, Houghton, Michigan — After more than fifty hours imprisonment, three miners were found alive tonight in the flooded Isle Royale mine. Owing to the weakness of the men they would not be moved through the water to safety until the next day. They had no knowledge of the fate of the two other men, also entrapped and still missing. The Isle Royale mine was flooded when a blast broke through the drift wall into an adjoining abandoned working. Source document
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| 1918 |
Amasa-Porter Mine Inundation, Crystal Falls, Michigan — Following an inundation of water in the Amasa-Porter Mine at Crystal Falls, Michigan, one miner was found unconscious by rescuers after an undisclosed period and brought to the surface. Three others managed to escape unaided.
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| 1919 |
Plymouth Consolidated Mine Cave-in, Plymouth, California — Unhurt except for bruises, Vinve Frizonti, a young Italian miner, was buried fourteen hours by a cave-in at the Plymouth Consolidated mine. Frizonti was caught in a stope on the 1,000-foot level. Rescuers removed carload after carload of debris while the imprisoned man kept communication by taps on a pipe. Source document
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| 1920 |
Draper Colliery Cave-in, Shenandoah, Pennsylvania — Peter Burfosky was entombed by a sudden rush of coal at the Draper Colliery for several hours. An alarm was sounded when it was found Burfosky was a prisoner in his chamber behind tons of rock and coal. He was taken from his perilous position in an exhausted condition due to his efforts to release himself. Source document
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| 1921 |
Racketbrook Colliery Cave-in, Carbondale, Pennsylvania — A searching party of six men was assembled after they learned from his family that Joseph Spatz, 32, did not return at his usual hour the evening before. Spatz was employed at the Racketbrook colliery where he had been working alone in his section of the mine in the afternoon. After being located at 2:30 a.m., he was hurried to the Emergency Hospital. He was unconscious and his condition was serious. His injuries were about the head and shoulders where a fall of roof struck him. Source document
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| 1922 |
Unnamed Mine Coal Bin Entrapment, Leipsic, Ohio — Reuben H. Arnold, 42, crane engineer, helped to save W. Stanley Moratt, 39, coal heaver, from a coal-bin cave-in, Leipsic, Ohio, February 7, 1922. Moratt fell to the bottom of a coal bin, 15 feet deep, when a slightly frozen mass of coal at the top on which he stepped gave way, and he was buried in coal to his hips and was unable to free himself. A rope was lowered from the top of the bin, and Arnold, holding to the rope, descended a slope of coal to Moratt. Vertical walls of coal extending inward from two adjacent walls rose from points near the middle of the bin to the top of the bin, and there was danger of their falling. After Arnold had worked alone for about 15 minutes, three other men stood on the slope above him, and for 1.5 hours coal was removed from around Moratt and passed by Arnold to the man above him and then to the other men in turn. They made slow progress because of more coal sliding to the bottom. The bin was in darkness. The man next above Arnold then descended to the bottom and helped Arnold, both piling the coal behind boards, to prevent further sliding. After working 1.5 hours longer, they finally freed Moratt, and they were aided to the top by means of ropes. Reuben Arnold and Clyde W. Jameson, 38, brakeman, were awarded the Carnegie Hero Medal for their bravery.
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| 1924 |
Milford Mine Inundation, Crosby, Minnesota — Fourteen-year-old Frank Hrvatin was responsible for saving the lives of two men when a surface cave-in caused water to flood the Milford mine from nearby Foley Lake a few miles north of Crosby. Frank reached the mine's one vertical shaft and began to scurry up the ladder. With water climbing fast, Frank wormed around an older miner, Harry Hosford. But another exhausted miner, Matt Kangas, clogged their escape route. Frank recalled the "superhuman strength" that took over and enabled him to squirm between Kangas legs and hoist the man rung-by-rung up to safety. Then he reached back down and grabbed the wrist of Hosford, who was up to his waist in rising muck, hollering: "For God's sakes, hurry! The three miners were among only seven that got out.
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| 1925 |
City Mine Explosion, Sullivan, Indiana — Emery Davidson of Sullivan was the first injured man to be brought from the workings after an undisclosed period. He had a badly crushed chest, suffered when slate and rock loosened from the roof of the mine by the blast fell on him.
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| Low Ash Mine Rescue, Crown City, West Virginia — John Robinson was rescued in a semi-conscious condition after being lost for nine days in the Low Ash mine at Crown City, West Virginia. Robinson had gone into the mine to repair a pump. His carbide lamp fell into the water and being unfamiliar with the mine, he wandered aimlessly in the dark. Source document
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| Abandoned Mine Shaft Fall of Person, Galena, Kansas — Jesse Toller, 8 years old, was saved from a watery grave when he was rescued following an undisclosed period after plunging fifty feet into an abandoned shaft containing twenty-five feet of water. Aside from being badly frightened and ducked twice in the icy cold water, the second time when he fell from a rope while being hoisted from the shaft, the child suffered no ill effects from his perilous experience. The boy fell into the shaft while on his way home from school, at noon. Several other school children were with him when the accident occurred, and they notified several men nearby. They shouted into the shaft and when the youth replied a looped rope was lowered. The boy could not swim but was clinging to the walls of the shaft. He was instructed by his rescuers to place the loop under his arms. This he did and was hoisted about fifteen feet when he slipped out of the loop and again plunged into the water. Percy Watson, who was in the rescue party, volunteered to go into the shaft after the boy. He was lowered and found the child clinging to the loop of the rope. The boy was tied securely and pulled out. An ambulance from the Clark Undertaking Company took him to his home where an examination failed to reveal any injuries. Source document
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| Mountain Copper Company Mine Cave-in, Flat Creek, California — Pablo Ortiz and John Nelson were both heroes in the rescue of Fred Ekstrom from a cave-in at the bottom of the shaft in a Flat Creek mine on February 28. Nelson had to leave his partner, Ekstrom, who was imprisoned up to his neck in a mass of rock and sand and go to Matheson for help. Ten men responded, but of the ten, Pablo Ortiz was the only one who would venture down the shaft with Nelson. Ortiz remained with Nelson for five hours at the bottom of the shaft until Ekstrom was set free. Ekstrom recovered from the shock of his ordeal. Source document
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| Flat Creek Mine Cave-in, Redding, California — Pablo Ortiz, a laborer on the Mountain Copper Company's bunkers at Matheson, as well as John Nelson, was a hero in the rescue of Fred Ekstrom from the cave-in at the bottom of the shaft in a Flat Creek mine. Nelson, partner of Ekstrom, leaving his comrade imprisoned up to his neck in a mass of rock and sand, went to Matheson and motioned to summon aid. Ten men responded, but of the ten Ortiz was the only one who would venture down the shaft with Nelson. Ortiz remained with Nelson for five hours at the bottom of the shaft. He remained until Ekstrom was set free and a rope tied around his body. Ekstrom recovered from the shock. Source document
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| 1927 |
Joseph Schultz, a miner at the Henry Clay Colliery near Shamokin, Pennsylvania was entombed 4 hours in a blind heading after a pillar crumbled when disturbed by a shot. He was penned behind hundreds of tons of coal and rock in a space about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long. Rescuers found him exhausted. Source document
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| Archbald Mine Cave-in, Taylor, Pennsylvania — Three mine workers crawled to safety after being held prisoners by a massive fall of roof in the Archbald mine of the Glen Alden Coal Company at Taylor for 27 hours. The men seemed to show no ill effects for their experience. After being examined by physicians at the mines they were taken to their homes and today seemed to have recovered completely from their nerve-racking incarceration. The trapped men were: Michael Kleback, aged 27; Peter Saynuk, aged 22; and Stanley Glinko, aged 19. Source document
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| Highland Mine No. 5 Cave-in, Highland, Pennsylvania — Andrew Zippi, and his laborer, Andrew Danko were both caught under a fall of coal in the Highland No. 5 mines of the Jeddo-Highland Coal Company and held prisoners for three hours. The men were found by members of the night shift who were reporting for duty. A call for help was immediately sent and thirty men responding to the call. The thirty men loaded 30 cars of coal and rock, and they succeeded in freeing the two men. At the hospital, Zippi was found to be suffering from injuries of the back and contusions of the body, and Danko, his laborer, was found to be suffering from injuries of the head and contusions of the body. Source document
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| Raven Run Colliery Cave-in, Girardville, Pennsylvania — Two men were missing because of a fall in the Raven Run Colliery of the Hazlebrook Coal Company near Girardville when nine
men were trapped. Six were rescued alive shortly after the fall and one man was killed when crushed in the main gangway. The six miners who were rescued were not so deeply entombed as the two missing men and were kept alive by pumping oxygen into their underground prison until rescuers could remove the debris. When the six miners started to make their escape, they found the body of Frank Jacobs, 35, held by rock which kept him prisoner. After several attempts rescuers freed him of the rock, however, he died fifteen minutes after being rescued. Source document
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| 1928 |
One miner was found alive after an explosion at the Kinlock underground coal mine of the Valley Camp Coal Company in Parnassus, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh. The rescued miner was trapped for nearly 1 day. 12 miners were killed in this accident. (Parnassus was later renamed New Kensington).
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| Mama No. 3 Mine Explosion, Jenny Lind, Arkansas — Immediately after the early morning explosion in the Mama No. 3 mine, every miner in the district and volunteers were hurriedly formed into rescue parties. Shortly before noon, an entrance was blasted into the tomb where the miners were trapped and 105 men were rescued. About 35 of these were injured in the explosion and others were suffering from the effects of gas.
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| Buck Run Colliery Cave-in, Pottsville, Pennsylvania — After being shut in by a rush of coal in the Buck Run Colliery for 24 hours, John Drenosky was rescued and removed from the mine uninjured. Source document
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| Potts Colliery Cave-in, Ashland, Pennsylvania — Henry Knock, 51, was entombed for three hours in the Potts Colliery at Ashland, Pennsylvania. He became trapped when falling timber caused the top to give way and close in on him. Source document
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| 1929 |
Twin Falls Avalanche, Twin Falls, Idaho — Miners working in a canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho, dug in the snow an hour to rescue a fellow worker buried in a slide. The miner was unconscious and almost frozen to death but physicians said he probably would recover. Source document
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| No. 8 Mine Cave-in, Coaldale, Pennsylvania — Imprisoned eight hours beneath slides of coal and earth that buried him twice when rescue was in sight, Robert Parfitt, 25, was liberated alive from a shaft in the Number 8 mine at Coaldale. He had been kept alive during the day by means of oxygen lines brought to him when the debris was first removed from about his head, shortly after the accident happened. The debris was cleared and an oxygen line placed at the nose of Parfitt as the workers began clearing the remainder of his body. They had nearly liberated him when another fall buried Parfitt again. The work was resumed once more and was near completion during the afternoon when another fall imprisoned Parfitt. The work was resumed a fourth time and the workers were able to bring Parfitt from under the debris. Parfitt was taken to the Coaldale hospital where he was reported as resting comfortably and was expected to recover. Source document
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| 1930 |
Standard Coal Company, Standard Mine Explosion — Five were rescued by crews from nearby mining communities. The five, taken out after an undisclosed period, had bratticed themselves from the deadly gas fumes, far back in the workings and had left notes directing their rescuers where to find them.
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| Ellangowan Colliery Cave-in, Pottsville, Pennsylvania — Felix Zegunis was rescued after an 8-hour entrapment in the Ellangowan Colliery at Pottsville, PA. A fall of coal occurred in the pillar hole, middle split, knocking out timber and shutting off his escape. The rock hole was closed above the fall. The miner's buddy was coming up the manway when the fall occurred. He gave the alarm and, in a few minutes, officials had a big force of rescuers at work. Source document
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| Wildcat Mine Cave-in, Mahanoy Plane, Pennsylvania — George Schadel was painfully injured when entombed as the result of a fall of coal at the "Wildcat," formerly the Lawrence Colliery, located near Mahanoy Plane. Schadel, a loader boss, and Elmer Evans, a motor runner, entered the mine early in the morning to reset some timbers at the bottom of the slope. They were engaged in the work when a terrific fall of top occurred, burying Evans beneath it and entombing Schadel back of it. Other workmen heard the fall and rushed to the scene. From behind the fall, they heard the moans of Schadel and later learned from him that Evans had been caught under the rush of coal. Hurried rescue work was started but it was not until 1:00 p.m. that the rescue party succeeded in reaching Evans body. He had met instantaneous death; his body having been frightfully crushed. An hour later Schadle was released from back of the fall, suffering from severe bruises. He declared that when the fall occurred, he had stepped back to get some tools, thus miraculously escaping the fate of his fellow workman. Source document
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| 1931 |
Powderly Colliery Roof Fall, South Carbondale, Pennsylvania — Two of the five Carbondale men, Frank Cretelli and Alex Docalavich, who were entombed in the Powderly colliery of the Hudson Coal Company, South Carbondale, at 10:30 o'clock yesterday morning, were rescued alive by fellow workmen. Neither was seriously injured but both suffered greatly from shock following their removal from their hazardous positions in which they were forced to remain for more than seven hours. The body of John Caruso, one of five men entombed was recovered and no trace has been found of John Rogish, 62, and Thomas Chadwick, 59, both of Carbondale. Source document
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Enterprise Colliery Cave-in, Shamokin, Pennsylvania — Bidding one another goodbye when they were trapped beneath a fall of coal and rock at the Enterprise colliery, Ralph Kerstetter, 38, and Clement Poliniak, 37, awaited an anticipated second fall which they knew would completely cover and smother them, when the former suddenly detected a small aperture, leading from the prison-like cell in the mines and through which he made exit and subsequently rescued his companion, the latter having suffered numerous injuries when crushed under rock and coal. Kerstetter escaped with minor injuries.
Kerstetter and Poliniak were employed as buddies in a breast at Enterprise slope. The former was engaged in drilling a hole in rock while Poliniak was close by shoveling down coal and rock when without the slightest warning the liners supporting great quantities of rock and debris broke out directly over the two workmen, pinioning them beneath.
Poliniak was buried to a point above his waist, while Kerstetter was in a more secure position. Imprisoned in the darkened underground cell, as their carbide lights had been extinguished by the unexpected rush, the two men were horrified to hear the top over them rumbling and cracking and evidencing a second sudden rush. It was while thus imprisoned and certain of the coming of death, that the men exchanged their farewell blessings upon each other and then awaited the coming of the expected fall.
Cautiously moving one hand and arm, Kerstetter was successful in reaching to his pocket despite the tight quarters, obtained a match and lighted his carbide lamp. Slowly moving it about in search of a possible means of exit from behind the fall, the workman warned his buddy not to struggle and after a time Kerstetter was successful in making a small aperture. Gradually he widened the opening until it was of sufficient size to permit him to crawl thru.
Once free of the debris and disregarding the threatened break at any moment of the top, Kerstetter quickly set about to effect the rescue of Poliniak, who was tightly held behind the shattered liners and beneath rock and coal. After considerable work, Kerstetter rejoiced in being able to extricate his painfully injured buddy, whom he dragged to a place of safety while he went to summon aid.
Both men were removed to the emergency hospital at the colliery, where their injuries were dressed, after which they were taken to their respective homes. Kerstetter suffered but slight bruises and lacerations, while Poliniak was less fortunate, having been badly injured about the legs, hips and back and it will be several weeks before he will be able to resume work. It was estimated that the men were held prisoners in the fall for more than two hours before Kerstetter was successful in effecting an opening to make his escape and then effect the rescue of his buddy. Source document
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| 1932 |
Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Port Carbon, Pennsylvania — Joy of the wife and three children of Joseph Datorick, 28, of Port Carbon, was turned to sorrow, with announcement by surgeons at the Pottsville hospital that the entombed miner rescued after having been held prisoner 24 hours 40 feet below the surface in a bootleg mine shaft is dying. Datorick was apparently unhurt when rescued last night, and his family rejoiced after a night and a day of terrible uncertainty. No bones were broken, but this afternoon it was discovered he was not only suffering from serious internal injuries, but also from excessive loss of blood. Surgeons said there was a great pressure constantly on the miner's body from the tons of earth under which he was buried. The pressure forced blood out of the lacerations and scratches he suffered about his entire body from the jagged rocks which closed him in. Source document
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| 1933 |
Lucky Baldwin Mine Fall of Person, Placerville, California — Lester Simmons, engaged with companions, climbed about 30 feet down the shaft, part of the abandoned Lucky Baldwin mine, to bring out some iron ore. He slipped from the ladder, his friends said, and fell about 5 feet before his clothes caught on a piece of timber. He dangled in the shaft for an undisclosed period, which mining men said was between 1,000 and 1,500 feet deep, until his companions lowered a rope and brought him to the surface. Source document
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| Anthracite Bootleg Mine Cave-in, North Scranton, Pennsylvania — Three North Scranton youths
were rescued after they had been trapped behind a cave in a bootleg mine operation not far from their homes, suffered no injuries, but were badly scared when taken out of the mine by rescuers. The trio, James Walsh, 17; John Hopkins, 20; and a youth known only as "Chicago" had entered the mine opening the previous night at 11 o'clock. They had been digging coal 16 minutes, police said, when a cave occurred and blocked the opening. Other young men outside gave the alarm, but it required more than two hours to dig through the cave to reach the young men held prisoners by the fall of coal and rock. Source document
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| 1934 |
Glen Rogers No. 2 Mine Explosion, Glen Rogers, West Virginia — 38 miners were rescued from behind a barricade several hours after an explosion in the Glen Rogers No. 2 mine in West Virginia. Four miners were killed in the incident.
Source document
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| Jermyn Mine Roof Fall, Carbondale, Pennsylvania — Three miners, trapped by a roof fall in the Jermyn mine of the Hudson Coal Company were rescued unharmed. They were entrapped for three hours before rescuers succeeded in digging to them through tons of debris. The victims were Tony Roman, his son, Joseph, and Michael Loftus. Source document
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| 1935 |
St. Clair Coal Co. Mine Cave-in, St. Clair, Pennsylvania — Trapped by a fall of rock for an undisclosed period at the St. Clair Coal Company, Franklin Zondorhin, 49, was admitted to the Pottsville Hospital late last night for treatment of his injuries. His face and head were lacerated severely in the mishap and numerous sutures were necessary to close the wounds. Source document
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| Trapped Dog Rescue, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania — Seven coal miners pitched in and helped their comrade, George Erbe, rescue his fox terrier dog, trapped 30 feet below solid rock. The pup called "Bum" was caught beneath the ridge of rock when he and three other dogs were chasing a fox. The other dogs came out at the call of their masters, but "Bum" did not appear. Erbe summoned his miner friends who brought picks, shovels and dynamite. Though the weather was near zero, the men blasted away at the rock and chipped at the boulders for four days. After four days of digging, one of the men crawled down into the hole and heard the faint barking of "Bum." The rescuers reached him within a few minutes. They found "Bum" whimpering from hunger and cold, but otherwise the pup was uninjured. Source document
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| United Gold Mine Fire, Cripple Creek, Colorado — The rescue of Ernest Kuri and Jack Silver from the bottom of a 65-foot mine shaft in which they had been trapped by fire was effected after a group of men directed by Sheriff Ed Vinyard spent 15 hours conquering the blaze. Although shaken by the harrowing experience of facing death as the flames slowly ate their way down the mine shaft, the two miners were uninjured. The fire broke out in the hoist house above the shaft, spread to other buildings and had started on its way down the shaft before it was noticed and an alarm spread. Sheriff Vinyard headed a group of 25 volunteers. Efforts to conquer the flames with chemicals failed and several truckloads of sand and water were hauled to the mine. When the flames were checked the trapped miners were brought to the surface by a rope lowered into the shaft, the windlass having been destroyed. We just sat and prayed when the fire broke out, Kuri said. We had just about given up hope of getting out alive when someone dropped some rocks into the shaft to let us know they were trying to get us out. The property was owned by United Gold Mines Company. Source document
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| Consolidation Mine Cave-in, Cumberland, Maryland — Christopher Krause, 55, and William Griffith, Jr., 30, were safe in their homes, unharmed except for the 16-hour exposure to mine gases while imprisoned in the shaft of Consolidation Mine under a fall of rock. The men became trapped and rescue crews began the tedious task of removing the heavy rock and debris. Rescue was effected after relay crews labored 16 hours. Source document
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| 1936 |
Bird Camp Gold Mine Avalanche, Ouray, Colorado — 20 miners were trapped for 10 hours in a tunnel of the Bird Camp Gold Mine by an avalanche of snow. Two men and a woman were killed when the avalanche roared down Devil's Slide of Chicago Hill smashing a bunkhouse and closing the mouth of the mine tunnel. Source document
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Kulpmont, Pennsylvania — John Butcher, 42, had a miraculous escape from death when he was trapped for three hours beneath a fall of top coal in a bootleg coal hole. A nearby miner heard the fall and investigated and found the roof and side had fallen in. The rescue workers were amazed when they found Butcher alive when they uncovered his head. He was treated at the Shamokin hospital for shock and contusions of the back and right arm. Source document
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| F. W. Jennings Coal Chute Asphyxiations, Pittston, Pennsylvania — Buried under 40 tons of coal for 15 minutes, Dominick Cardone, was suffocated and died at the retail coal chutes of F. W. Jennings in Pittston. A fellow worker, Nicholas Mancini, 24, was rescued before he smothered and was recovering from the shock of his experience in Pittston Hospital. Cardone was pronounced dead by Dr. B. S. Androsky and Dr. C. W Prevost after rescuers had worked steadily for 45 minutes with a pulmotor to resuscitate him. The accident happened while Cardone and Mancini were in the pit attempting to open the frost-choked chute for a retail coal driver. Above them a hopper car was emptying coal into the bin. It was believed that the fuel loosened the frozen coal in the chute to send a deluge down upon the two men. Members of Eagle Hose Company and other men in the near vicinity hurried to the rescue. They reached Mancini within a few minutes but labored for a quarter hour before getting to Cardone. While the rescue work was in progress. Fred Donofirio, 48, who was in charge of Cardone and Mancini, returned from a business errand to the central part of the city. He was overcome at the tragedy that occurred during his absence and was so affected by shock that he was taken to Pittston hospital for treatment. His condition was listed as good. Source document
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| 1937 |
Robert Johnson spent eight days without food in utter darkness in an abandoned Flemington, West Virginia coal mine. Guided by his weak cries, rescuers found the man and brought him out on a stretcher. Source document
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| 1938 |
Lehigh Valley Mine Inundation, Jeanesville, Pennsylvania — Seven out of eight miners were rescued after being trapped for 18 hours in the flooded Lehigh Valley Coal Company mine at Jeanesville. The eighth man, Paul Kuritz was found dead. The rescued men were Michael Olexa, Joseph Fidishin, Stephen Stefranko, John Lavaraski, Andrew Havrilla, William Davis, and Paul Molnar. Source document
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| Bootleg Mine Cave-in, Shamokin, Pennsylvania — Entombed six hours, Nicholas Wisneskie, was rescued from a coal hole near the St. Francis cemetery at Shamokin. Protection afforded by a large slab of rock which fell in a leaning position against the side of a mine buggy, saved Wisneskie from being crushed. The entombed man, who refused to be taken to the hospital, went to his home with only minor injuries. Source document
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| Parriette Mine Cave-in, Roosevelt, Utah — Roy Campbell, 43, was killed and two others, one of them Campbell's son, were rescued after being entombed for six hours in a mine cave-in. Campbell was crushed between 50 tons of gilsonite. He was working 800 feet underground in one of the mine's deepest shafts. Campbell's son, Darwell, and Everett Pope, another workman, started to his rescue when they were cut off and trapped by a second cave-in. Rescuers reached young Darwell and Pope six hours after the slide. The pair had been able to breathe through the rocks. Source document
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| 1939 |
Crown King Mine Cave-in, Prescott, Arizona — Ben Whipple was rescued from his entombment of more than 11 hours from the 500-foot level of the Crown King mine. He was in critical condition. Whipple was buried by a cave-in in an old tunnel. The rescue crew was composed of several men who escaped the cave-in by less than 10 feet. Source document
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Asphyxiation, Shamokin, Pennsylvania — Three miners escaped unharmed but a fourth was critically injured as black damp swept their coal hole, east of Shamokin. Howard E. Bingham, 48, was rescued from the mine after an undisclosed period by the three others after they had made good their escape. He was removed to the Shamokin State Hospital where it was announced he was suffering from severe shock, and head injuries. His condition was considered serious. The four men were working at the bottom of the 300-foot shaft when the dreaded black damp swept in, overcoming Bingham immediately. Alert to the imminent danger, the others hurriedly began ascending the shaft, John Lotys grabbed the fallen Bingham by the belt and dragged him along. Risking his own life in a heroic attempt to save Bingham, Lotys managed to get the stricken miner about 60 feet up the shaft when, presumably affected by the black damp to a certain extent himself and exhausted from Bingham's weight he lost his hold on the belt and Bingham tumbled down the shaft. It was discovered afterward that Bingham fell to within ten feet of the bottom or about 50 feet and that he was saved from a further fall by some timber at that point of the shaft. Had he fallen the entire distance, he would have drowned. Source document
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| 1940 |
Independent Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania — Frank Ostroski, 37, was rescued after being trapped for 49 hours in a cave-in on the property of the Lehigh Valley Coal Company. Frank's brother Boley, 26, was rescued 14 hours earlier and suffered a broken left leg, a fracture of the left arm, and also suffered from shock. The independent mine where the brothers were trapped, located on Lehigh Valley Coal Company ground, is in the old Morris Ridge section of the abandoned Sayre Colliery workings. The Ostroski brothers and Thomas Reiner, 21, Mt. Carmel, were in a heading about thirty-five feet from the slope when the accident occurred. The men were engaged in shifting coal with scoop shovels in relays, when the sides of the heading caved in. The falling material knocked the shovel from Reiner's hands, completely covered Boley and entombed Frank Ostroski. Reiner, who barely escaped being caught by the falling material and unable to rescue his buddies single-handed, raced back to town for help. Source document
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Germantown, Pennsylvania — Leo Shuder, 21, was entombed by a collapse of a bootleg mine operation and was rescued alive 5 hours later. Shuder was working with Charles Raulinaitis, 21, and Edward Davis, 21, both of Mount Carmel. According to the two buddies, Shuder was working at the face of a gangway at the bottom of a combination shaft and slope when the top broke. He was caught with a heavy piece of mine timber across his neck and back. His cries for help attracted his companions attention. During the removal of debris, the imprisoned man talked with his companions and said he was not badly hurt. Source document
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| 1941 |
Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Coaldale, Pennsylvania — Pinned by the legs in a small chute off a gangway of a bootleg mine hole, William Kellet, 20, was released by fellow workers after an undisclosed period and removed to the Coaldale State Hospital. He was reported in "fair" condition. Source document
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| 1942 |
Unnamed Mine Cave-in, Mecur, Utah — Three miners were rescued after 49 hours of imprisonment behind a mud slide that blocked the mouth of the tunnel where they had been working. The men, Mark and Max Jorgenson and William Peterson blinked at the sunlight as they emerged and told of "just waiting" while their rescuers drilled thru a rock wall to reach them. Source document
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| Morris Gold Mine Mud Slide, Oroville, California — Three miners trapped by a rock and mud slide for 15 hours were rescued unhurt from the Morris ravine drift gold mine. Rescue workers drove pipes through 90 feet of debris to give the trapped men air and then dug them out. Source document
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| 1943 |
Smith No. 3 Mine Explosion, Carbon County, Montana — As told in the book "Red Lodge Saga of a Western Area" by Shirley Zupan and Harry J. Owens, three miners were rescued from the Smith No. 3 mine disaster. At the time of the explosion, Alex Hawthorne, Willard Reid and Eli Houtonen felt unusual pressure in their ears with no sound. A terrible wind came at them from inside the mine, blowing debris. Hawthorne reached a phone and sent word that something was wrong, and that he was coming out. He was then overcome by gas. Reid and Houtonen were knocked off their feet by the force of the wind. Reid managed to get up and tried to waken Houtonen. Guided by Reid's lamp, rescue men found the three and took them above ground. The three survived the explosion; 74 others did not.
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| 1946 |
Tamaqua Colliery Cave-in, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania — "I was hoping you guys would get here soon" was the greeting that Rolland Matalcavage gave to his rescuers when they reached him. Matalcavage was trapped for an undisclosed period by a rush of coal in a chute on the third level workings of the Tamaqua Colliery of the Lehigh Navigation Coal Company. Workers heard the rush and rescue work proceeded. After a time, rescuers came upon several overhanging sections of rock, beneath which Matalcavage had crawled for protection. The workman was unharmed. Source document
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| Abandoned Anthracite Mine Lost Persons, East Scranton, Pennsylvania — After spending a night, lost in an underground gangway in an abandoned Anthracite mine, three Scranton youths were rescued. Rescued were: Joseph Buydos, 16; George E. Lowe, 17; and Edward Liptock, 16. The boys entered the workings of the abandoned East Scranton mine shortly after school closed Monday. Exploring the passages, they became lost in the many tunnels and decided to wait until rescue came. When found the next day, after an undisclosed period, despite their long imprisonment in the damp and cold tunnels, the boys were unaffected physically, but were tired and hungry. Source document
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| 1947 |
Clyde No. 1 Mine Roof Fall, Brownsville, Pennsylvania — Two miners were rescued after being buried for several hours under 30 tons of slate in Clyde No. 1 mine of the Republic Steel Corporation near Brownsville. Lloyd Colvin, 33, and Thomas W. Jones, 38, were recovering in the Brownsville Hospital. Colvin suffered a fractured right leg and Jones had chest injuries and fractured ribs. A dozen other miners narrowly escaped the fall. Jones, partly shielded by the boom of a loading machine, was able to talk to the rescue party which worked for two and one-half hours to reach him. The mishap occurred several miles from the surface opening. Source document
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| 1949 |
Kittoe Mining Works Fire, Benton, Wisconsin — Fifteen miners were rescued after being trapped for seven hours by a fire which occurred in the engine room of the Kittoe Mining Works near Benton, Wisconsin. The fire cut the men off from their 167-foot escape shaft to the mine head. Except for one miner who suffered a slight heart attack, all the men remained calm throughout their ordeal.
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| Bootleg Anthracite Mine Cave-in, Sagon, Pennsylvania — A 62-year-old miner entombed in a standing position for 9 hours after a cave-in of coal and earth was smoking a cigarette as weary rescue workers hoisted him from the 30-foot hole. Alexander Pachekailo was trapped with his son, Joseph, 22, in an anthracite shaft at Sagon, near Shamokin. The son had dug himself out after an hour. At Shamokin Hospital, Pachekailo was treated for shock and exposure. He had no other injuries. Rescuers were forced to work singly in the four-foot square shaft of the independent mine. The debris had to be removed a bucket at a time before the trapped miner could be raised to the surface. Source document
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| 1950 |
Fire Chief Coal Co. Mine No. 2 Cave-in, Whitesburg, Kentucky — Worley Dickinson, 59, was rescued after being trapped by a cave-in for more than 24 hours. Dickinson and Dewey Rose, 49, were caught in a heavy rock fall in the Fire Chief Coal Company Mine No 2 near Whitesburg, Kentucky. Rose died instantly on Feb. 14 when the accident happened. Dickinson said he was imprisoned in a space about the size of a No. 3 washtub. He had been protected by a wagon where he had been standing when the roof let go. Source document
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| Reliance Colliery Mine Asphyxiation, Shamokin, Pennsylvania — A 59-year-old Shamokin miner was killed, and another man narrowly escaped the same fate after an undisclosed period when a "pocket" of gas erupted while the two were working at the face of a pillar hole in the Reliance Colliery mine. In Shamokin Hospital following his rescue was Nicholas Amato, 26. Amato's condition was reported by hospital attaches to be satisfactory. Amato was the first of the two mine workers to be brought to the surface. A colliery first aid team used artificial respiration to partially revive the young man. Efforts of the first aid men to fully revive Amato continued while he was being taken in an ambulance to the hospital. In August 1950, during the annual first aid contest of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company, Michael Dobson was awarded the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association medal of honor for knowingly risking his life by entering a pitching pillar hole filled with gas to successfully rescue one worker and after several attempts. Source document
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| 1951 |
East Mammoth Mine Cave-in, Coaldale, Pennsylvania — Entombed by a mine cave-in for five hours, Peter Gusick, contract miner, was rescued by fellow workers. Gusick was caught underground when a chute collapsed on the second level of the East Mammoth gangway at the Coaldale Colliery. The miner said he went for tools to repair his chute when he heard the tumbling earth and jumped aside to avoid being hit by falling coal and timbering. The only means of communication Gusick had with digging crews was an air pipe driven down through the debris. Source document
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| 1957 |
ACA Fluorspar Mine Cave-in, Rosiclare, Illinois — Two miners were rescued unhurt after being trapped 90 minutes behind a wall of ore and waste which spilled into a mine tunnel when a timber support snapped. John Reed and Grant Ralph, both about 40, were freed from a working tunnel of the Aluminum Company of America Fluorspar Mine. Reed was pinned in rock up to his knees. A timber support for an ore bin snapped, allowing several tons of the broken rock to fall into the tunnel at the 300-foot level. 125 men were working on various levels in the mine. Source document
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| 1958 |
Glenn Burchett was rescued after a 6 hour roof fall entrapment in the Amherst Coal Company's Lundale Mine at Morgantown Post, West Virginia. Rescue workers using hydraulic jacks slowly and methodically lifted the fallen slate to a point where Burchett could be extricated. Sadly, Burchett later died from his injuries.
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| 1959 |
St. Joseph Lead Mine Hoist Accident, Viburnum, Missouri — Two men were killed and two critically hurt in a 100-foot fall to the bottom of a lead mine shaft. Killed were Junior Gilliam and Don Hall. Injured were Lloyd Francis and Loy Bennett. Bennett's right arm was severed. The mine is operated by the St. Joseph Lead Company. The men were being hauled up from a new 800-foot-deep shaft in a bucket when one of two ropes clamped together to hold the bucket slipped, spilling them out. Source document
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| 1960 |
No. 13 Slope Cave-in, Moosic, Pennsylvania — Isaac Stark, a 35-year-old mine laborer was killed instantly, and a 38-year-old Scranton resident was injured seriously when a rock fall trapped three men for more than an hour in No. 13 Slope of the Lombardi Coal Company near Moosic. John Bruneshefski, 38, was in fair condition at Taylor Hospital. He suffered a fractured knee and leg as well as extensive brush bums of the face. Eight sutures were required to close a laceration of the chin; 20 to close a cut over the right eye, and four to close a wound on the left ear. He was also suffering from shock. Joseph Symuleski, 55, the third man trapped in the cave-in was unhurt and aided in the rescue operations for Mr. Bruneshefski and the extrication of Mr. Stark's buried body. Source document
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| 1963 |
Abandoned Coal Mine Rescue, New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — Harry Noerr of Middle Run was rescued by New Bethlehem firemen after being trapped for four hours in a cave-in at an abandoned strip mine. Mr. Noerr, 39, had entered a hole in the highwall at the mine to dig out coal. He had traveled approximately 20 feet when the cave-in occurred. When the walls caved in, Mr. Noerr fell another 15 feet and was trapped in the hole. Accompanying Mr. Noerr were two unidentified youths, who attempted to rescue him with a rope. When the rope broke, the youths went to the home of a neighbor, who contacted the New Bethlehem Fire Department. Thirty-four men and two trucks responded to the call. Two firemen were lowered into the cave with a light and a rope. They fastened a rope around Mr. Noerr and firemen pulled him up. After the rescue, Mr. Noerr was able to walk around. Firemen said he seemed to be in a state of shock but refused medical treatment. Source document
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| 1964 |
Barnes and Tucker Mine Roof Fall, Spangler, Pennsylvania — Coal miners Joseph Chila and William Prandi were recuperating in Miners Hospital from shock sustained while trapped 540 feet underground for nine hours. The two men were working at the Barnes and Tucker Coal Company mine when the roof gave way, causing a rockfall along a 125-foot haulage area. Four other miners in the area escaped unhurt. A crack rescue team labored for nine hours, clearing out the rubble and reshoring the roof. The rescuers first reached Chila. An hour later they found Prandi. Source document
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| 1968 |
Silver Reef Mines Fall of Person, Chuichu, Arizona — Luck of the Indian gods stayed with a California teenager yesterday when he tumbled 150 feet to the floor of a derelict silver mine on the Papago Reservation near here and limped out with bruises. Leonard Corvelli, 13, was hauled back to daylight with a grazed face and hands, bruised legs, shock, and fright from spending five hours in the jet-black underground. Corvelli was recovering in St. Joseph's Hospital, Phoenix. The boy was on a field trip to the Silver Reef Mine, 11 miles south of here on White Horse Mountain, with 10 companions from Villa Santa Cruz School, Toltec City. Tour supervisor Bill Maitland, recreation director at the school, told the boys not to venture near shafts at the 87-year-old mine. But according to Sgt. Minor Stephens of Pinal County sheriff's office, Corvelli decided to explore on his own and descended a 100-foot ladder to the mine's first level. Then, said Stephens, Corvelli walked 20 feet into a dark tunnel and fell into a shaft leading to the second level. The boy tobogganed down a 20-foot incline and then dropped 150 feet straight down. Hearing rocks dislodged by the tumble, Maitland counted heads, discovered Corvelli missing, and went for rescuers. Rescuers rigged a leather saddle cinch and lowered it to Corvelli. The boy, still conscious, was able to sit in the makeshift Jacob's ladder for the long pull to safety. In 1969, Daniel Martinez was given a monetary reward for his efforts in Corvelli's rescue. Source document
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| 1971 |
Abandoned Emery Mine Fall of Person, Westfield, Massachusetts — A 10-year-old Chester boy who was rescued after an undisclosed period from an abandoned 70-foot mine shaft of the Emery Mine near Westfield was reported in fair condition in a hospital. He suffered a fractured pelvis and cut left arm in a 60-foot fall. Gary Lutat was exploring with two friends when he fell into the shaft, after trying to climb down using a clothesline. Source document
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| 1972 |
Abandoned Mine Fall of Person, Miami, Oklahoma — A motorcyclist was critically injured when he and his bike plunged 80 feet into a crater created by an abandoned mine shaft near here. Unconscious and listed in critical condition at Tulsa's Hillcrest Hospital was Sammy Dowling, 23, who plunged into the opening as he topped a chat pile about 200 feet high. Dowling and a group of friends had come from Claremore to ride their motorcycles over the towering piles of mine tailings that dot the countryside near Miami. Two rescuers were lowered by rope to rescue him. They placed him in a wire stretcher that was hoisted to the surface by spectators and officers who gathered at the scene. The crater apparently was formed when a mine tunnel beneath the pile collapsed. Source document
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| 1973 |
Ranger Fuel Company, Bolt, West Virginia — Five miners were rescued after 4 hours from the flooded Ranger Fuel Company mine at Bolt, WV. The rescued miners were identified as Dennie Pauley, Otis Best, James Widensall, James Griffith Sr., and Jerry I. Lucas. Four others had managed to escape. Source document 
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| 1977 |
Dry Lake No. 4 Mine Cave-in, Cranks Creek, Kentucky — Robert Jones, 28, was rescued after his 8-hour entrapment in the No. 4 mine of the Dry Lake Coal Company. Another miner was injured, hospitalized and listed in fair condition. According to reports, Jones received a concussion, but was otherwise in good condition. Source document
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| Newfield Mine Cave-in, Penn Hills, Pennsylvania — John R. Bazella helped to rescue Donald J. McCully from a cave-in at the Newfield mine of Republic Steel Corporation, Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, February 8, 1977. When a cave-in occurred in the Newfield coal mine, McCully, 46, was completely buried alongside a mining machine but was able to breathe because the shale and sandstone rock that had fallen was partially supported by collapsed wooden beams. Bazella, 31, coal mine mechanic, and other workmen gathered to assist in the rescue of McCully. After another machine had removed enough rocks to uncover the end of the collapsed boom of the mining machine, a tunnel was dug by hand alongside the boom. It was necessary to cut through a fallen beam along the way as, with the men crawling in and out, the careful removal of rocks finally extended the tunnel to McCully. Rocks were removed from around him. As a result of the efforts of Bazella and the other men, McCully then was pulled from under the rock fall via the tunnel nine hours after the cave-in occurred. John Bazella, 31, coal mine mechanic; Thomas V. Damico, 29, coal miner; Lawrence P. Rankin, 23, coal miner; Vincent J. Shilobod, 26, coal miner; and Clayton R. Wall, 59, coal miner were each awarded the Carnegie Hero Medal for their bravery. Source document
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| 1980 |
Abandoned Mine Fall of Person, Barstow, California — The local sheriff's search and rescue team and mounted posse assisted in the rescue of a motorcyclist who fell down a mine shaft in the Victor Valley area. Mark Hillman, 23, of Anaheim was riding his bike when he fell down a 150-foot-deep mineshaft. The shaft was on Bureau of Land Management property. Two companions who had been riding their motorcycles with Hillman called authorities, who then called in the Barstow Search and Rescue squad and posse a short time later. After several hours of work, Hillman was pulled from the hole and transported to St. Mary's Desert Valley Hospital for treatment of multiple fractures. Source document
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| 1981 |
Centralia Mine Fire Fall of Ground, Centralia, Pennsylvania — 12-year-old Todd Domboski narrowly escaped serious injury when he fell through an opening created by a smoldering underground mine fire at Centralia. Residents were shocked when they learned that he fell through the opening while playing in his grandmother's yard but was rescued by his teen-age nephew. The boy told authorities he noticed smoke rising from the ground in the yard. When he went to look at it, his foot broke through the surface, the ground opened up and he slipped through, dropping about 6 feet before he was able to grab some tree roots. "If he didn't have a red hunting cap on, I wouldn't have found him," said Eric Wolfgang, who pulled the stunned boy to safety. Todd was taken to Ashland Hospital where he was tested for inhalation of carbon monoxide fumes and released. The fire, which started in an underground vein of coal, has been burning below this Columbia County community of 1,000 since 1962. Todd was the first person known to have fallen through an opening, although smoke is often seen rising from holes in the ground. Officials of the state Department of Environmental Resources took a temperature reading of 350 degrees in the hole. Neighbors, looking at the 2-foot hole after the rescue, tossed a brick down the shaft to see how deep it was. It was quite a few seconds before they heard the brick hit bottom. Source document
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| 1984 |
Gold Miner Rescue, Chico, California — A gold miner evacuated by helicopter after a 25-foot fall in Butte Creek Canyon was listed in satisfactory condition at a Chico hospital. Jerry White, 30, was lifted out of the canyon by a California Highway Patrol helicopter. He was injured in a fall while panning for gold in the rugged foothill area east of Chico. Source document
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| 1987 |
Big Mountain Mine Cave-in, Prenter, West Virginia — Cecil Hager, 32, was rescued 11 hours after he was trapped under 14 feet of rubble in a cave-in at the Big Mountain Mine at Prenter, West Virginia. Rescue workers believed that Hager was working under the canopy of a continuous mining machine at the time of the cave-in and was protected from the falling rock. Source document
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| Abandoned Mine Accident, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania — A state Game Commission worker was in stable condition this morning after being rescued from the bottom of a 60-toot shaft after an accident while on a bat-counting expedition. James Kennedy of Uniontown, was one of about 10 people helping with an annual census of the endangered Indiana bat inside the cave and abandoned mine in Canoe Creek State Park. Source document
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| 1993 |
Abandoned Mine Animal Rescue, Tooele County, Utah — On February 14 several members of the Tooele County Search and Rescue were called and asked to participate in an unusual rescue. A lion hunter and his dogs had chased two mountain lions to an abandoned mine. One dog and both lions fell down an 80-foot-deep vertical shaft. The dog was miraculously lassoed and pulled from the shaft the day before, however, the two lions remained trapped. Randy Callicoat was repelled into the shaft by members of the rescue team with the very much alive lions. A tranquilizer dart was used to incapacitate the two animals. The lions were then hoisted from the 80-foot shaft. Source document
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| 1995 |
Solvay Minerals Trona Mine Rescue, Green River, Wyoming — Two miners were rescued after becoming lost when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit the area. The first miner was lifted to safety after a day and was in good condition at a hospital. The second miner was rescued after nearly two days. He suffered a heart attack as he was being lifted out of the mine and died hours later. Source document 1 Source document 2
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| Unnamed Abandoned Noncoal Mine Rescue, Tooele County, Utah — Mark Hoefnagel, 20, and Anthony Ballif, 23, both of Sandy, crashed their Jeep through a fence and plunged 50 feet down a mine shaft around 3:00 p.m. They survived the fall and were able to get out of the vehicle, but not climb out of the shaft. The two were rescued around 7:30 by another party of off-roaders who heard their calls for help. Hoefnagel was hospitalized in serious but stable condition with internal injuries; Ballif was treated for minor injuries and released. Source document
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| 1996 |
Abandoned Mine Fall of Person, Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado — Shannon Danley, 23, was rescued uninjured after he fell into a mine shaft on Cheyenne Mountain. Danley apparently walked about 25 feet into the shaft and then fell about 30 feet down a vertical shaft. Danley's fianc e and a companion flagged down a passing deputy, who tried unsuccessfully to rescue Danley before calling for additional help. He was brought to the surface at about 3 hours later with rope burns to his left hand. He apparently was searching the mine shaft for gold when he fell. Source document
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| Rescuer Deaths in February |
| 1899 |
Diamondville No. 1 Mine Asphyxiations, Diamondville, Wyoming — Ten brave men were risking their lives endeavoring to reopen the Diamondville No. 1 coal mine. They were all knocked down, one by one, by blackdamp. When help arrived, two were already dead, and the others were resuscitated with great difficulty. The names of the dead are John L. Russell and Lee Wright. Source document |
| 1902 |
Liberty Bell Mine Avalanche, Telluride, Colorado — As many as 3 rescuers were killed when a second avalanche hit the Liberty Bell mine at Telluride. In all, 19 miners were killed on February 28 when the buildings and equipment were smashed and lives were dashed by 4 separate snow slides. |
| 1904 |
Phillips Mine Explosives Detonation, Foster, Iowa — A terrible explosion in the Phillips mine at Foster, Iowa, resulted in the death of John Stevens and Axel Carlson, shot firers. It was supposed the explosion was caused by a windy shot. The rescuers were unable to reach the victims for one hour. When found, Carlson had his arms around Stevens neck. It was thought Carlson was uninjured by the explosion and attempted to rescue Stevens, who was suffocated by firedamp. Source document
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| 1907 |
Thomas No. 25 Mine Explosion, Thomas, West Virginia — A rescue party of 7 men entered the mine and were exploring for survivors. They had penetrated as far as the third heading when suddenly the current of air died away. The motor which operated the large fan above the entrance had burned out. Now exposed to the blackdamp, 4 of these men were quickly overcome. Dan R. Jones died from asphyxiation and the other 3 were removed by re-enforcements and revived under the treatment of physicians. |
| 1909 |
Zeigler Mine Explosion, Zeigler, Illinois — During recovery operations following a fire at this mine, an explosion occurred and three men were killed instantly.
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| 1911 |
Cokedale Mine Explosion, Trinidad, Colorado — On February 9, 1911, E. A. Sutton, assistant superintendent of the Cokedale mine of the Carbon Coal & Coke Company, Carbondale, Colorado, lost his life while wearing a Drager helmet-type oxygen breathing apparatus after an explosion in this mine in which 17 men were killed. In the same incident, Robert Meek, a volunteer rescuer, also lost his life. Meek fell unconscious from blackdamp after venturing
ahead of the air circuit. He died a few minutes after he was carried out of the mine. Source document
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| Belmont Mine Fire, Tonopah, Nevada — William A. "Big Bill" Murphy, a 28-year-old cage operator, twice successfully descended into the Belmont Mine inferno to bring confused and unconscious co-workers to the surface. Said to say "he was nearly done in," he made his third descent into the mine. This would be his last. In 2006, a statue was erected and dedicated in Tonopah to "Big Bill," the hero of the Belmont Mine Fire.
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| 1916 |
Pennsylvania Mine Fire, Butte, Montana — Approximately 195 men were hoisted to the surface in less than 45 minutes after the discovery of the fire. Six men escaped through the 1,000-foot level to the Tramway mine. Subsequently, two men lost their lives while wearing Drager apparatus during rescue and recovery work.
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| 1918 |
Carthage Fuel Company, Mine Exploration Fatality, Carthage, New Mexico — On February 26, 1918, David Murphy, an experienced mine rescue volunteer from Dawson, New Mexico, lost his life while wearing a Fleuss mouthpiece-type oxygen breathing apparatus during an exploration trip in the Government mine of the Carthage Fuel Company, Carthage, New Mexico.
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| 1921 |
Sahara No. 8 Mine Explosion, Illinois — Three men lost their lives by suffocation in oxygen apparatus while opening a fire sealed area to see if the fire was extinguished. The oxygen of one of the three-man crew was fully consumed and the two other men used up all their oxygen in attempted rescue of the one man who went down.
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| 1926 |
Nelson Mine Explosion, Nelson Creek, Kentucky — Immediately after the blast, Cecil Fulkerson, manager, led a squad of rescue men into the pit. With him were Archie and Leonard Huter and George Brandon, Jr., whose fathers were killed in the explosion. Archie Huter, Brandon, and two others were asphyxiated by blackdamp. Fulkerson and Leonard Huter were overcome by the gas and their condition was serious.
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| 1930 |
Standard Mine Explosion, Standardville, Utah — The three men in the connected No. 3 mine were killed by the forces, and 17 of those in No. 1 mine died in the afterdamp. Five of the men in No. 1 mine successfully barricaded themselves and were rescued. Three men of a fresh air crew were killed by a falling roof slab on February 7. Source document
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| 1943 |
C. F. H. (Mulcahy) Mine Cave-in, Shullsburg, Wisconsin — Two of the victims were buried in an initial collapse, which occurred while they were preparing to shoot down a section of the rock suspected of being weak. Six others were buried in a second cave-in, which occurred while they were attempting to dig out the bodies of the first two men.
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| Smith No. 3 Mine Explosion, Bearcreek Mountain, Montana — One rescuer later succumbed from the toxic gas, after spending days looking for the miners.
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| 1957 |
Doyak Mine Asphyxiations, Finleyville, Pennsylvania — Two miners suffocated in black damp in a pit just across the Allegheny County line near Finleyville. The victims were brothers-in-law, and mine officials said one apparently died while trying to rescue the other. They were identified as Martin Brandis and George Bero. Both were dead when fellow-miners dragged them from an abandoned borehole a short distance from the main shaft of the Doyak mine, operated by the Curry Coal Co. of Broughton. Another miner, John Webster of Library, had tied a rope around his waist and crawled into the hole 30 inches in diameter-in search of the missing pair, but It was too late. George Boyka, who leases the 23-acre Washington County site to the coal firm, said Mr. Bero apparently had wriggled into the horizontal tunnel to investigate. When he failed to return, he was followed by Mr. Brandis. Both collapsed In the oxygen-starved air. Both victims had reported on the 7 a.m. shift. Their absence was noted around 7:43. Source document
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| 1958 |
Unnamed Mine Avalanche, Ouray, Colorado — Walter Alton Smith died while aiding in an attempt to rescue Edward L. Mason following an avalanche, Ouray, Colorado, February 14, 1958. While Mason, 44, assistant mine foreman, was making his way to a mining camp through snow on a road in a mountain canyon, an avalanche occurred, burying him in a bank of snow 20 feet deep that covered the road for 500 feet. Another man some distance behind him was caught at the edge of the avalanche but succeeded in digging himself out. He made his way to the camp a mile and a half away and summoned help. Despite the threat of a four-month accumulation of snow in dangerous slide areas on the mountains, Smith, 46, mine foreman, and another man, each operating a bulldozer, began clearing the road to the snow bank, aided by a miner who used a probing pole to determine depths. Nearly three hours later, one of the bulldozers ceased to function within 600 feet of the snow bank. As the three men discussed further action, a second and larger avalanche began at the mountain crest 2,800 feet above them. Smith and the two other men ran along the road in an effort to escape the snow surging swiftly down the mountainside, but all were buried in a snow bank as much as 30 feet deep covering the road for 1,500 feet. Rescue parties recovered their bodies six days later. Mason's body was located the next day. Walter Smith was posthumously
bestowed the Carnegie Hero Award for his brave attempts.
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