Lawson Mine Explosion

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The Pacific Coast Company
Lawson Mine Explosion

Black Diamond, King County, Washington
October 1, 1902
No. Killed - 11

Final Investigation Report (4.6 Mb)

See also:

Lawson Mine Explosion, Nov. 6, 1910

From the Google News Archives:

(news links open in a separate window)

Spokane Daily Chronicle, Oct. 2, 1902
St. John Daily Sun, Oct. 3, 1902
The Evening Argus, Oct. 3, 1902

Twelve Miners Perish
The New York Times, New York, NY
October 3, 1902

Black Diamond, Washington, Oct. 2. -- Last night, between 9 and 10 o'clock, an explosion of firedamp occurred on the fourth level of the South Side of the Lawson mines, near the town.  Twelve men were killed and the mine was badly wrecked.

Twenty men were employed in that portion of the mine when the explosion occurred and eight got out alive.  Three bodies have been recovered.

Relief parties were at once sent into the mine and every effort is being made to recover the bodies.  Coroner Hoyt has been notified and is expected from Seattle on a special train.  The Lawson mines are the property of the Pacific Coast Company.  The fourth level is 1,600 feet below the surface.

The deceased:

Edward Applenap
John Cerazhino
Louis Deckman
Frank Flinder
Frank Grosshell
Joe Jocki
R. Lamberger
Hugh Lavander
E. Ricci
J. Swanson
Symon Tarasoviz

Source: Washington Mining Fatalities, 1885-1960 (1.1 Mb)

Note: The CDC/NIOSH list and the MSHA Fatality Archive Database indicate 11 as the official number of fatalities in this disaster.

The Pacific Coast CompanyLawson Mine Explosion

The Pacific Coast Company
Lawson Mine Explosion