Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Submitted by Connie Burkett for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =============================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Archivist, Connie Burkett All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =============================================================================== Twenty-Fourth Annual Report Coal Mines in the state of West Virginia, U.S.A. for the year ending June 30, 1906 James W. Paul, Chief Mine Inspector, Charleston Charleston: The Tribune Printing Company, 1907. INDEX OF FATAL ACCIDENT NAMES IN THIS FILE: Barnum, Albert Kelly, June Price, William Bruce, Anthony King, Thomas Shuckle, Steve Conrad, W. C. Larew, R. H. Sluss, J. D. Gray, Sip Larew, W. L. Sullivan, W. P. Gwynn, Walter Loas, Alada Tumbler, Mike Harris, Gus Long, John Ward, William Harris, Silas Martin, George Williams, William Holland, Stanley Martin, Jack Williamson, Sterling Hosten, Nathan Patterson, John =============================================================================== Fatal Accidents, for the year ending June 30th, 1906. Mercer County, page 224 =============================================================================== Williams, William (Negro; 2 months exper; age 45; Single; $50 Insurance) July 27, 1905. William Williams, Crane Creek Mine, neglected to take down slate, as he should have done, and it fell on him. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Shuckle, Steve (Polish; 5 months exper; age 25; Married) December 16, 1905. Steve Shuckle, Caswell Creek Mine, was caught between car and rib. Supposed to have been dropping the car that caused same. It is against the rules of the company for a miner to drop a car. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kelly, June (Negro; 2 years exper; age 22; Married; $50 Insurance) Martin, George (Negro; 1 month exper; age 23; Single) Hosten, Nathan (Negro; 4 months exper; age 26; Single) Holland, Stanley (Negro; 2 days exper; age 25) Williamson, Sterling (Negro; age 40; Married; 1 child; $50 Insurance) King, Thomas (Negro; 15 years exper; age 45; Married; $50 Ins.) Barnum, Albert (Negro; 3 months exper; age 35; Single) Harris, Gus (Negro; 10 years exper; age 35; Married; $50 Ins.) Harris, Silas (Negro; 3 years exper; age 25; Married; $50 Ins.) Ward, William (Negro; 10 years exper; age 35; Married; $50 Ins.) Gray, Sip (Negro; 5 years exper; age 20; Single) Price, William (Negro; 6 years exper; age 35; Married; 2 children; $50 Ins. Sullivan, W. P. (Negro; 6 years exper; age 36; Married; $50 Ins.) Patterson, John (Negro; 6 years exper; age 40; Married; 7 children) Gwynn, Walter (Negro; 6 years exper; age 21; Singlle; $50 Insurance) Conrad, W. C. (Negro; 2 months exper; age 22; Single) Loas, Alada (Hungarian; 10 days exper; age 40; Married) Bruce, Anthony (Polish; 8 years exper; age 28; Single) Sluss, J. D. (American; 3 years exper; age 35; Married) Larew, R. H. (American; 3 years exper; age 35; Single) Larew, W. L. (American; 3 years exper; age 30; Married; 2 children) Martin, Jack (American; 8 years exper; age 40; Married; 1 child) January 4, 1905. June Kelly, George Martin, Nathan Hosten, Stanley Holland, Sterling Williamson, Thomas King, Albert Barnum, Gus Harris, Silas Harris, William Ward, Sip Gray, William Price, W. P. Sullivan, John Patterson, Walter Gwynn, W. C. Conrad, Alada Loas, Anthony Bruce, J. D. Sluss, R. H. Larew, W. L. Larew, Jack Martin, Coaldale Mine, were killed by an explosion of dust. A detailed description of this accident will be found elsewhere in this report. (on Pages 195-199) (Pages 195-199) TWENTY - TWO LIVES LOST — COALDALE MINE EXPLOSION. Mercer County, 11:30 A. M„ January 4, 1906. The Coaldale Mine is operated by the Coaldale Coal & Coke Company, owned by the Mill Creek Coal & Coke Company, at Coaldale, Mercer County, and operates the No. 3, or Pocahontas Coal, which has an average thickness of 10 feet 5 inches. At 11:30 o'clock on the forenoon of January 4, 1906, an explosion oc- curred in the Smoky Hollow section, resulting in the death of twenty-two persons. The section of the mine affected was in the workings of the three drifts known as the Crackers Neck, New and Old Smoky Hollow. At the time of the explosion there were only 22 persons in these three sections. The Crackers Neck section had connection with the Old Smoky Hollow workings and the workings of the main Coaldale Mine. , The Old and New Smoky sections were connected, and the ventilation of these three sections was dependent upon the same current of air which entered the New Smoky opening and passed through these three sections and found its exit at the fan, near the entrance to the main Coaldale open- ing, at which place was located a Capell fan 8 feet by 16 feet and having a capacity of 250,000 to 300,000 cubic feet per minute. The force of the explosion was quite great and disastrous. The heavy timbers which supported the material over the drift mouths of the three openings were blown out and carried 300 feet, and, in one instance the timbers were blown across the valley, mowing down small timbers which grew on the side of the mountain. Mine cars were found to be badly broken and distorted. At a number of places in the mine the fine coal dust was found to be charred and coked, adhering to timbers and the ribs of the coal. With the exception of the workings in the New Smoky opening, all the development had reached the limit of the "first work" and the workings in the New Smoky opening were in a spur of the mountain and the first, or advance work had reached the lease line of the property. In the Old Smoky and Crackers Neck workings the advance workings had reached their limit and the pillars were being robbed, retreating. At no time has explosive gas been reported in any of these excavations, and a careful examination along the line of the robbings after the ex- plosion failed to indicate the presence of any explosive gas (Marsh gas). No evidence of heat was found anywhere along the line of the robbings, and as men were working along this line, using open lights, the gas, if any, came from the robbed-out section, would have been fired and its evidence made apparent. A long section of the Old Smoky entry and air course was wet, necessi- tating the use of a pump, and the Elkhorn entry and some of the rooms leading therefrom were wet. Rooms 3, 4 and 5, off Elkhorn entry, and the Butt-off entry, at the face of rooms 4 and 5, were dry, as was also Crackers Neck entry. All indications and evidence of force were conclusive that the explosive force traveled from the lease line Butt-off entry, through the other parts of the workings. Having discerned the line of travel of the force, the point from which it originated was easily found. This point was located in the lease line Butt-off entry at B, as indicated on the map. Here it was found a keg of powder had exploded, the keg being in evidence, having the side seam blown open and the heads of the keg bulged out. About 20 feet in by this keg was found the body of a miner, badly burned. A prop had been blown toward the face of the entry and away from the keg. At the other end of this entry was found a powder keg which had (exploded. Although the path of the explosion was through the wet portion of Old Smoky entries, there was sufficient dust in suspension to carry the flame and heat to the Crackers Neck entry, however, beyond the eighth room in Old Smoky the flame and heat abated, but the force was sufficient to pick up the mud along the entry and plaster the ribs of the room necks up to the face of the entry. The writer, as well as a number of other experienced mine men who visited and examined the mine after the explosion, is of the opinion that the explosion was the result of the keg of powder exploding and inflaming the dust within the mine. This keg which exploded was at B in the lease line Butt-off at a point 775 feet from the drift mouth. None of the working places off Elkhorn entry had sufficient loose coal to indicate that a shot had been fired just prior to the explosion, and there was no evidence of a shot having blown out. Several powder kegs containing from 10 to 20 pounds of powder were found unexploded in different parts of the mine where evidence of heat was present. The coal in situ was not anywhere found to be coked or charred, but deposited on the ribs of the coal and mine props was to be found large patches of coke or partly charred dust. At one place in particular, at the head of room 7, off Old Smoky, and on the rib of Crackers Neck air course at "J," was a large deposit of charred dust adhering to the coal. A quantity of this charred dust was collected and an analysis made, giving the following percentages: CHARRED DUST ANALYSIS: Moisture ............................................. .79% Volatile Matter ...................................... 9.09 Fixed Carbon ......................................... 58.56 Ash .................................................. 31.56 Total ............................................ 100.00% Sulphur .............................................. .21 A sample of fine coal dust was taken from along the Crackers Ned; entry, near room 3, and analyzed as follows: COAL DUST ANALYSIS: Moisture .............................................. 74% Volatile Matter ...................................... 19.92 Fixed Carbon ......................................... 73.38 Ash .................................................. 5.96 ________ Total ............................................ 100.00% Sulphur .............................................. .63 This analysis of coal dust is practically the same as the analysis of coal taken in section from the bed of coal. It was expected that the charred dust would have resembled a coke analysis, but it will be observed that the fixed carbon, ash and sulphur are out of harmony. This is accounted for by reason of the force of the explosion having passed through a part of the Old Smoky entry, which was wet and muddy, and the force was so great that a part of the mud was taken up and car- ried along the path of the explosion; and, being composed largely of de- composed and ground-up shale from the roof, it added to the percentage of ash and contracted the percentage of fixed carbon and sulphur. The bodies found are indicated on the map with numbers within a circle, and had the injuries as indicated below: No. 1. Found under wrecked water car, crushed and burned. No. 2. Burned. No. 3. Burned. No. 4. Burned. No. 5. No burns or bruises. Had left peg leg at pump. No. 6. No burns or bruises. No. 7. Back burned by burning of his clothes, fired by his torch. No. 8. No burns or bruises. No. 9. No burns or bruises. No. 10. No burns or bruises. No. 11. No burns or bruises. No. 12. Burned slightly. No. 13 Burned slightly. No. 14. No burns or bruises. No. 15. Face and hands badly burned. No. 16. Slight burns. No. 17. No burns. Face broken in badly. No. 18. Hands burned slightly. No. 19. No burns. Mouth bruised badly. No. 20. Face bruised, hands burned badly. No. 21. Not burned or bruised. No. 22. Not burned or bruised. On January 5, 1906, a Coroner's Jury was empaneled at Coaldale and the testimony of three persons taken in reference to the cause of the loss of life in this disaster, and the following verdict rendered: An Inquisition taken at Coaldale in this County of Mercer, State of West Virginia, on the 5th day of January, 1906, before Thomas F. Burke, a Justice of said County, upon a view of the bodies of R. H. Larew, W. L. Larew, J. D. Sluss, Anthony Bruce, Alada Loas, John Patterson, Gus Harris, W. P. Sullivan, Thomas King, Walter Gwynn, June Kelly, William Ward, Jack Martin, William Price, Sterling Williamson, Sip Gray, Silas Harris, W. C. Conrad, George Martin, Nathan Hosten. Stanley Holland and Albert Barnum, there lying dead, the jurors sworn to inquire when, how and by what means the said persons came to their death, upon their oath do say: We, the jury, upon the evidence we have heard, find that the said per- sons, R. H. Larew, W. L. Larew, J. D. Sluss, Anthony Bruce, Alada Loas, John Patterson, Gus Harris, W. P. Sullivan, Thomas King, Walter Gwynn, June Kelly, William Ward, Jack Martin, William Price, Sterling Williamson,, Sip Gray, Silas Harris, W. C. Conrad, George Martin, Nathan Hosten, Stanley Holland and Albert Barnum, came to their death by an explosion in the mines of the Coaldale C. & C. Co. on January 4, 1906, the cause of said explosion not being known to the jurors. Witness our hands and seals this 5th day of January, 1906. E. T. CECIL. JOHN OBCOM (?) A. J. WILLIAMS. J. T. BYRD. RUFUS SHAW. W. STEENBERGEN. Given under my hand this 5th day of January, 1906. THOS. F. BURKE, J. P. The Department of Mines not having been given an opportunity to be present at the inquest, and not being satisfied with the character of the witnesses appearing before the jury, the Department on the evening and night of January 6, 1906, at Coopers, proceeded to conduct an investigation through testimony of all available witnesses. In this investigation it developed that powder in 25-pound cans had been permitted to be taken into the mine in violation of instructions from the inspection department, and from the evidence it appeared that the dis- aster was due to the exploding of a keg of powder, which inflamed the fine, dry coal dust within the mine. With a view of applying the penalty of the Mine Law, the Chief Mine Inspector appeared before the Grand Jury of Mercer County on July 5, 1906, and presented the testimony as taken at the investigation, but no indictment was returned. Respectfully. JAMES W. PAUL, Chief Mine Inspector. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Long, John (Hungarian; 10 months exper; age 19; Single; $50 Insurance) January 26, 1906. John Long, Buckeye Mine, was killed by a fall of slate. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tumbler, Mike (Hungarian; 2 years exper; age 30; Married) May 10, 1906. Mike Tumbler, Louisville Mine, was wedging down a piece of slate when it fell and caught him. =============================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other files for Mercer County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/mercer/ ===============================================================================