September Mine Disasters/Rescues

Successful Mine Rescues in September

1914 — Cave-in at Centennial Gold Mine, Eureka, Utah – Twelve men were imprisoned. One man was rescued by company men, who, in seven hours, drove a drift 15 feet in country rock without shooting.

1916 — Jacob Dixon and William Gammell became enclosed by a rush of coal in the Good Spring Colliery of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company near Tremont, Pennsylvania.  After five hours, Dixon succeeded in getting into a blind heading where he was rescued.  They were engaged in the hazardous work of “robbing pillars.”  No further news could be found regarding the rescue of William Gammell.  His survival was unlikely. Source document.

1931 — Aukstock Carter, 30, was rescued after an undisclosed period following a cave-in in an unnamed coal mine near Charleston, West Virginia.  His rescue came after company physician, Dr. W. B. Davis, amputated his right arm. Source document.

1943 — Rescuers freed six miners after an undisclosed period following an explosion at the Three Point Coal Company mine in southeast Kentucky.  Twelve miners perished in the accident; 3 directly by the explosion and 9 others found huddled together, overcome by gases.  The six rescued miners had traveled one mile further into the mine where they constructed a barricade.  Source document.

1970 — Richard Owens was rescued 10 hours after being trapped in mud and rock up to his neck in the Ranchers Exploration and Development Corporation’s Tungsten Mine.  The mine is located in Vance County in north-central North Carolina, near the Virginia border. Source document.

1989 — Joshua Dennis, a 10-year-old gone missing from a Boy Scout exploring trip, was rescued after nearly one weekfrom the abandoned Hidden Treasure Mine near Stockton, Utah.  The boy was found by a Utah Power and Light Company mine rescue team, ranked among the best teams in the country. Source document.

Rescuer Deaths in September

1869 — Steuben Shaft Mine Fire, Plymouth, Pennsylvania — 108 miners were asphyxiated, 2 rescuers killed.  Thomas W. Williams of Plymouth and David Jones of Grand Tunnel, entered what subsequently proved to them the pit of death.

1879 — Grizzly Mine Asphyxiations, Alta, Utah — Six men were asphyxiated in the Grizzly mine from carbon monoxide.  Three of them were killed in an effort to rescue others.  The cause of the accident is ascribed to smoke from the engine furnace on the tunnel level, the exit of which had become choked, and thereby smoke was driven back through the mine.

1913 — Mine Rescue Training Fatality, Rock Springs, Wyoming — On September 30, 1913, Edward Evans, an employee of the Bureau of Mines, lost his life during mine rescue maneuvers at a mine of the Union Pacific Coal Company, Rock Springs, Wyoming.

1915 — Alta-Quincy Tunnel Exploration, Salt Lake City, Utah — On September 17, 1915, Thomas Hendrickson, a foreman of the International Exploration Company, lost his life while wearing a Dräger 2-hour oxygen breathing apparatus during an exploration in the Alta-Quincy tunnel, near Salt Lake City, Utah, leased by the Albion Mining Company.

1936 — Metz Coal Mine CO₂ Asphyxiation, Fulton, Missouri — Columbia firemen were called to remove the four bodies and helped save a fifth worker who was in serious condition.  Mine owner Louis Metz and his father-in-law were overcome by gas as they went into the mine to pump water.  The miner’s three younger brothers came to help and they too fell victim to the deadly gas.  Source document.

1981 — Warrier Gold Mine Explosion, Burgdorf, Idaho — After the explosion, Rocke Wilson and Ardy Johnson descended to search for two workman.  Shortly thereafter, both men were suddenly overcome by carbon monoxide.  Two hours later, the general partner and mine manager resumed the search.  During this effort, Johnson was found 75 feet from the portal and Wilson was found 100 feet from the portal.  Subsequent CPR attempts revived Wilson, but Johnson never regained consciousness.

2001 — JWR No. 5 Mine Explosions, Brookwood, Alabama — After communicating with the section foreman about the events of the initial blast in 4 Section, 3 other miners entered the 4 Section to rescue the remaining injured miner.  Additional miners from other sections were notified and traveled toward 4 Section to lend assistance.  Five of these miners entered the Section and another 4 reached the mouth of the 4 Section.  The second explosion resulted in 12 fatalities and widespread destruction.

Note:  In all, 68 successful mine rescues, and 84 incidents of rescuer deaths have been located.  If others are known, please contact Rob at usmra.rob@gmail.com and I’ll research them further.

Thanks for the share, RM!