It should go without saying that coal mining, even today, is a hazardous occupation. Needless to say, it was even more so in the early days when miners dealt with mules, hazardous gas, open flame lamps and sticks of dynamite on a daily basis. Because so many early mining deaths went unreported except for footnotes in the local papers, many of the stories of miners dying doing their job remain a blank in genealogical family trees. The following list is a compilation of accidents occurring in Williamson County between 1897 and 1904 inclusive taken from the 1905 Souvenir History of the county.
Fatal mining accidents occurring in Williamson County from 1897 to 1904 inclusive:
May 11, 1897
Ezzonia Bondi, employed as a miner at the St. L. & B. M. Coal Company’s Mine at Carterville, was fatally injured by a premature blast May 11, 1897, and died the following day at 5:30 a. m. He had prepared two shots to fire; he lit one and went into the entry for safety. He evidently heard a shot from an adjoining room and mistook it for his own, and returned to the room to see what it had done. When within 2 feet of the room the shot went off which caused the injuries from which he died. He was a married man, 32 years old, and leaves a widow and two children in Italy.
September 16th, 1897
Fred Greinhold, a miner employed at the Williamson County Coal Company’s mine at Johnson City, was instantly killed by falling coal. He was mining off a standing shot, and being old he was unable to get out of the way of the falling coal. He was single and 54 years old.
September 24, 1897
At the mine of the Williamson County Coal Company, at Johnson City, a fire-dump explosion occurred at 7 a. m., which killed Frank Fanaro, aged 45 and single; Charles Schiller, aged 34, single, and Peter Casper, aged 37, single; and seriously injured Robert Britten and Joseph Barlow.
On that morning the men gathered at the pit top as usual for work. The fire boss being sick, the mine had not been examined that morning. Caleb Davis, the mine manager, claims to have told Peter Casper and others who were working in the first and second south entries on the east side to remain at the bottom of the shaft till he could come down and examine their working places. Peter Casper on reaching the bottom, went directly into the first south entry and left his naked light on the outside of the cross-cut and took off his coat and went to the face and started to brush out the fire-dump with his coat.
After working at this a few minutes he returned and got his naked light and then went and got an empty pit-car and pushed it towards the face. As soon as he was inside the cross-cuts a few feet his naked light came in contact with the fire-dump, which caused a terrific explosion and the death of the four miners mentioned.
The stoppings, doors and timbers of the first and second south entries were blown in all directions. Robert Britton and Joseph Barlow were blown several feet along the main east entry, by the force of the explosion. Joseph Barlow had his leg broken, his flesh torn and his head badly bruised. Robert Britton had his left arm broken. Caleb Davis, mine manager, was at the pit top at the time the explosion occurred, and as soon as possible he secured some practical men and started them to work to restore ventilation by pulling up temporary doors and stoppings.
Peter Casper walked alone to the bottom of the shaft, though severely burned, and was there met by his friends and conveyed to his boarding house, where he died on the 26th. Frank Fanero was found dead in his room in the first south entry, evidently overcome by the afterdamp, and when found was lying face downward.
It was then supposed that this was all that were injured by the explosion, and the searchers went to the top, but after a few minutes it became known that Geneli was missing. The party then descended the shaft and searched for him. They found him dead in the third room from where he was working, toward the bottom.
It was evident he had tried to find his way out after the explosion, but had become bewildered and strayed into the room. Peter Casper said there was someone calling for help and light when he was on his way out. The last body was taken out at 11 a. m.
The company was sinking an escapement at the time of the explosion, which has since been completed. I visited the mine on the afternoon of the day of the explosion and discovered upon examination of the record-book that the mine had not been examined in the morning before the men were allowed to go to work, nor had it been examined since the morning of September 20th, the day on which I made my previous visit. This mine at the date of this report is operated by A. W. Crawford, lessee.
December 15, 1897
John Coyne, aged 44, single, by occupation a miner, was suffocated by gases from a coal fire in the 3rd south entry on the east side of mine No. 2, of the Scott Wilson Coal Company, at Fredonia. At 7:30 a.m. miners working on the east side reported to the mine manager that there was smoke coming from some of the pillars between the second and third south entries. He immediately ordered all the men out of the mine except a few whom he kept to locate the fire.
One of the mules got away from the driver and ran into the third south entry, and was allowed to go, as it was thought too dangerous to go after him on account of the smoke. About 9:30 a.m. John Coyne started in the direction the mule had taken and asked some of the men to follow him. None, however, went.
The mine manager, on finding out what Coyne had done, sent two men in search of him, but they could not find him so returned. Another party was organized in the afternoon to go in search of Coyne, and they found him dead, about 6 p. m., in the third south entry, 1200 feet from the main east entry, the mule being a little beyond the body of Coyne. When the men reached the switch with the body of Coyne the mule was close to their heels, and seemed to be unharmed. The fire originated among some old timbers where someone must have changed lamp cotton, which set fire to the coal.
This part of the mine was then sealed up for three weeks and then reopened, when it was found that the fire had all died out.
July 12, 1898
August Durbee, a miner, aged 33 years, was killed instantly by a fall of slate at the face of his working place in shaft No. 7, operated by the Big Muddy Coal and Iron Company at Herrin, leaving a wife and four children. The deceased was working off a standing shot, which was the only support to the broken roof. The piece of slate that fell on him would weigh fully three tons.
September 27, 1898
Jess Maris, a miner, aged 29 years, single, employed at the Scott-Wilson Coal Co. shaft No. 2. Fredonia, was cleaning up a fall of slate that had come down the night before, on top of some loose coal. He sounded the roof before starting to work and made the remark that it was all right, but in a few minutes afterward a piece of roof weighing about 1000 pounds suddenly fell, striking him on the back. He was taken to his boarding house, and died from his injuries at 5:30 p. m. the same day.
November 24, 1898
Edgar McAlphin, laborer, age 23, married, was killed in the mine of the Ohio and Mississippi Valley Coal and Mining Company, Marion, leaving a widow and one child. He was coming outof the shaft on the cage with four other men, and when about 50 feet up, lost his balance and fell into the west chamber and down the shaft. This was only his third day in the mine.
December 21, 1898
James Vansage, miner, aged 33 years, married, was killed while at work in a pillar in the mine of the St. L. and M. Coal Co., at Carterville, leaving a wife and three children. He was working off some coal that had been shattered by a shot the night before, when a piece of top coal, weighing about 200 pounds, fell, crushing his head against a pit-car close by.
August 5, 1899
A. McNeal, miner, aged 28 years, was instantly killed in room 9, first south entry, by a fall of slate in the Big Muddy Coal and Iron Company’s No. 7 mine at Herrin. Deceased had fired his shot, and instead of waiting a reasonable time for the powder smoke to clear away so that he could examine the roof, he returned to the room with the intention of lighting another shot, but when he got within a few feet of the face of the room a piece of slate fell, killing him instantly. He leaves a widow and five children.
January 9, 1901
Noah Morgan, driver, aged 20 years, single, was killed instantly by being caught between a pit-car and the side of the entry in the Big Muddy Coal and Iron Company’s mine No. 7, at Herrin. The deceased was making his last trip before dinner and was riding on the front end of the empty car, driving at full speed, when the car left the track with the result stated.
January 14, 1902
William Butcher, driver, aged 27 years, married, was killed by being caught between a loaded pit-car and the side of the entry in the mine of the Chicago and Carterville Coal Co. at Herrin. He was hauling a loaded pit-car through a cross-cut from the second west entry to the first west entry on the north side. In attempting to get onto the front end of the car he slipped and was caught between the car and the side of the entry. He died within a few minutes, leaving a widow and one child.
January 29, 1902
C.B. Carney, miner, aged 52 years, married, was instantly killed by being struck on the head and body with coal from a blast in the Carterville Coal Company’s mines. He had prepared a blast and when firing time came in the evening, he went to light his shot. The instant he put his lamp to the squib the shot exploded. Whether this was due to a defective squib or that the deceased pushed his lamp under the powder part of the squib is not known. He leaves a wife and seven children.
January 29, 1902
Abraham Buckles, miner, aged 41, single, was severely injured by being struck on the head with loose coal from a blast in the St. L. & B. M. Co.’s, mine at Dewmaine. He had gone into his room to light a shot and in making his retreat was struck by flying coal. It is not known whether he was struck by coal from his own blast or from the adjoining room, as it was found upon examination that a blast in an adjoining room had blown through the pillar at the time of the accident. He died from his injuries five hours later.
February 24, 1902
Aleck Calcatarra, a miner, aged 41 years, married, was severely injured about the body by a fall of slate in the B.M.C. & I. Co.’s shaft No. 7, Herrin. He was cautioned by the mine examiner to be careful of some loose slate at the face of his working place. In reply, he said that he could take care of himself. He was mining off some coal that had been loosened by a blast the previous day when the slate fell, which caused his death five hours later.
June 26, 1902
Charles Wheel, a miner, aged 54 years, was instantly killed by flying coal in the Carterville Coal Co.’s mine. He had prepared a blast in his room, which was about 40 feet in from the entry. When firing time came he went into the room and lit the squib. It is presumed he became bewildered and instead of coming out into the entry he went down the face of the room. When the shot exploded he was struck by the flying coal. The deceased had a family somewhere in the West.
(Extracted from the 1905 Souvenir History of Williamson County, by J.F. Wilcox)