West Virginia Coal History
West Virginia Mine Disasters
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Please feel free to click on the links below to take you to specific pages on our site. These pages are dedicated to the coal miners who risk life and limb daily, providing a decent living for their families. Disasters are listed by mine or community name. If you find any information not listed and would like to submit more, as long as it is factual, please feel free to email at cybermanweb@wmconnect.com. This page will be updated with previous mine disasters as soon as possible. Thank you for being patient.

   Many mine disasters, especially explosions such as occurred at the Upper Big Branch Mine and the Sago Mine sites, were the result of methane gas bleeding out from sealed, abandoned workings. Every coal mine will turn either left or right handed and mine "sections" to the end of their coal boundaries. Once these sections of the mine have been mined out, all the coal has been removed allowable by law, they can perform "pillar" or "retreat" mining. This is the practice of moving backwards, mining the large pillars of coal left to support the mountain.

    Longwall mining leaves no pillars of coal to support the mountain. The rock is allowed to fall behind the area where the actual mining is taking place. Once these "sections" of the mine have been completed and no more coal production can be done in them, the entrances to these "sections" are sealed off.

   Imagine your home. It has many rooms that you use on a daily basis. Now imagine that your children have grown up and moved off to college or gotten married and no longer use their bedrooms. You shut off the heat and a/c supply to these rooms. Close off and seal up the windows and finally close the door leading to these rooms in your home.

   Over time, the oxygen inside these rooms become stagnate, stale and the oxygen content drops below the level needed to support life. Now imagine that a small leak of natural or propane gas seeps into these rooms inside your home. The gas level rises and begins seeping out of any crack it can find, drifting into the hallway of your home. One small insignificant ignition source, ie: fireplace pilot light, cook stove or even static electricity, ignites the gas that has seeped into your home. The result is a gas ignition that leads back through the cracks in the bedroom doors. This fire hits the main supply of gas built up inside the bedrooms and a massive explosion occurs.

   This is basically what happens in many mine explosions. These abandoned, worked out sections of the mine that has been sealed off accumulates deadly mixtures of gasses. By natural pressure or faulty construction of seals, this gas enters the main workings of the mine. Any small ignition source will set off a chain reaction causing a massive and deadly explosion.

Upper Big Branch Mine Montcoal, WV April 2010

Aracoma Mine fire, Logan County January 2006

Sago Mine Explosion, January 2006

Eccels 5&6 Raleigh County April 1914

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are a list of fatal accidents in the state of West Virginia.  

The date of the accident, company name, mine name, location, cause of fatality and number killed.

JAN. 21, 1886         ORREL COAL COMPANY        MT. BROOK        NEWBURG        EXPLOSION        39
NOV. 20, 1894        BLANCH COAL CO.        BLANCH STANDARD        EXPLOSION        8
MAR. 06, 1900        RED ASH COAL COMPANY         RED ASH        RED ASH         EXPLOSION        46
NOV. 02, 1900         SOUTHERN COAL & TRANSPORTATION CO.        BERRYBURG        BERRYBURG        POWDER EXPLO.         15
MAY 15, 1901        GEORGE'S CREEK COAL & IRON CO.         CHATHAM        FARMINGTON        EXPLOSION        10
SEP. 15, 1902         ALGOMA COAL AND COKE        ALGOMA NO. 7        ALGOMA        EXPLOSION        17
SEP. 22, 1902        NEW CENTRAL COAL CO.        STAFFORD        STAFFORD        EXPLOSION        6
FEB. 26, 1905        GRAPEVINE COAL CO.        GRAPEVINE        WILCOE        EXPLOSION        7
MAR. 19, 1905        NEW RIVER SMOKELESS COAL CO.        RUSHRUN/REDASH        RED ASH        EXPLOSION        24
APR. 20, 1905        CABIN CREEK MINING CO.        CABIN CREEK        KAYFORD        POWDER EXPLO.        6
JUL. 05, 1905        TIDEWATER COAL & COKE CO.        TIDEWATER        VIVIAN        EXPLOSION        5
NOV. 04, 1905        TIDEWATER COAL & COKE CO.        TIDEWATER        VIVIAN       EXPLOSION       7
DEC. 04, 1905       CARDIFF COAL CO.       HORTON       CABIN CREEK       MINE FIRE       7
JAN. 04, 1906       COALDALE COAL & COKE CO.       COALDALE       COALDALE       EXPLOSION       22
JAN. 18, 1906       DETROIT & KANAWHA COAL CO.        DETROIT       PAINT CREEK       EXPLOSION       18
FEB. 08, 1906       STUART COLLIERY CO.       PARRAL       PARRAL       EXPLOSION       23
MAR. 22, 1906       CENTURY COAL CO.       CENTURY       CENTURY       EXPLOSION       23
DEC. 14, 1906       PULASKI IRON CO.       PULASKI       ECKMAN       POWDER EXPLO.       6*
JAN. 26, 1907       LORENTZ      LORENTZ       PENCO       POWDER EXPLO.        12
JAN. 29, 1907       STUART COLLIERY CO.       STUART       STUART       EXPLOSION       85
FEB. 04, 1907       DAVIS COAL & COKE CO.       THOMAS       THOMAS       EXPLOSION       25
MAY 01, 1907       WHITE OAK FUEL CO.       WHIPPLE       SCARBRO       EXPLOSION       46
DEC. 06, 1907        FAIRMONT COAL CO.       MONONGAH 6 & 8       MONONGAH       EXPLOSION       361
JAN. 30, 1908        NEW RIVER VALLEY COAL CO.        BACKMAN        HAWKS NEST        EXPLOSION        9
DEC. 29, 1908        POCAHONTAS COLLERIES CO.        LICK BRANCH SWITCHBACK        EXPLOSION        50
JAN. 12, 1909        POCAHONTAS COLLERIES CO.        LICK BRANCH        SWITCHBACK EXPLOSION        67
MAR. 31, 1909        BEURY BROTHERS COAL CO.        ECHO        BEURY        DYNAMITE EXPLO.        16
DEC. 31, 1910        RED JACKET CONS. COAL & COKE CO.        LICK FORK        THACKER HAULAGE        10
APR. 24, 1911        DAVIS COAL & COKE CO.        OTT NO. 20        ELK GARDEN EXPLOSION        23
AUG. 01, 1911        STANDARD POCAHONTAS FUEL CO.        STANDARD        CAPLES        EXPLOSION        6
NOV. 18, 1911        BOTTOM CREEK COAL & COKE CO.        BOTTOM CREEK        VIVIAN        EXPLOSION        18
MAR. 26, 1912        JED COAL AND COKE CO.        JED        JED        EXPLOSION        80
JULY 11, 1912        BEN FRANKLIN COAL CO.        PANAMA        MOUNDSVILLE        EXPLOSION        8
APR. 28, 1914        NEW RIVER COLLIERIES CO.,       ECCLES NO. 5 & 6        ECCLES        EXPLOSION        183
JUNE 30, 1914        SYCAMORE COAL CO.        CINDERELLA        CINDERELLA        SUFFOCATION       5
FEB. 6, 1915        NEW RIVER CO.        CARLISLE        CARLISLE EXPLOSION        22
MAR. 2, 1915        NEW RIVER & POCAHONTAS CONSOL. CO.        LAYLAND NO. 3 LAYLAND        EXPLOSION        112
MAR. 30, 1915        HANNA COAL CO.        BOOMER NO. 2        BOOMER        EXPLOSION        23
MAR. 28, 1916        KING COAL CO.        KING NO. 28        VIVIAN        EXPLOSION        10
OCT. 19, 1916        JAMISON COAL AND COKE CO.        JAMISON NO. 7 BARRACKVILLE        EXPLOSION        10
APR. 18, 1917        HUTCHINSON COAL CO.        LYNDEN        MASON EXPLOSION        5
DEC. 15, 1917        YUKON POCAHONTAS COAL CO.        YUKON NO. 1        SUSANNA        EXPLOSION        18
MAY 20, 1918        MILL CREEK CANNEL MINING CO.        VILLA CHARLESTON        MINE FIRE        13
JULY 18, 1919        HOUSTON COLLIERIES CO.        CARSWELL KIMBALL        EXPLOSION        7
AUG. 6, 1919        NEW RIVER AND POCAHONTAS CONSOLIDATED        WEIRWOOD        WEIRWOOD        EXPLOSION        7
MAY 22, 1920        MALLORY COAL CO.        MALLORY NO. 3        MALLORY        ROOF FALL        5
SEPT.23, 1922        RALEIGH-WYOMING COAL CO.        GLEN ROGERS #2        GLENROGERS        FALLING CAGE        5
MAR. 2, 1923        WEYANOKE COAL & COKE CO.        ARISTA        ARISTA EXPLOSION        10
NOV. 06, 1923        RALEIGH-WYOMING COAL CO.        GLEN ROGERS        BECKLEY        EXPLOSION        27
MAR. 28, 1924        YUKON POCAHONTAS COAL CO.        YUKON NO. 2        YUKON        EXPLOSION        24
APR. 28, 1924        WHEELING STEEL CORP.        BENWOOD        BENWOOD        EXPLOSION        119
MAR. 17, 1925        BETHLEHEM MINES CORP.        BARRACKSVILLE       BARRACKSVILLE        EXPLOSION        33
JAN. 14, 1926        JAMISON COAL & COKE CO.        JAMISON NO. 8       FARMINGTON       EXPLOSION        19
MAR. 8, 1926        CRAB ORCHARD IMPROVEMENT CO.        ECCLES NO. 5        ECCLES       EXPLOSION        19
NOV. 15, 1926        GLENDALE GAS COAL CO.        MOUND SHAFT        MOUNDSVILLE        EXPLOSION        5
APR. 30, 1927        NEW ENGLAND FUEL & TRANS. CO.        FEDERAL NO. 3        EVERTTVILLE        EXPLOSION        97
MAY 13, 1927        CENTRAL POCAHONTAS COAL CO.        SHANNON BR. 3       CAPELS        EXPLOSION        8
APR. 2, 1928        KEYSTONE COAL AND COKE CO.        KEYSTONE NO. 2       KEYSTONE        EXPLOSION        8
MAY 22, 1928        YUKON POCAHONTAS COAL CO.        YUKON NO. 1        YUKON       EXPLOSION        17
JUNE 20, 1928        NATIONAL FUEL CO.        NO. 1        NATIONAL        EXPLOSION        7
OCT. 22, 1928        MACALPIN COAL CO.        MCALPIN        MCALPIN        EXPLOSION        6
NOV. 30, 1928        PRINCESS POCAHONTAS COAL CORP.        PRINCESS POCAHONTAS        RODERFIELD        EXPLOSION        6
JAN. 26, 1929        KINGSTON POCAHONTAS COAL CO. INC.        KINGSTON NO. 5       KINGSTON       EXPLOSION        14
JAN. 19, 1930        LILLYBROOK COAL CO.        NO. 1       LILLYBROOK       EXPLOSION        8
MAR. 26, 1930        CROWN COAL CO.        YUKON        ARNETTSVILLE        EXPLOSION        12
JAN. 6, 1931        RALEIGH-WYOMING COAL CO.        GLEN ROGERS #2       GLEN ROGERS        EXPLOSION        8
NOV. 3, 1931        ISLAND CREEK COAL CO.        NO. 20       WHITMAN        EXPLOSION        5
MAY 12, 1935        BETHLEHEM MINES CORP.        NO. 41       BARRACKVILLE        FIRE IN SHAFT        6
SEPT. 2, 1936        HUTCHINSON COAL CO.        MACBETH        MACBETH        EXPLOSION       10
MAR. 11, 1937        HUTCHINSON COAL CO.        MACBETH        MACBETH        EXPLOSION        18
JAN. 10. 1940        POND CREEK POCAHONTAS COAL CO.        NO. 1        BARTLEY        EXPLOSION        91
DEC. 17, 1940        RALEIGH COAL & COKE CO.        NO. 4        RALEIGH        EXPLOSION        9
JAN. 22, 1941        KOPPERS COAL CO.        CARSWELL        CARSWELL        EXPLOSION        6
MAY 12, 1942        CHRISTOPHER COAL CO.        CHRISTOPHER NO. 3        OSAGE        EXPLOSION        56
MAY 18, 1942        HITCHMAN COAL & COKE CO.        HITCHMAN        BENWOOD        EXPLOSION        5
JULY 9, 1942        PURSGLOVE COAL MINING CO.        PURSGLOVE NO. 2        PURSGLOVE        EXPLOSION        20
DEC. 15, 1942        WYATT COAL CO.        LAING NO. 1        LAING        RUN AWAY TRIP        5
JAN. 8, 1943        PURSGLOVE COAL MINING CO.        PURSGLOVE NO. 15        PURSGLOVE        MINE FIRE        13
NOV. 8, 1943        AMERICAN ROLLING MILL CO.        NELLIS NO. 3        NELLIS       EXPLOSION        11
MAR. 25, 1944        KATHRINE COAL MINING CO.       KATHRINE NO. 4 LUMBERPORT        EXPLOSION        16
JAN. 15, 1946              NEW RIVER AND POCAHONTAS CONS. COAL CO.        HAVACO NO. 9       HAVACO EXPLOSION        15
AUG. 6, 1948        NEW RIVER AND POCAHONTAS CONS. COAL CO.       BERWIND NO. 11        CAPELS        ROOF FALL        6
JAN. 18, 1951        BURNING SPRINGS COLLIERIES CO.        BURNING SPRINGS        KERMIT        GAS EXPLOSION        11
OCT. 15, 1951        TROTTER COAL CO.        BUNKER        CASSVILLE        GAS EXPLOSION        10
OCT. 31, 1951        TRUAX-TRAER COAL CO.        UNITED NO. 1        WEVACO        DUST EXPLOSION        12
NOV. 13, 1954        JAMISON COAL AND COKE CO.        NO. 9       FARMINGTON       EXPLOSION       16
FEB. 4, 1957        POCAHONTAS FUEL CO.        NO. 35        BISHOP        GAS EXPLOSION        37
DEC. 9, 1957        RALEIGH-WYOMING COAL CO.        GLEN ROGERS NO.2        GLEN ROGERS        MOUNTAIN BUMP        5
DEC. 27, 1957        POCAHONTAS FUEL CO.        NO. 31       AMONATE        GAS EXPLOSION        11
FEB. 12, 1958        AMHERST COAL CO.        LUNDALE        LUNDALE        ROOF FALL        6
OCT. 27, 1958        POCAHONTAS FUEL CO        NO. 35        BISHOP        GAS EXPLOSION        22
OCT. 28, 1958        OGLEBAY NORTON COAL CO.        BURTON       CRAIGSVILLE        GAS EXPLOSION        14
MAR, 8, 1960        ISLAND CREEK COAL CO.        NO. 22        HOLDEN        MINE FIRE        18
NOV. 9, 1962        ISLAND CREEK COAL CO.        NO. 28       VERDUNVILLE        HAULAGE        3
APR. 25, 1963        CLINCHFIELD COAL CO.        COMPASS NO. 2       DOLA        GAS EXPLOSION        22
SEPT.28, 1964        ISLAND CREEK COAL CO.        NO. 6        BARTLEY        GAS EXPLOSION        3
APR. 30, 1965        MOUNTAINEER COAL CO.        CONSOL. NO. 9        FARMINGTON        GAS EXPLOSION        4
MAY, 3, 1965        DOROTHY COAL CO.        NO. 1        GARRISON        ROOF FALL        3
OCT. 16, 1965        CLINCHFIELD COAL CO.        MARS NO. 2       SARDIS        MINE FIRE        7
JUL. 23, 1966        THE NEW RIVER CO.        SILTIX        MOUNT HOPE        GAS EXPLOSION        7
SEP. 10, 1966        THE VALLEY CAMP COAL        NO. 3        TRIDELPHIA        HAULAGE        4
MAY 06, 1968        GAULEY COAL & COKE CO.        NO. 8        HOMINY FALLS        MINE INUNDATION        4
AUG. 14, 1968        AMHERST COAL CO.        LUNDALE NO. 1        LOGAN        ROOF FALL        3
NOV. 20, 1968        MOUNTAINEER COAL CO.       NO. 9        FARMINGTON        EXPLOSION        78
DEC. 12, 1968        BUFFALO MINING CO.        NO. 8B        LYBURN        MINE FIRE        3
JUN. 11, 1971        EASTERN ASSOCIATED COAL CORP.        FEDERAL NO. 2        FAIRVIEW        ROOF FALL        3
JUL. 22, 1972        CONSOLIDATION COAL CO.        BLACKSVILLE        BLACKSVILE        MINE FIRE        9
DEC. 16, 1972        ITMANN COAL CO.        ITMANN NO. 3        ITMANN        GAS       EXPLOSION        5
OCT. 02, 1974        COWIN & CO. (CONTRACTORS)        MAPLE MEADOW MINE        FAIRDALE        FALLING MATERIAL        3
OCT. 07, 1974        MONTY BROS. CONST. CO.        BOLT SEWELL        BOLT        FALL IN SHAFT        3
JUN. 05, 1975        EASTERN ASSOC. COAL CORP.        HARRIS NO. 2        BALD KNOB        RIB FALL        3
NOV. 26, 1975        BETHLEHEM MINES CORP.        NO. 105        CENTURY        ROOF FALL        3
NOV. 07, 1980        WESTMORELAND COAL CO.        FERRELL        UNEEDA        GAS EXPLOSION        5
DEC. 03, 1981        ELK RIVER SEWELL COAL CO.        STILL HOUSE NO. 1        BERGOO       ROOF FALL        3
FEB. 06, 1986        CONSOLIDATION COAL CO.        LOVERIDGE NO. 22        FAIRVIEW        COAL STOR. ENTRAP.        5
MAR. 19, 1992        CONSOLIDATION COAL CO.        BLACKSVILLE NO. 1        WANA        EXPLOSION IN SHAFT        4
JAN. 22, 2003        CENTRAL CAMBRIA DRILLING CO.       MCELROY MINE        GRAYSVILLE        EXPLOSION IN SHAFT        3
JAN. 2, 2006        ANKER WV MINING CO., INC.       SAGO MINE        TALLMANSVILLE       EXPLOSION AND ENTRAP.        12