Articles describing the mining accident that occurred on May 25, 1904 at the Williamstown Colliery, where ten men died as a result of toxic fumes in the tunnel.
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From the West Schuylkill Herald (Tower City), May 26, 1904:
HORRIBLE MINE ACCIDENT
As we were ready to go to press Wednesday evening word was received of a terrible catastrophe at Williamstown Colliery. While coming through the tunnel on their way home from work between 50 and 60 men were overcome by gas fumes from the mine locomotive. It is reported that nine men perished as follows:
Michael Golden, George Radel, Enoch Morgan, John Kenny, Alfred Row, all of Williamstown; John Frederic and Sam Frederick, of Pine Valley; and Aaron Koppenhaver, of Gratz; Alfred Nau, Williamstown.
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From the Lykens Register, May 27, 1904:
Shocking Accident
The greatest mine accident in the history of this valley occurred in the tunnel at Summit Branch Colliery, Williamstown, operated by the Pennsylvania Coal Company, Wednesday afternoon, in which ten men, including General Inside Foreman M. M. Golden, lost their lives by the fumes form a mine engine. The facts, after careful investigation, are as follows:
A heavily loaded trip starter over from the the Bear Valley side followed by several men a short distance behind on foot. One of these was overcome by the fumes from the engine, and in endeavoring to get him out several of his companions were also rendered unconscious. In the meantime the engine returned from the east side with empty cars in which were riding the men going to work on the 3 o’clock shift. The engineer was flagged and an effort made to load up the men who were overcome. While doing this the engineer was overcome, and the rescuers started out with the unconscious men, leaving the engine and the cars in the tunnel. In the meantime word was sent to the Williamstown side of the tunnel and a rescue party headed by Mr Golden and Mine Foreman Bond started in from the south side of the tunnel, six of the party losing their lives. On the Bear Valley side fresh men brought out the engine and cars which allowed the air current full force again and the tunnel quickly cleared.
Altogether about 62 men were overcome, all of which were resuscitated but ten. Mr. Golden was found lying in the ditch, face down, and no doubt met his death by drowning. Doctors from this place, Wiconisco, Williamstown, and Tower City quickly responded to Mine Superintendent McKay’s appeal for aid, and under their direction willing hands received the men as fast as they were brought out and did not cease the work of resuscitation until they revived or were pronounced dead by the physicians.
Mr. Golden, who was an authority on mining, came here from Shamokin about four years ago. He held the position of general inside foreman of all the Pennsylvania Coal Company’s operations in this valley, and was held in high esteem by the officials and employees. His funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Monday. Interment at Williamstown. Work has been suspended at the colliery.
Following are the names of the dead:
M. M. GOLDEN, General Inside Foreman.
GEORGE RADEL, Master Machinist.
ENOCH MORGAN, Miner.
JOHN KINNEY, Miner.
JOSEPH PUNCH, Miner.
BERT JAMES, Miner.
ALBERT NAU, Conductor, all of Williamstown.
HENRY FREDERICKS, Trackman, of Artz.
AARON KOPPENHAVER, Trackman, of Gratz.
TORPUS KOPPENHAVER, Trackman, of Gratz.
All were married except Nau, Kinney, Punch and James.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, May 26, 1904 (headlines at top of post):
TEN MEN DIE OF FUMES IN MINE TUNNEL
Forty Others Overcome But Revived
ON REACHING THE AIR
The Engineer’s Gallant Dash for Safety
SCENES AT TUNNEL MOUTH
Fatality Is One of the Most Remarkable in History of Pennsylvania Mining – Was Caused by Sulfurous Smoke From Engine
Williamstown, May 26 [1904] — Ten miners dead is the completed list of fatalities resulting from the curious accident in a tunnel of the Summit Branch Coal Company near Williamstown late yesterday afternoon.
Gas and sulphur fumes from a small locomotive filled the mile long tunnel through which the little engine was puffing with a string of coal-loaded cars and half a hundred miners. Half way through the tunnel nearly all of the men were suffocating in the poisonous air.
Engineer’s Spurt For Safety.
When the engineer learned the peril of those behind him, he put on all steam possible and hurried to the Williamstown end of the tunnel.
About 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon General Inside Foreman Golden ad about fifty miners boarded a loaded train which was about to be hauled from Bear Valley back to Williamstown.
Everything wen all right until about half the journey was made when some of the men attracted the attention of the engineer who immediately stopped, and it was found that nearly every man in the party on the cars had been overcome by the gas and sulphur, which emanated from the stack of the locomotive and floated back over them.
When the train reached Williamstown help was summoned, and the miners were taken to the surface, where a corps of physicians made every possible effort to resuscitate them. Aid came too late for Golden and nine others.
First Accident in Tunnel.
The tunnel has been in constant operation for more than forty years, and this is the first accident of any kind that has happened in it. It is perfectly free from mine gases, and the ventilation is so perfect and the air current so strong and steady that besides being used for hauling cars, the tunnel has formed one of the intakes that furnish air to the mines.
No trouble has ever been experienced before from gas from the small mine locomotives and the officers are entirely at sea as to the cause of the tragedy last evening.
Supposed Cause of Tragedy.
The train had gone but half the distance to Williamstown when the tunnel was found to be full of suffocating gases. It is believed that efforts to keep up the fires in the locomotive caused the escaping gas.
An officer of the company says:
“The accident was evidently peculiar. The tunnel is a mile long and straight. It ventilates itself. It is the only means of egress from Bear Valley.
“Last evening a heavily loaded coal train started through, and some fifty men, having quit work at the shafts, boarded it to go to their homes. At some point in the tunnel they were suffocated, and before the train managed to pull out in the clean air, ten men were dead.”
Men employed in the mines in the Bear Valley, who reside in Williamstown, have made it a practice for years to ride to and from their work on the trains of cars that are hauled between the two valleys by small locomotives.
List of the Dead.
Special to the Star-Independent.
Williamstown, May 26 [1904] — The following is a corrected list of the dead:
M. M. Golden, assistant superintendent.
George Radel, machinist’s boss.
Joseph Punch.
Bert James.
Albert Nau.
Aaron Koppenheffer.
Peter Koppenheffer.
Enrick Morgan.
Henry Morgan.
Henry Frederick.
John Kenny.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, May 26, 1904:
POOR VENTILATION OF TUNNEL SAID TO HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE
Special to the Star-Independent.
Williamstown, May 26 [1904] — The fatality is believed to have been caused by the poor ventilation in the tunnel between Bear Valley and Williams Valley.
The State mine laws require 240 cubic feet of air per minute per man in tunnels and the miners declare that the air supply in the tunnel at the time of the accident was very much less. The excessive heat is said to have been partly responsible for the condition of the tunnel.
Although only forty men were caught on the train in the tunnel there were fully a hundred more overcome in rescuing the first victims.
First News of the Fatality.
The accident was discovered by William Chandler at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon. He came running out of the Bear Valley end of the tunnel and said:
“There’s a man lying dead in here.”
Henry Salladay went into the tunnel and found George Kramer lying unconscious about 300 yards from the tunnel entrance. He picked him up and the fell unconscious himself, overcome by the fumes. Charles Straub picked up both of them and made the first rescue.
The alarm was quickly spread through the mines and in a short time there was a force of forty rescuers ready for work grouped at the mouth of the tunnel.
The work of rescue was greatly facilitated by the closing of the door to the shafts leading out of the tunnel and sending a draft through the tunnel.
The last man was gotten out at 6 o’clock last evening.
Several of the victims of the poison gases fell into a ditch filled with water and were drowned.
Rescuer Roasted to Death.
One of the most frightful occurrences of a night filled with horror for Williamstown people was the death of Aaron Koppenheffer.
On his third rescue trip he was overcome by the gas, and fell upon his lamp, igniting his clothing. He was roasted to death.
Abe Whitcomb stopped the engine run by Harvey Bliler just as it was about to dash into prostrate forms.
Bliler then fell unconscious and Ed WIlliams took the train out loaded with dead and unconscious workingmen.
Severe Thunder Storm.
Because of a severe thunder storm following the accident all the wires were broken for many hours. During the storm lightning struck John Rehnoel‘s frame house on Church Street and the roof was burned off.
Washington Wagner, a mining engineer of Tower City, four miles distant, was struck by lightning and killed. The body was found this morning.
All Work Suspended.
All work in Williams Valley mines has been suspended and there will be no resumption until Tuesday.
Joseph Punch returned home two weeks ago, after five years’ absence. Yesterday, he purchased a ticket to Philadelphia, with the intention of going away for good. His mother with tears dissuaded him. He then went to work last evening and was killed in the tunnel.
John Carr made seven trips in the mine, rescued six men and fell unconscious on the seventh trip.
The bodies of the rescued were plastered with clay as a means of reviving them, but this method so often effective in cases of men overcome by black damp, was entirely without result. The surgeons in attendance from all of the neighboring towns, having been summoned immediately upon the giving of the alarm, cut the soles of the dead men’s feet to see if blood would flow before pronouncing them dead, as unconsciousness caused by gas is often deceptive.
None of the men who were overcome last night but were revived are expected to die. The doctors think that all that is needed for their patients now is rest, fresh air and plenty of nourishment.
In probably all instances the men who died were dead when they were dragged out of the tunnel.
—J. K. McKallip, Jr.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, May 26, 1904:
UNFLINCHING BRAVERY OF THE RESCUING PARTY
Fatality Produced Worthy Candidates for the Carnegie Hero Fund
MEN FREELY GAVE UP THEIR LIVES
Special to the Star-Independent.
Williamstown, May 26 [1904] — The dozens of splendid examples of thrilling personal bravery exhibited by the rescuers has already awakened speculation in the minds of many here in regard to the Carnegie Hero Fund.
If ever the highest type of heroism was exhibited it was exhibited here last night. Without any hope of reward of any kind and animated solely by the impulse to rescue their fellow men in distress, these rough miners freely sacrificed their lives down in an obscure gas filled tunnel.
One conspicuous example was that of George Feaster, who, after the fourth trip of rescue, said to the men at the entrance to the tunnel:
“These men in here are calling for help. Some of you fresh men go in after them.”
Everyone within sound of his voice was exhausted and scarcely able to walk. Finding they were not capable of the work he took a drink of water and dashed into the tunnel again, but was forced to call for help himself, after dragging his man part way toward the safety of the open air. He and the man he had attempted to bring out were rescued.
Abe Shammo was the first man to get out of the Williamstown end of the tunnel. He dragged two men as far as he could and then rolled them off the track and staggered forward and fell. The men outside heard him fall and rushing in rescued him.
Three brothers, Bert James, George James, and Nathan James, were accidentally laid side by side at the tunnel entrance after removal. George and Nathan were later revived, but Bert was dead. Tom Gallagher, who saw Bert while in the tunnel with his face in the water of the ditch had strength enough to roll him out. Gallagher later called for help when rescued himself.
Full tale of the deeds of heroism performed in that black tunnel yesterday afternoon can never be told.
— J. K. McKallip Jr.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, May 28 1904:
FUNERALS SHROUD THE VALLEY IN DEEP GLOOM
Services Were Held To-Day for Some of Dead Miners — More Set for To-morrow and Monday
THE INQUEST PLACED NO BLAME
Special to the Star-Independent
Williamstown, May 28 [1904] — The gloom cast over the northern end of Dauphin County by Wednesday’s wholesale suffocation in the tunnel connecting the Bear and Williams Valley mines is now intensified by the series of funerals of the ten victims.
The first of the ten men to be buried was Albert Nau. His funeral was held at Lykens at 9 o’clock this morning. The funerals of of Joseph Punch and John Kinney were held at Williamstown an hour later.
Other funerals will be held to-morrow and Monday. No work will be done at the mine until Tuesday. The funeral of Enoch Morgan will be held at 10 o’clock to-morrow morning and George Radle and Burt James will be buried in the afternoon, services being held at 2 and 3 o’clock respectively.
The funeral of Michael M. Golden has been set for 10 o’clock on Monday morning. Golden was the assistant superintendent who proved himself a hero of the bravest kind and sent to his death in rescuing his comrades. He was among the most popular of the miners and the services on Memorial Day will attract a large crowd of mourners.
The other three men who were killed in the disaster, Peter Koppenhaver and Aaron Koppenhaver, and Henry Frederick, will be buried from their homes in Springville in the Bear Valley.
The Coroner’s Jury, yesterday cleared the mine owners and officials of all blame for the deaths of the men.
Nearly a score of miners and mine employees who were in or near the tunnel at the time of the disaster were called upon to testify and although it was clearly established that the men met their deaths from breathing gas from the dinkey engines there was no evidence produced to show what caused the accumulation of the fumes in sufficient quantities to cause death. Dinkey engines had been used in the tunnel twenty-seven years with comparative safety.
The inquest, conducted by Coroner George W. Krause in person, lasted three hours. When the evidence had all been taken the jury rendered its verdict of death from gas of the dinkey engines, placing the upon nobody. It stated that there are no known reasons why the gas caused the deaths.
The Coroner’s Jury was composed of John Weidle, carpenter; James Cox, merchant; Joseph Shissler, carpenter; Michael Mack, miner, all of Williamstown; and Richard V. Fox and Lopis A. Russ, of HJarrisburg. Mine Inspectors Benjamin Evans, of the Shamokin District, and Michael Brennan of the Pottsville District, were present at the inquest in the absence of Inspector Martin Kelley, of the local district, who is ill.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, May 24, 1904:
TEN MEN KILLED AND FORTY OVERCOME
BY GAS IN WILLIAMSTOWN MINE TUNNEL
Wild Dash for Pure Air by Engineer in Charge of Traqin Bearing Miners, Who Fainter and Fell as Train Rushed Along in Darkness
Rescuers Overpowered and Many Tumbled Fainting Into Underground Stream Where They Drowned – Heart-rending Scenes at the Surface – Accident is Mysterious
Special to the Telegraph
Williamstown, Pennsylvania, May 26 [1904] — Ten men were killed and forty overcome by sulfurous fumes in a tunnel of the Summit Branch Colliery of the Susquehanna Coal Company mine at this place between three and four o’clock yesterday afternoon in one of the most peculiar accidents which has occurred in the mines of the State. All but one of the men killed and all of the forty overcome were members of a relief party.
The dead are:
M. M. Golden, local superintendent, age 55, with a wife and several children.
John Kenny, a miner, wife and three children.
Enoch Morgan, miner, age 38, with five children.
Joseph Punch, laborer, aged 24 years and single.
George Radle, 50 years, chief machinist.
Aaron Koppenhaver, Pine Valley, repairman.
Peter Koppenhaver, repairman, Pine Valley.
Albert Nau, engineer, aged 18 and single.
Bert James, miner, single.
Henry Frederick, miner.
All but the Koppenhavers reside in Williamstown. Enoch Morgan was the first man killed and the rest of the victims were members of the rescuing party, which at one time was made up of more than 100 men.
Gas in the Mine.
Intimation of the presence of extraordinary amounts of sulfurous gas in the mine was first gotten by miners who were walking through the tunnel, which extends from Bear Valley to the Williams Valley side of the mountain. Shortly afterwards a coal train came through and picked up some of these men overcome and hurried them to the Williams Valley side. Enoch Morgan was found dead in the mine and was carried out on this trip. A relief train, loaded with rescuers and members of the night shift was hurriedly made up and sent into the gas-laden mine.
Before the train had gotten any great distance, the rescuers started to explore the mine and in a short while these men were tottering and fell to the ground either fatally stricken or seriously overcome. The lights which the miners carried were of little good because of the large amount of gas, and in the death reeking atmosphere and with little light, a number of men partly overcome fell into a stream of water which flows along the track and what the gas left undone, the drowning completed.
Fought Against Odds.
In spite of the immense odds against which the rescuing party worked, the bodies of the forty overcome victims and those of the dead were placed on the relief train and hurried to the mouth of the tunnel. The rescuers, covered with smoke and grime, eyes bloodshot and swaying from the awful effects of partial suffocation, were met by thousands of people to whom the news of the disaster had been communicated and hurried to places of safety, Doctors were summoned from all the nearby towns and by the middle of the evening, the men were so well cared for that further deaths were not expected.
Engineer Overcome.
So deadly were the fumes in the mine that Harvey Blyler, the engineer of the relief train was overcome shortly after he entered the tunnel, and losing his grip on the throttle, rolled from his seat. His place was quickly taken by another and the journey continued. It was thought for a time that Blyler would die, but shortly after reaching the outside, he recovered,
The scenes at the mouth were most distressing. When the news first reached the centre of the town, which is nearly a mile away, there was a wild rush to the mouth of the tunnel, half-way up to the top of the mountain. The first word which came from the tunnel stated that the extent of the accident was small, and there was no delay in gathering together a relief party.
Rescuers Overcome.
When in a few hours thereafter there were brought out the dead bodies of ten and the almost lifeless forms of forty of the rescuing party, the scenes of widowed mothers and orphaned children, grief stricken and frantic were most pathetic. They had nerved themselves to see the rescuers return in good health and instead were borne to them the blackened corpses of their heroes.
So far as can be learned now, for a full investigation by mine officials has not yet been made, the gas came from the dinkey steam engines used in pulling the trains from one side to the other of the tunnel, and because of the unusual heat of yesterday did not pass out through the exits as usual. More than the usual number of trains passing through the tunnel yesterday combined in increasing the amount of gas and the combination is supposed to have been responsible for the large amounts of gas.
There are slopes and shafts on both sides of the mountain and the tunnel was used in bringing coal from the Bear Valley side to the breaker at Williamstown. But one shaft is in operation n the Bear Valley side but yesterday the production was so large that a number of trains were run through, each dinkey adding his share of sulphurous smoke and steam which could not escape through the ordinary channels because of the atmospheric pressure from above. About 1,000 men are employed in the colliery and most of them live in Williamstown.
Coroner Investigates.
Coroner Krause, who was notified of the disaster last evening, went to Williamstown this morning. He reached there about noon and immediately began an investigation, the result of which has not been announced.
There was much excitement in the entire Lykens Valley region last evening and the curious from miles around filled the town. There was no disorder at any tiume, but long into the night the streets were filled with miners and others trying to explain the most singular accident which has ever occurred in the region, if anywhere. This morning the mines were cleared and will not be operated until the excitement dies. It is probable that all the victims will be buried in one day, although it is too early to learn of the arrangements.
When the funerals do occur, it will likely be the occasion of a day of mourning in the entire region. All the dead were men among the best citizenship of the town and differ remarkably from the kind of miner who is employed in the anthracite region elsewhere. The affair has cast the deepest gloom over the community and little work was done about this place to-day.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, May 26, 1904:
MINE OFFICIALS ARE MYSTIFIED AS TO CAUSE
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, May 26 [1904] — A telegram received at the Susquehanna Coal Company’s offices, in this city last evening, sates that ten miners were suffocated by gas and sulphur fumes from a small locomotive yesterday afternoon in the workings of the Summit Branch Coal Company, at Williamstown, above Harrisburg.
The accident was one of the most peculiar in the history of the anthracite mines, and no reason for it can be assigned by the officials. The victims included Michael Golden, general inside foreman of the company and at least nine miners and laborers. The tunnel in which the disaster occurred is one mile in length and is used by the coal company to convey the coal mined in the workings in the Bear Valley to the breaker in the Williams Valley. The men employed in the mines in the Bear Valley who reside in Williamstown have made a practice for years to ride to and from their work on the trips of cars that are hauled between the two valleys by small locomotives.
Tunnel In Constant Use.
About 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon General Inside Foreman Golden and about fifty miners boarded a loaded trip which was about to be hauled from Bear Valley to Williamstown. Everything went all right until about half the journey was made when some of the men attracted the attention of the engineer, who at once stopped and it was found that nearly every man in the party on the cars had been overcome by the gas and sulphur which emanated from the stack of the locomotive and floated back over them.
The engineer at once crowded on all steam possible and the unconscious men were hurried to the Williamstown end of the tunnel with all the speed possible. Here help was at once summoned and the men were taken to the surface, where a corps of physicians made every possible effort to resuscitate them, but aid came too late for Foreman Golden.
Men Overcome.
The tunnel has been in constant operation for more than forty years, and this is the first accident of any kind that has happened in it. It is perfectly free from mine gases and the ventilation is so perfect and the air current so strong and steady that besides being used for hauling cars the tunnel has formed one of the intakes that furnish air to the mines. No trouble has ever been experienced before from gas from the small mine locomotives and the officials are entirely at sea as to the cause of the tragedy.
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