This series of blog posts presents some original source material in the form of letters written by William H. Adams to the Pine Grove Press-Herald in 1977 related to the Mine Disaster at the Porter Tunnel in 1977. It was Adams’ contention that the accident needed to be investigated by the Federal government because of the information that was circulating in the Schuylkill County area regarding unsafe conditions at the Kocher Mine and the possibility of a cover-up if it were investigated only by local and State authorities.
William Henry Adams was born in Orwin, Porter Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on January 14, 1906, the son of William Charles Adams (1879-1918) and Cora Ellen [Leininger] Adams (1886-1978). The father was killed in a mine accident in 1918, leaving the mother with three children to raise on a very small, per-month stipend.
According to census information, William H. Adams married Mary E. Ossman (1905-1972) around 1925. In 1930, he was living in Reilly Township, Schuylkill County, with his wife and two small children and working as a laborer in a coal mine. Also in the household was a boarder, Charles W. Johnson, a 71 year old widower, without occupation. When William registered for the draft in 1940, he was living in Zerbe, Schuylkill County, he indicated that he was unemployed. However, the census of that year states that he was working as a laborer for the Works Project Administration (W. P. A.). His record of work after 1940 was given throughout the letters he wrote to the Press-Herald, and included working with the Independent Miners and Associates (IMA) as an officer and collecting royalties related to the use of coal lands.
William H. Adams‘ wife died in 1972 and he died in April 1981 in the Pottsville Hospital. He was survived by a son and three daughters.
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From the Press-Herald, Pine Grove, July 7, 1977:
Zerbe–Tremont
July 2, 1977
To General Public:
Dear People:
In answer to the many requests about my article to the Press of May 28 [1977] concerning the Kocher Coal Company disaster and of my requesting a Federal investigation, I can say there was a dangerous condition existing in mining in that section and the Kocher Coal Company officials, as well as Mine Inspectors and others, knew of the conditions.
I was the secretary of the Miners Association from 1942 to 1952 and secretary-treasurer Southern Breakermen’s Association from 1946 to 1952, and representative of Lark Associates 1944 to 1952. During these years I covered a lot of territory and also contacted the breakermen each week either as collecting dues for the miners group or royalty for Lark Associates. During these years I know Mr. Leon Richter had a breaker and was buying coal from the coal holes where this disaster happened.
I know Mr. Rissinger did Kocher’s book work, as I had to get reports on same for the royalty on coal from Lark’s lands. I also know Mr. Machamer who is president of the miners since 1942 had a coal hole near this same section and knew of the conditions as well.
Machamer should know what it means to lose a life in a mine, as one lost his life in their coal hole. Leon Richter knew of these conditions as he was in operations near this same section, and also knew of his duties in the capacity of supervisor of operations, as to mine laws and also who to contact to get the best facts on the coal holes above.
If the figures I received during my getting the facts on the disaster are correct, the slope involved would be over 100 ft. deeper than the Kocher gangway and therefore, workings were below. From the printed figures, holes were drilled straight down from the top and only went over 400 feet and slope was on a 45 degree pitch and was to be near 800 feet deep. So, if these figures are right, then the slope bottom is sure to be lower.
Under press reports, the break was 8 feet by 26 feet at the face of the gangway coming up from below. It also stated this break was filled up with debris since it was all settled and it was loose debris at the face of the gangway for down 37 feet and at the outside end of the 26 feet it was 6 feet loose debris.
It also stated a hole drilled in the face of the gangway 71 feet it hit an opening. Any miner who figures this out knows no more can this gangway be worked safely, as was there a breast which burst up or was it a heading or was it a gangway or was it where robbing was done?
Due to my positions in 1949, I had to stick my life, my job and all out for the benefit of Independent Miners on the royalty troubles and escrow royalty funds. I continued doing my work from March 1949 to September 1952 without being paid salary or expenses on the coal land leases. I appeared in Schuylkill County Court, Federal Court in Philadelphia and Dauphin Court on these matters and hauled the records all around.
I appeared in Dauphin Court on Bill in Equity No. 1988 — 1951 in which Mr. Kocher was a party of the Bill. At that time I had to transport 5 steel shell boxes as well as other records and testify and prove the true facts, and in the final settlement and the new agreement. I was left out in the cold. They did not care, only for themselves as Breakermen or Miners of Company or Union. I stuck my $500 a month job in the air and had a large estimated claim for salary and expenses, and I ended up in November 1969 with $5,600 for my whole work and the loss of my job.
Since the disaster I talked to several Kocher employees and they all said of the conditions and not holes were drilled down. Also they said, most are afraid to tell the truth, that they would be fired. I asked Mr. Kocher — the Great Church Man, The Great Fraternal Man, the Great Political Man, and also the Great Employer — will you fire or discharge any employee who tells the truth about the disaster. I know the so-called bootleg grape-vine and dug the true facts for years and will the Independent Miners and Associates see that any employee will be hired if fired for telling the truth.
Most of my records burned up when the movie house in Shenandoah burned, because my lawyer had the records and all were burned. But my memory, daily diary since 1944 and newspaper clippings are still almost all intact.
I know that quite a bit of the voluntary contributions fund was shared as well as some other required payments and hope that it is all gone to the proper places and also that some cannot charge certain costs on others as was done in the past.
Let those involved also consider there are laws to help take care of any fired in the Department of Labor Rules of Pennsylvania as well as Federal Laws on the same matters.
I am hereby making a final plea to Mr. Leon Kocher, Mr. Rissinger, Mr. Leon Richter, Mr. Clyde L. Machamer to do that which is true, and advise any and all employees and others involved to tell the truth and assured of help and protection from job loss or otherwise.
I talked on the phone to one employee who I never met or ever talked to before and asked him questions and he told me the true facts and never asked my name until he was done telling me the story, and he is still working at the Kocher Mine.
So let the true story come out and better precautions taken hereafter.
Sincerely yours,
William H. Adams
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Letters and photo from Newspapers.com. Photo is of rescuers going into the Porter Tunnel to rescue trapped miners.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.