This post is part of a series of articles on the explosion that occurred at Bear Valley, No. 1 Shaft, Summit Branch Colliery, near Williamstown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, July 15, 1908, in which six men were killed.
Note that the news articles quoted here kept getting the casualty totals wrong. The final death toll was six.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, July 15, 1908:
MANY ARE KILLED IN MINE DISASTER AT WILLIAMSTOWN
Explosion of Gas Send at Least Twelve Miners to Death and Injures Many More; Six Bodies Not Yet Recovered
TOUCHING SCENES AT MOUTH OF MINE
By Associated Press
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, July 15 [1908] — One of the worst catastrophies which has ever visited the lower section of the anthracite coal fields occurred shortly after noon today at Williamstown, in which twelve men are reported to have been instantly killed and as many more so badly injured that it is thought several of them will die. The accident is believed to have been caused by an explosion of gas, but those who have thus far been taken out have not been able to give a connected story of the disaster.
The Dead.
The known dead:
James Bowman.
Charles Rickert.
John Whittle.
—– Beverly.
—– Stakum.
Arthur Hawk.
Ten others were removed from the mine today, burned and torn by the force of the explosion, and it is feared several of them will die.
Six Bodies Unrecovered.
Six bodies are still unrecovered.
It was with great difficulty that rescuing parties could go down into the shaft and six are known to be still in the burning, gas-laden workings with little hope of being rescued alive, even if they were not killed instantly.
The Williamstown colliery is operated by the Susquehanna Coal Company and the employees who were in the ill-fated workings were all residents of Williamstown and immediate vicinity, almost all of them Americans.
They were at work in what is known as Shaft No. 1.
Work of Rescue.
The explosion occurred shortly after the noon hour and steps were at once taken by the colliery officials to rescue the unfortunates. It was with the greatest difficulty, however, that they could gain entrance to the burning and gas-filled shaft. Eight of the first bodies brought up were thought to be dead, but two of them revived after being treated by the physicians who had been summoned from all sections of the Williamstown Valley.
Business places at Williamstown were promptly closed up and the entire town hurried to the colliery, about a mile distant, where they gathered near the mouth of the shaft waiting for the brave workmen to bring the dead and injured to the surface. There were scenes of the wildest confusion as women and children gathered about screaming and crying, and as each body was brought to the surface there was a wild rush by the crowd to ascertain the identity of the one recovered and whether he was alive or dead.
The store house at the colliery was converted into a morgue and under the direction of an undertaker, the bodies were laid out before being returned to their homes. The injured were removed to the company offices where they were treated by the physicians who had been summoned.
While no statement has thus far been given out by the officials of the company relative to the cause of the explosion, Charles I. Price, of Lykens, mine inspector of the district in which the Williamstown colliery is located, in his annual report, pronounces this shaft to be gaseous.
The colliery is operated as the Summit Branch Mine Company and is worked by five openings, three of them slopes and the other two shafts.
H. A. Quinn is general superintendent and Hood McKay is superintendent. last year the total production of coal at this colliery was 266, 149 tons and 1,015 men are employed.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, July 15, 1908:
Explosion Caused by Fire Damp, Foreman Says
Special to the Telegraph
Williamstown, Pennsylvania, July 15 [1908] — At least eight miners were killed and five injured in a firedamp explosion at No. 1 Shaft, Williamstown colliery, Bear Valley, at noon today. The shaft is located two miles from here and at a late hour this afternoon the complete particulars could not be learned and only a few of the dead had been recovered. The total number of dead and injured will not be known until this evening. Physicians have been called from Williamstown, Lykens, and Tower City, as it is believed there are more men in the shaft. The known dead are:
—– Hawk, Dayton.
John Vogel, Williamstown.
—– Whittle, Williamstown.
—– Reily, Williamstown.
Charles Rickard, Williamstown.
Mike Stakem, Williamstown.
Monroe Shade, Pine Valley.
—– Hepperley, Pine Valley.
All the dead are married and have families. The bodies of Shade and Hepperley have not been recovered. Those of Hawk and Reily were found in a badly mangled condition.
The Injured.
The injured are all from Williamstown and are as follows, so far as known:
Martin Doyle, not married.
Charles Hocker, married.
John Welsh, married.
H. Fickley, not married.
—– Meinhart, married.
The injured are badly burned about the body, but their condition is nor considered serious.
The coal company officials will not give out any statement until after a complete search is made, all the bodies recovered and the injured cared for. The statement that the explosion came from fire damp was made by one of the injured men. There should have been at work not less than fifty men, but at least ten quit work before the usual time, intending to make up the time later.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, July 16, 1908:
Gas Caused Explosion at Williamstown
Interior of Wrecked Mine Shows Effects of Large Accumulation
SEVEN FUNERALS ON ONE DAY
Business of Whole Town Will Be Suspended As Token of Respect
By Associated Press.
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, July 16 [1908] — Mine Inspectors C. J. Price, of Lykens, J. J. Curren and M. J. Brennan, of Pottsville, with Superintendent Auman, of the Williamstown colliery, and Coroner H. R. Coover, of Harrisburg, this morning made an inspection of the ill-fate workings at Williamstown in which seven men lost their lives yesterday afternoon and a dozen other were badly injured. The inspectors will testify before the coroner’s inquest, which will be held Saturday night or early next week as soon as some of the injured are recovered to be able to be present and testify.
Coroner Coover is empaneling his jury and they will be taken down into the shaft where the fatality occurred and also review the remains of the victims. That section of the mine, while not considered particularly dangerous, was of a gaseous character and safety lamps were required. The gauze covering of these lamps keeps the gas from the flame and it is supposed that one of the men lifted this gauze to either obtain more light or to make some adjustment and the gas was instantly ignited. The interior shows that a vast volume of gas had accumulated, as the force of the explosion was unusually great, while the mine timbers were charred.
Williamstown is still stunned by the calamity which has overtaken it and business is practically at a standstill, with workmen gathered in groups about the town discussing the explosion and the disaster of a few years ago when ten miners were suffocated while riding through the tunnel at the same colliery. Arrangements are not being made for the funerals of the victims and it is probable that they will be held at the same hour on Saturday, when all the places of business will be closed for a half day,
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, July 16, 1908:
Seven Killed In Williamstown Mine
DEATH LIST NOT SO LARGE AS REPORTED
Carelessness Of One Of The Victims Thought To Have Caused Accident
By Associated Press
Williamstown, July 16 [1908] — The heavy explosion in the mine here yesterday afternoon resulted in the death of seven men and the injury of ten others, three of whom may die. It was at first believed twelve had been killed.
The dead are: John Reily, Arthur Hawk, Charles Rickert, John Whittle, Anthony Frelas, James Bowman, and Michael Stakum.
The most seriously injured are: William Meinhart, Charles Parker, Martin Doyle, Ralph Finley, John Walsh, Isaac Hess, Charles Hepler, and Monroe Shade.
The mine was wrecked by the explosion and set on fire, but the flames were extinguished before much damage was done. The mine is the Williamstown colliery of the Summit Branch Mining Company.
Carelessness on the part of one of the dead men is believed to have brought about the disaster. It has not been learned which one of the unfortunates was responsible, but it is believed that he exposed his safety lamp just after a blast.
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.