Coal mining in West Virginia has always been a risky profession, especially before 1920, when laws had not been created to improve and monitor mine safety. During those years, working as a coal miner was an extremely unhealthy and dangerous occupation.

Mining accidents occurred from a variety of causes, including leaks of poisonous gases such as hydrogen sulfide or explosive natural gases, especially firedamp or methane, dust explosions, collapsing of mine stopes, mining-induced earthquakes, flooding, and general mechanical errors from improperly used or malfunctioning mining equipment, such as safety lamps or electrical equipment. The use of improper explosives underground also could cause methane and coal dust explosions.

Other accidents occurred due to fire and smoke, cave-ins, snowslides, gas inhalation, and machinery/equipment failures such as cage falls, mine car and hoisting accidents, and others.

Once the miner was down to his working level, he contended with moving tram cars, steam lines, electric wiring, various types of machinery, and the heavy, hot, and massively vibrating drills. Supporting timber if poorly positioned, or if the wood became water-soaked and rotten, or with minor shifts in the earth’s crust, tons of rock would suddenly fall, trapping or crushing the miners.

Coal mines were often filled with odorless and tasteless methane gas. Canaries, birds that were sensitive to toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and methane, were used until the 1980s when handheld electronic detectors replaced them.

In general, early mine accidents were blamed on God or the carelessness of the miner. These attitudes on the part of the mine owners, the courts, and government agencies continued well into the 20th century.

In 1883 the West Virginia Legislature passed the first law regarding coal mining in the state. The law provided a qualified mine inspector to be appointed by the governor who appointed Oscar A. Veazey.

His job required him to prepare an annual report on the number of mines, employees, and a summary of his activities. It also required the reporting of all mine fatalities and the names of the victims, which was completed in 1883. The following year, Veazey proposed the first comprehensive mine safety laws.

Since 1883, when fatality records began to be kept, more than 21,000 miners have lost their lives in the West Virginia coal mines. In the early years, most of these deaths were single fatalities, and many were not investigated. However, in 1883, when 20 miners lost their lives, the legislature established the West Virginia Department of Mines and appointed Oscar Veazey as the first mine inspector. That year the first Annual Report was prepared, and the following year, Veazey proposed the first comprehensive mine safety laws. However, nothing was enacted.

On January 21, 1886, West Virginia’s first significant mining accident occurred at the Mountain Brook mine in Newburg. The methane gas and dust explosion ignited by an open light killed 39 men and was classified as the first mining “disaster” in the state. This would be the first in a long line of “disasters” in the following years.

In 1887, the Legislature passed the first significant mine safety laws; however, they were not published until 1897.

In the next decade, coal production increased from slightly more than two million tons in 1883 to more than 11 million tons by  1894. That year, the United Mine Works went on strike in West Virginia.

The next disaster occurred in Standard, West Virginia, on November 20, 1894. When coal was blasted using a dangerous method called “shooting from the solid,” meaning that they blasted the coal loose without first undercutting it, eight men lost their lives. Just two years earlier, three men had been killed there in the same manner.

By 1900, coal production had doubled to more than 22 million tons. The boom ushered in a period of great danger. Three months into the 20th century, a miner’s open light ignited methane gas at the Red Ash mine in Fayette County on March 6, 1900. The resulting explosion killed 46 men, many of whom were descendants of slaves, who had been lured from the South by the promise of good jobs.

In the early 1900s, over 18 months, a mine worker’s chance of being crushed, asphyxiated, burned, blasted, drowned, or similarly maimed or killed was more than 100%.

In 1905 the West Virginia Department of Mines was created. Two years later, a Mining Commission was appointed to propose new legislation. These laws were printed in the languages of the miners the same year. Though the laws were to improve and monitor mine safety, disasters would continue to occur.

Part of the problem was recruiting unskilled workers, including immigrants, who had never worked in the mines.

On January 29, 1907, at the Stuart Mine in Fayette County, an explosion was caused when an open light ignited gas. Occurring after disregarding safety rules, the explosion killed 85 men, most of whom were unskilled workers.

On December 6, 1907, the Fairmont Coal Company’s interconnected Number 6 and 8 mines at Monongah exploded, killing 361 miners, the worst coal mining disaster in U.S. history. People could feel the impacts from the explosions as far as eight miles away. Some people and animals were violently thrown by the force of the event, and many buildings were destroyed. To this day, officials aren’t sure of the cause. Many believe an equipment spark may have ignited dust or gasses in the air. Of those killed, only 74 were classified as “Americans.”

The resulting public outcry brought Congressional action, culminating in creating the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1910. However, it would not be quick enough.

In that year, the largest number of major mine disaster events occurred in the United States. At this time, the Pullman Company made the first mine rescue railroad cars for the U.S. Bureau of Mines. These cars were former Pullman sleeping cars that were remodeled. The chief work of the car personnel was to investigate the cause of a mine disaster as quickly as possible, assist in the rescue of miners, and give first aid.

In the subsequent years, the cars continuously visited mining centers all over the nation to present demonstrations, lectures, and training. When a mine disaster occurred, the car was moved by a special locomotive or connected to the first train available.

In the first five years, 300 mine accidents, including explosions, fires, and cave-ins, were investigated, 230,000 attended lectures or demonstrations, 34,000 were given training in rescue and first-aid methods, and 11,700 training certificates were issued, increasing continuously from 509 in 1911 to 4,258 in 1915.

The second worst mine explosion in the state occurred on April 28, 1914, at the New River Collieries Company’s Number 5 mine in Eccles, West Virginia. The gas explosion occurred when a miner decided to eliminate a wall of coal to create a shortcut. However, the controlled explosion cut off ventilation to the mining areas, and an open flame headlamp or lantern ignited the buildup of methane gas, triggering a tremendous explosion. In the tragedy, 183 miners lost their lives, and many of the bodies were trapped in the rubble for four days.

Of the 4,260 miners killed in West Virginia between 1910 and 1920, 579 died in massive explosions and fires.

In the 1920s, new state and federal regulations and insistence for improved safety from the United Mine Workers began to create a safer environment. But disasters still occurred, some of them with significant losses of life. In 1924, the Benwood Mine in Marshall County exploded, killing 119. Three years later, the Federal No. 3 mine at Everettville blew up, killing 111.

On January 10, 1940, 91 died in a methane explosion at the Pond Creek No. 1 mine at Bartley, McDowell County, shattering any illusion that major mine disasters had become a thing of the past.

In the 1950s, ten disasters were added to the terrible total. Notable among these were two explosions at the Pocahontas Fuel Company’s No. 35 mine in Bishop in 1957 and 1958, killing a total of 59 miners.

In the early 1960s, fires, roof falls, and flooding took their toll, but it was nowhere near the numbers in previous years. For instance, a July 23, 1966 explosion at the Siltix Mine near Mount Hope killed seven miners, while 39 escaped.

But just two years later, another explosion occurred on November 20, 1968, when the vast Consolidated No. 9  mine at Farmington exploded, killing 78. Apparent that significant changes still needed to be made, Congress passed the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act in 1969. West Virginia also tightened its rules and regulations. These changes at the state and federal levels finally made a major change in coal mine safety and significantly reduced mine disasters.

On July 22, 1972, at the Blacksville No. 1 mine in Monongalia County, a fire occurred while a continuous mining machine was moved to a new working section. Nine men working deep in the mine perished due to smoke and fumes that carried through the mine’s ventilation system.

Twenty years later, on March 19, 1992, another disaster occurred at the Blacksville No. 1 Mine. By that time, the mine was closed was being sealed. When drainage pipes were welded together and placed into the production shaft, a spark fell into the shaft, igniting methane gas, and four miners were killed.

The last coal mining disaster occurred on April 5, 2010, at the Upper Big Branch Montcoal Eagle Mine in Naoma. The worst mine disaster in 40 years, the explosion killed 29 people.

To date, there have been 119 disasters at mines in West Virginia. Many more miners suffered disabling and lifelong injuries in nonfatal accidents.

Though the mining history in West Virginia is tragic, the state has furnished our nation and the world with the finest bituminous coal found anywhere. Today, the coal industry exhibits a sense of responsibility – social, health, safety, and environmental – that is unmatched anywhere in the world.

There are more people killed in farming accidents in the U.S. today than in coal mining accidents.

West Virginia Coal Mine Disasters:

Date	Company	Mine	Location	Accident Type	# of Victims
January 21, 1886	Orrel Coal Company	Mountain Brook	Newburg	Gas & Dust Explosion ignited by open light. This was classified as the first mining “disaster” in the state.	39
November 20, 1894	Blanch Coal Co.	Blanch	Standard	Explosion	8
March 06, 1900	Red Ash Coal Company	Red Ash	Red Ash	Gas Explosion ignited by open light	46
November 2, 1900	SO. Coal & Transportation Co.	Berryburg	Berryburg	Powder Explosion	15
May 15, 1901	George’s Creek Coal & Iron Co	Chatham	Farmington	Explosion	10
September 15, 1902	Algoma Coal and Coke	Algoma No. 7	Algoma	Explosion	17
September 22, 1902	New Central Coal Co.	Stafford	Stafford	Explosion	6
February 26, 1905	Grapevine Coal Co.	Grapevine	Wilcoe	Explosion	7
March 19, 1905	New River Smokeless Coal Co.	Rush Run/Red Ash	Red Ash	Explosion	24
April 20, 1905	Cabin Creek Mining Co.	Cabin Creek	Kayford	Powder Explosion	6
July 05, 1905	Tidewater Coal & Coke Co.	Tidewater	Vivian	Explosion	5
November 04, 1905	Tidewater Coal & Coke Co.	Tidewater	Vivian	Explosion	7
December 04, 1905	Cardiff Coal Co.	Horton	Cabin Creek	Mine Fire	7
January 04, 1906	Coaldale Coal & Coke Co.	Coaldale	Coaldale	Explosion	22
January 18, 1906	Detroit & Kanawha Coal Co.	Detroit	Paint Creek	Explosion	18
February 08, 1906	Stuart Colliery Co.	Parral	Parral	Explosion	23
March 22, 1906	Century Coal Co.	Century	Century	Explosion	23
December 14, 1906	Pulaski Iron Co	Pulaski	Eckman	Powder Explosion	6
January 26, 1907	Lorentz	Lorentz	Penco	Powder Explosion	12
January 29, 1907	Stuart Colliery Co.	Stuart	Stuart	Gas Explosion ignited by open light	85
February 4, 1907	Davis Coal & Coke Co.	Thomas	Thomas	Explosion	25
May 01, 1907	White Oak Fuel Co.	Wipple	Scarbro	Explosion	46
December 6, 1907	Fairmont Coal Co.	Monongah 6 & 8	Monongah	Explosion. This is the worst mining disaster in U.S. history.	361
January 30, 1908	New River Valley Coal Co.	Backman	Hawks Nest	Explosion	9
December 29, 1908	Pocahontas Colleries Co.	Lick Branch	Switchback	Dust explosion ignited by excessive black powder	50
January 12, 1909	Pocahontas Colleries Co.	Lick Branch	Switchback	Overcharged shot ignited coal dust, causing an explosion.	67
March 31, 1909	Beury Brothers Coal Co.	Echo	Beury	Dynamite Explosion	16
December 31, 1910	Red Jacket Consolidated	Lick Fork	Thacker	Haulage	10
April 24, 1911	Davis Coal & Coke Co.	OTT No. 20	Elk Garden	Explosion	23
August 01, 1911	Standard Pocahontas Fuel Co.	Standard	Caples	Explosion	6
November 18, 1911	Bottom Creek Coal & Coke Co.	Bottom Creek	Vivian	Explosion	18
March 26, 1912	Jed Coal & Coke Co.	Jed	Jed	Gas Explosion ignited by an open light.	80
July 11, 1912	Ben Franklin Coal Co.	Panama	Moundsville	Explosion	8
April 28, 1914	New River Collieries Co.	Eccles No. 5 & 6	Eccles	Gas Explosion ignited by an open light. It is the second-worst disaster in the state’s history.	183
June 30, 1914	Sycamore Coal Co.	Cinderella	Cinderella	Suffocation	5
February 6, 1915	New River Co.	Carlisle	Carlisle	Explosion	22
March 2, 1915	New River & Pocahontas Consolidated. Co.	Layland No. 3	Layland	Gas Explosion ignited by an open light. Survivors included 47 men who were trapped underground for five days.	112
March 30, 1915	Hanna Coal Co.	Boomer No. 2	Boomer	Explosion	23
March 28, 1916	King Coal Co.	King No. 28	Vivian	Explosion	10
October 19, 1916	Jamison Coal & Coke Co.	Jamison No. 7	Barrackville	Explosion	10
April 18, 1917	Hutchinson Coal Co.	Lynden	Mason	Explosion	5
December 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
August 6, 1919	New River & Pocahontas Consolidated	Weirwood	Weirwood	Explosion	7
May 22, 1920	Mallory Coal Co.	Mallory No. 3	Mallory	Roof Fall	5
September 23, 1922	Raleigh-Wyoming Coal Co.	Glen Rogers #2	Glen Rogers	Falling Cage	5
March 2, 1923	Weyanoke Coal & Coke Co.	Arista	Arista	Explosion	10
November 06, 1923	Raleigh-Wyoming Coal Co.	Glen Rogers	Beckley	Explosion ignited by an arc from an electric drill	27
March 28, 1924	Yukon Pocahontas Coal Co.	Yukon No. 2	Yukon	Gas Explosion ignited by open lights.	24
April  28, 1924	Wheeling Steel Corp.	Benwood	Benwood	Gas Explosion ignited by an open light.	119
March 17, 1925	Bethlehem Mines Corp.	Barracksville	Barracksville	Explosion	33
January 14, 1926	Jamison Coal & Coke Co.	Jamison No. 8	Farmington	Explosion	19
March 8, 1926	Crab Orchard Improvement Co.	Eccles No. 5	Eccles	Explosion	19
November  15, 1926	Glendale Gas Coal Co.	Mound Shaft	Moundsville	Explosion	5
April 30, 1927	New England Fuel & Trans. Co.	Federal No. 3	Everttville	Locomotive ignited a gas explosion	97
May 13, 1927	Central Pocahontas Coal Co.	Shannon Br. 3	Capels	Explosion	8
April  2, 1928	Keystone Coal & 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
October 22, 1928	Macalpin Coal Co	McCalpin	McCalpin	Explosion	6
November 30, 1928	Princess Pocahontas Coal Corp.	Princess Pocahontas	Roderfield	Explosion	6
January  26, 1929	Kingston Pocahontas Coal Co. Inc.	Kingston No. 5	Kingston	Explosion	14
January 19, 1930	Lillybrook Coal Co.	No. 1	Lillybrook	Explosion	8
March 26, 1930	Crown Coal Co.	Yukon	Arnettsville	Explosion	12
January 6, 1931	Raleigh-Wyoming Coal Co.	Glen Rogers #2	Glen Rogers	Explosion	8
November 3, 1931	Island Creek Coal Co.	No. 20	Whitman	Explosion	5
May 12, 1935	Bethlehem Mines Corp.	No. 41	Barracksville	Fire in Shaft	6
September 2, 1936	Hutchinson Coal Co.	MacBeth	MacBeth	Explosion	10
March 11, 1937	Hutchinson Coal Co.	MacBeth	MacBeth	Explosion	18
January 10. 1940	Pond Creek Pocahontas Coal Co.	No. 1	Bartley	Gas Explosion ignited by an electric arc.	91
December 17, 1940	Raleigh Coal & Coke Co.	No. 4	Raleigh	Explosion	9
January 22, 1941	Koppers Coal Co.	Carswell	Carswell	Explosion	6
May 12, 1942	Christopher Coal Co.	Christopher #3	Osage	Gas Explosion ignited by arc in cutting machine control box.	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
December 15, 1942	Wyatt Coal Co.	Laing No. 1	Laing	Runaway Trip	5
January 8, 1943	Pursglove Coal Mining Co.	Pursglove No. 15	Pursglove	Mine Fire Suffocation	13
November 8, 1943	American Rolling Mill Co.	Nellis No. 3	Nellis	Explosion	11
March 25, 1944	Kathrine Coal Mining Co.	Kathrine No. 4	Lumberport	Explosion	16
January 15, 1946	New River & Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Co.	Havaco No. 9	Havaco	Explosion	15
August 6, 1948	New River & Pocahontas Consolidated Coal Co.	Berwind No. 11	Capels	Roof Fall	6
January 18, 1951	Burning Springs Collieries Co.	Burning Springs	Kermit	Gas Explosion	11
October 15, 1951	Trotter Coal Co.	Bunker	Cassville	Gas Explosion	110
October 31, 1951	Truax-Traer Coal Co.	United No. 1	Wevaco	Dust Explosion	12
November 13, 1954	Jamison Coal & Coke Co.	No. 9	Farmington	Explosion	16
February 4, 1957	Pocahontas Fuel Co.	No. 35	Bishop	Gas Explosion	37
December 9, 1957	Raleigh-Wyoming Coal Co.	Glen Rogers No.2	Glen Rogers	Mountain Bump	5
December 27, 1957	Pocahontas Fuel Co.	No. 31	Amonate	Gas Explosion	11
February 12, 1958	Amherst Coal Co.	Lundale	Lundale	Roof Fall	6
October 27, 1958	Pocahontas Fuel Co.	No. 35	Bishop	Gas Explosion	22
October 28, 1958	Oglebay Norton Coal Co.	Burton	Craigsville	Gas Explosion	14
March 8, 1960	Island Creek Coal Co.	No. 22	Holden	Mine Fire	18
November 9, 1962	Island Creek Coal Co.	No. 28	Verdunville	Haulage	3
April 25, 1963	Clinchfield Coal Co.	Compass No. 2	Dola	Gas Explosion	22
September 28, 1964	Island Creek Coal Co.	No. 6	Bartley	Gas Explosion	3
April 30, 1965	Mountaineer Coal Co. (Division of Consolidation Coal Co.)	Consolidation No. 9	Farmington	Gas Explosion	4
May 3, 1965	Dorothy Coal Co.	No. 1	Garrison	Roof Fall	3
October 16, 1965	Clinchfield Coal Co.	Mars No. 2	Sardis	Mine Fire	7
July 23, 1966	New River Co.	Siltix	Mount Hope	Gas Explosion	7
September 10, 1966	Valley Camp Coal	No. 3	Triadelphia	Haulage	4
May 06, 1968	Gauley Coal & Coke Co.	No. 8	Hominy Falls	Mine Inundation	4
August 14, 1968	Amherst Coal Co.	Lundale No. 1	Logan	Roof Fall	3
November 20, 1968	Mountaineer Coal Co. (Division of Consolidation Coal Co.)	No. 9	Farmington	Explosion	78
December 12, 1968	Buffalo Mining Co.	No. 8B	Lyburn	Mine Fire	3
June 11, 1971	Eastern Associated Coal Corp.	Federal No. 2	Fairview	Roof Fall	3
July 22, 1972	Consolidation Coal Co.	Blacksville	Blacksville	Mine Fire	9
December 16, 1972	Itmann Coal Co.	Itmann No. 3	Itmann	Gas Explosion	5
October 02, 1974	Cowin & Co. (Contractors)	Maple Meadow Mine	Fairdale	Falling Material	3
October 07, 1974	Monty Bros. Const. Co. (Contractor)	Bolt Sewell	Bolt	Fall in Shaft	3
June 05, 1975	Eastern Associated Coal Corp.	Harris No. 2	Bald Knob	Rib Fall	3
November 26, 1975	Bethlehem Mines Corp.	No. 105	Century	Roof Fall	3
November 07, 1980	Westmorel & Coal Co.	Ferrell	Uneeda	Gas Explosion	5
December 03, 1981	Elk River Sewell Coal Co.	Still House No. 1	Bergoo	Roof Fall	3
February 06, 1986	Consolidation Coal Co.	Loveridge No. 22	Fairview	Coal Storage Entrapment	5
March 19, 1992	Consolidation Coal Co.	Blacksville No. 1	Wana	Explosion In Shaft	4
January 22, 2003	Central Cambria Drilling Co. (Contractor)	McCelroy Mine	Graysville	Explosion in Shaft	3
January 2, 2006	Anker WV Mining Co., Inc.	Sago Mine	Tallmansville	Explosion & Entrapment	12
April 5, 2010	Performance Coal Co.	UBBMC Montcoal Eagle	Naoma	Explosion	29

©Kathy Weiser-Alexander/Legends of America, November 2021.

Also See:

Mining on the American Frontier

West Virginia Coal Mining

West Virginia Mine Wars

West Virginia – The Mountain State