Coal Mine Disasters
By Alice Henry
@IreneVincent (15960)
United States
October 1, 2017 9:32am CST
I grew up in a small town in West Virginia, USA, that is “famous” for being the site of one of the TOP TEN coal mining disasters in the world.
Most people have a difficult time pronouncing the name of the town, Monongah. But, think about the Monongahela River and you will be more likely to be able to pronounce it. It’s a Native American word, named after Chief Mo-non-ga-he-la.
Three hundred and sixty-two men, mostly Italian immigrants, died in that mine disaster in 1907.
Here’s a link if you would like to know more about it.
While technological improvements and stricter safety regulations have reduced coal mining related deaths, accidents are still too common. China, which produces more than one-third of annual global coal output, accounts for more than two-thirds of...
2 people like this
3 responses
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
1 Oct 17
@IreneVincent Very sad. If you are interested in mining disasters; here is the history of Frank Slide - a mountain that buried a town due to coal mining.
https://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/alberta/frank-slide/
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
2 Oct 17
@paigea I couldn't open the link.
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@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
2 Oct 17
@paigea I just tried it again and it opened. It is a very interesting story and I have not heard of this incident before today. Thanks for sharing.
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@snowy22315 (209080)
• United States
1 Oct 17
That is terrible. My sister works in mining inspection for the state of PA. She is not usually a hands on inspector but reviews mining plans and issues permits.
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@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
1 Oct 17
In the early days of coal mining in West Virginia, safety was not a big concern for the mine owners. As more and more accidents happened though, the miners demanded more safety precautions. There were many "strikes" back then, to try to get the owners to institute more safety regulations.
But, mining of anything, especially underground mining has ALWAYS been very dangerous. Some mines are very deep underground. I, for one, would NEVER be able to go underground like that. But, most of these men had no choice if they wanted to earn a living in West Virginia.
And what they got paid??? Ridiculous!!! Risking their lives every day for such a small pay check, while the mine owners got RICH. There were many millionaires in West Virginia who owned the mineral rights for gas and oil wells and coal mines.
In addition to that, the mine owners owned the only stores where the miners could buy food and clothing. Company stores were in every coal mining town and I am old enough to remember those stores. Company houses where the miners could live took the rest of their paycheck.
@RasmaSandra (98072)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1 Oct 17
That is one of the worst disasters. Scary to think people get buried underground.
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