This Month in W.Va. History: Monongah — one of America’s worst mining disasters
Picture credit of WV state Archive
When choosing what to talk about each month for this blog, I’ve tried to pick interesting stories that help tell West Virginia’s history through its past.
Some of those stories have been great and inspirational, while others were dark reminders of the painful side of our history. Maybe one of our state’s darkest moments came at Monongah in 1907 when a mining disaster killed at least 360 people. It has since been called the worst mining disaster in American history.
Picture credit of Mine Safety Health Administration archives
On Dec. 6, a massive explosion rippled through the Fairmont Coal Company’s No. 6 and No. 8 mines. The explosion was believed to have been ignited by methane and an open lamp, or possibly a blast gone wrong. Either way, the explosion left many miners trapped without ventilation and inhaling deadly fumes. Fires in the mines also crippled rescue efforts.
Due to poor record-keeping, the total number of people killed varies, but most sources have it at around 362. Hundreds of women were left widowed and some even lost their children, as boys as young as eight years old were pulled from the mines in the days following the collapse. Many of the victims were immigrants from Italy, Poland and elsewhere.
With the creation of the American railway system in the late 1800s, coal production exploded and West Virginia led the way. Unfortunately, mining regulations lagged behind the industry’s growth and because of this, there were no trained rescue workers at the time. Many of the rescuers were fellow miners and immigrants from the surrounding region who came to help.
The Marion County disaster capped off the deadliest year for mining accidents in the United States at the time with more than 3,200 deaths. The Monongah explosion and others spurred federal officials to later form the U.S. Bureau of Mines. While its creation provided a watchful eye over the industry, the bureau didn’t really have any regulatory power and mine owners continued to ignore safety precautions that were already being used in Europe. It wouldn’t be for a few more decades before the United Mine Workers of America labor union and supportive legislators were able to force new safety regulations.
Picture credit of Mine Safety Health Administration archives
As for those who were killed at Monongah, memorials are set up both in West Virginia and abroad. The community of San Giovanni in Fiore, Italy, erected a memorial in 2003 to remember the miners who hailed from their region. On the 100th anniversary in 2007, the Italian region of Molise presented a bell to the town of Monongah, which now sits in the town square.
And as for those of us sitting here today who have probably never stepped foot in a mine, Monongah is a reminder that today’s mine conditions -- while still arguably not perfect -- came at the cost of the miners at Monongah and many more before and after them.
