The Monongah disaster of 1907 was a very complex event and is, by default, just as complex a topic to research. As it tends to go with things so complex in their nature, many complications arise through the research and learning process. Getting to both the facts and the truths of the event requires a lot of time to identify, diagnose, analyze, and problem-solve each of these complications.
The research process can feel like going in endless circles and it does get quite overwhelming on the regular. I understand the urge to merely seek & find the *absolute answers*. Unfortunately, that is something that no singular place, person, or source can truly provide due to one classic, but critical, complication that has plagued the Monongah disaster from the start: misinformation.
Misinformation has been reported and published about Monongah since the very day of the disaster, much by accident and some by design. Very little of this misinformation is ever addressed or corrected by those who publish it, from the newspapers/magazines/journals back then which has subsequently lent to that of the creators of today. As Monongah is increasingly coming back into the broader historical limelight and many are utilizing these old resources, the cycle of misinformation has only worsened.
Proper navigation of the details up to the broader issues will make all the difference in comprehending the complexities of this specific event. It takes time and practice to quickly identify it, but there has always been more exaggerated and misapplied information out there about Monongah than there has been good, accurate, or reliable. As a result, the slightest mistake in even the most or least knowable details is disgustingly easy to make and even one mistake can throw the entire “bigger picture” out of focus when it comes to piecing Monongah back together.
And so, we finally arrive at the whole point of this new section of the site: to assist in or provide clarification of the basic misinformation associated with the Monongah Disaster of 1907.
Understand, my intention for this section is not to present or recommend myself as “the” or even “an” authority about the Monongah Disaster. This is a subject where any singular authority died decades ago—if one ever existed at all, expertise is impossible, mastery is impractical and even being a “foremost mind”, like Davitt McAteer, truly takes a life’s work. But, as one who knows how scattered and specific many sources and resources are, I’d like to share some of those in relation to certain common misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the Monongah disaster.
I invite all to think of this section as sharing just a bit of my *private library*, if you will; a “hub” of specific sources and resources as best as I have been able to collect and can provide on certain topics so far. I am merely your volunteer *reference librarian* attempting to assemble the most basic and fundamental starter’s guide possible with what I have collected and have learned so far.
But before we start, one last notice and disclaimer:
The following list of questions and answers are kept as short and concise as possible. This page & the posts to go with it are, indeed, copyrighted to myself.
Truly, if you are doing even the most basic legwork to comprehend this event objectively, these are all very easy answers to find as they have always been in plain sight. I will provide simple, legitimate sources for each answer just to help guide you in the right direction and away from all the distractions or information traps out there. However, you will still need to dig through these (and more) sources very thoroughly for yourself. I’m just trying to be a guide through this century-old maze of misinformation. It’s easy to get turned around and misguided in here, you can take my word on that.
My own research is still an ongoing process. Much like the Timeline, the information on this page is always subject to change, update, or expansion as the research progresses.
- Were Monongah mines #6 & #8 “gaseous” prior to/at the time of the disaster in 1907?
- What classifies a mine as “gaseous”?
- Did Monongah mines use live canaries for detecting gas?
- Did mines #6 & #8 share a ventilation system?
- Were mines #6 & #8 connected underground?
- Was the explosion *caused* by dust or gas?
- Where were the 2 mines located? How accessible are they today?
- What is a Coroner’s Inquiry? What was the jury’s verdict?
- Did anyone survive the disaster or get out of the mines alive?
- How many *children* died in the mines at the time? What were their jobs?
- More to come….
April 2026: I have a VERY long list of Q&A topics which are still actively being written. I can, honestly, only keep track of writing about 10 of these topics at once. The best way to get automatic email notifications about future updates to this page is to “Follow”/ “Subscribe” via email.
Do you have a question regarding the Monongah Mine Disaster which isn’t on the list above? Drop it into the form below and I’ll add it to my list of topics!
© 2026 Katie Orwig. All Rights Reserved.