coal mining – Page 2 – The Monongah Disaster

Friday, December 6, 1907, Mid-Morning 9:30 – 10:15 am

9:30 am

Inside #8

The DePetris brothers finish loading their 1^st car and being taking it out to the main line. (Inquiry) ◊

Dan Dominico is working alone nearby. (Inquiry)

Inside #6

Will Jenkins arrives to 4^th left but finds that the horse in question does not need a new shoe and begins out of the mine. (Inquiry) ◊

10:00 am

At the mines:

All day shift workers, at least those who are coming to work today, have arrived and are at work. (News, Inquiry)

In East Monongah:

Frank Morris is in his office at the Company Store. (Inquiry)

frontThumbnail (12) — Inside the Company Store.

George Peddicord is in the supply house, located on the opposite side of the river from the mine, collecting more chain buckets. (Inquiry)

John Talbott is working in the shipping office between the company store and main offices. (Inquiry)◊

Inside #6

Will Jenkins is on his way out of the mine and back to the blacksmith shop when he meets Charlie Wise on his way out. They are about a half mile in #6 and Wise was going down the heading, deeper into the mine. (Inquiry) ◊

10:10 am

Outside #6:

Will Jenkins exits the mine and heads back to the blacksmith shop to start shoeing another horse. (Inquiry) ◊

In East Monongah:

H.L. Sloan is on the hill cleaning coal cars at Mine #2, across the river and “right in front of #6”. (Inquiry)

Outside #8

Otto Smith is out on the tipple. (Inquiry)

Inside #6

At the bottom of the slope, the coupler connects a train of between 15-19 fully loaded, 3-ton coal cars onto the wire rope of the wench and, using modern electrical systems, signals Ed Fry in the engine house to start the wench and pull up the first haul of the day. (McAteer, Inquiry)◊

Outside #6

In the engine house, Ed Fry receives the electric light signal from the bottom of #6 slope and pulls the winch engine arm to begin hauling the train of cars from the bottom, up the slope, across the trestle, and to the tipple on the opposite side of the river. (McAteer, Inquiry)◊

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Friday, December 6, 1907 – Early Hours, Midnight – 6:30 am

Midnight

Inside the mines:

Early morning fire bosses make their rounds in both mines and, despite noting a few small traces of gas, they find nothing out of the ordinary.

At #6

Lester Trader finishes writing a letter to his father on his lunch break.

“Trader’s letter to his father was filled with unintentional portent. On Tuesday, December 3rd, he had written,

‘It used to make the shivers run through me to read the news accounts of mine horror, but since I have been in the mines and see into all the little details…it has lost a great part of the horror for me, and the small, everyday accidents are more to be feared in my estimation than an extended explosion.‘

“On Friday morning, December 6th, he continued in a prophetic passage in the dim light of the underground shanty:

‘The greater danger in a mine is not done so much by flame of the explosion, except when a dust explosion happens immediately after the gas explosion, but by the concussion…where a dust explosion takes place; there is a quick flash throughout the mine or a series of flashes…’

‘We have been reading with much interest the news paper accounts of the Naomi mine explosion. Our own mine being a mine laid out and worked on the same principal as it and having the same principal dangers to contend with namely gas, dust, and the poor class of foreign labor any one of which would be sufficient to cause a great deal of apprehension for the safety of the mine but coming as they do together it keeps us on the look out for the same fate of the Naomi Mine.’” (McAteer)

1:00 am

At the mines:

The next shift of fire bosses arrive at work. Fire bosses alternated shifts in their mines; “…each week one would enter the mine at 5:00 or 6:00 pm and come out at 5:00 or 6:00 am, and the second man would begin around 1:00 am and work until 1:00 pm. The next week they would trade start times.” (McAteer)

At #6

Andy H. Morris arrives for his 1 am fire boss shift.

2:00 am

At #8:

Pat Kerns starts his fire boss shift at 2 am.

~3:30 – 4:00 am

Little houses for miles around the Monongah area begin to light up as people arise to prepare for the day.

For many those celebrating St. Nicholas today, their day begins with rousing the children so the whole family can quickly enjoy a few festivities and a breakfast before their grandfathers, fathers, uncles, nephews, cousins, brothers, and sons must leave for their morning shift in the mines.

4:3o am

In Monongah:

Anestis Stamboulis and a few other Greek miners are violently ill from eating mushrooms they picked yesterday. They do not go to work. (McAteer)

In the outskirts of Monongah:

Miners from surrounding areas are leaving their homes for work. They mostly walk or ride interurban trolley directly to Monongah.

FWV 12.6.07 pg 6

5:00 – 5:30 am

In Monongah:

Miners who live closer to the mines are leaving for their shifts.

Luca Di Mario is particularly insistent on telling his wife, Izzi Agnese, “Goodbye Agnese, goodbye…”. (Nurses)

Sarah Ann Martin refuses to make her son, Charlie Martin, a lunch. Charlie has been sick in bed all week but this morning he tries to get up and go to work. Sarah believes it is “bad luck to start back to work on a Friday” and implores him to stay home. He does. (McAteer)

Luca Meffe (a Torellese miner) invites Clement Di Placido to not go down to the mine and to celebrate St. Nick’s Day with a group of friends. “I have no wife, I have no father, I have no children, I have no affections, what is this life of mine for which I should celebrate?” (Nurses)

Victor Davia (one of the few Northern Italian miners in town) has been at home with a hurt back for several days. But today he decides to go to work. (NCH 12.10.07 pg. 1)

Ellis V. Herndon leaves his home, “the top house…going up the left hand side” on Walnut Avenue for his shift at #8. (Loss)

His son, Ira Herndon, worked in the mines the day before “in water clear up to his knees.” When he wakes to get ready for work, he finds that his only pair of work boots are still soaking wet. This prevents him from going into work today. (Loss)

At the mines:

At some point, Homer Palmer sees fire boss Pat Kerns come out of #8 and talk to William Bice. (Inquiry)

Pat Kerns makes the report of his fire boss shift and opens the gates to #8 just before 5:30 am. (McAteer)

5:30 – 6:00 am

In Monongah:

Day laborers are awake and preparing for the work day.

At #8:

Tony Pasquaele leaves his shift as water cart driver. (Inquiry)

Brothers Orazio (“Crazic”) and Angelo DePetris arrive for work in #8 around 5:30 am and find the portal gate already open. Angelo’s son, Felix, is also among those coming in for the morning shift. (McAteer, Inquiry)

Dan Dominico and his son Leo Dominico are also at the entrance of #8 around 5:30 am and find the gate already open. (McAteer, Inquiry)

Pat Kerns goes back in to #8 to finish his shift, now as a “day man”. He will watch the miners come in and make plans and assignments for workers. (McAteer, Inquiry)

H. Yost leaves his night shift of running the fan for #8 and William Bice takes over running the fan along with Joe Newton. (McAteer, Inquiry)

Homer Palmer leaves work. He does not see Pat Kerns reenter #8 before he leaves, but assumes he has already gone back in. (McAteer, Inquiry)

Peter and Stan Urban enter #8 mine for work a little before 6 am. (McAteer, Inquiry)

6:00 – 6:30 am

Inside #8:

Fire Boss P.J. McGraw is wrapping up his shift by making his report and is getting ready to leave. (McAteer, Inquiry)

The DePetris brothers begin working 2^nd right south, room #15. (McAteer, Inquiry)

Leo Dominico sees no bosses of any sort on his way in or through the mine and begins working, alone, in “South 2^nd right, 1^st South”. (McAteer, Inquiry)

Peter and Stan Urban arrive at 1st right, 1st heading, and find they have no cars for loading coal. Though they detect a bit of “foul air” in that section, they proceed to start their pick work. (Inquiry)

Inside # 6

Fire Boss L.E. Trader makes his report and places his fire boss record book in the fire boss shanty for Fire Boss Morris to collect and turn in once Tom Donlin arrives in the office for dayshift. On his way out of the mine, Trader passes dayshift Fire Bosses Lyden and Morris on their way in to work. (McAteer, Inquiry)

Outside #6

Will Jenkins arrives for his job at the blacksmith shop. (Inquiry)

Fire Boss Lester Trader records the findings from his nightshift onto the chalkboard posted just outside of the mine entrance, as all fire bosses are to do at the end of their shift. (McAteer, Inquiry)

Trader crosses the river and records his nightshift findings at the foreman’s office, cleans himself up a bit. (McAteer, Inquiry)

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December 5, 1907 – Eve of St. Nicholas Feast Day

“The dawn of a new era of prosperity is here.” (FWV 12.5.07 pg. 1)

During the day:

The country is beginning “to recover from the severe shock of the recent panic” on Wall Street. “Naturally there was a little scare at first, but when the people saw that there were rotten spots only here and there they quickly recovered from their fright.” (FWV 12.5.07 pg. 1)

In Pennsylvania:

12.5.07 - pg 1 - Naomi — FWV 12.5.07 pg 1

In Washington D.C.:

Gov. Dawson of West Virginia gives the opening speech at the river convention. (FWV 12.5.07 pg. 1)

“He said his state was particularly interested in the comprehensive improvement of the inland waterways of the country…The governor referred particularly to the resources of West Virginia, the State being second in the production of coal and fifth or sixth in hard wood timber. The bulk of the coal has to find a market outside of the State and if, by water transportation, the state could save the ten cents a ton it would aggregate $3,000,000 a year.” (FWV 12.6.07 pg. 1)

“’We are one people and have a common destiny,’ said he, in conclusion. ‘We want nothing in West Virginia that is forbidden to any other part of the country; but I say to you, gentlemen, that we want to be ready for the Panama Canal when the great waterway is ready for us.’” (FWV 12.6.07 pg. 1)

In Grafton:

“Sam Furk, an Italian, has been held for the grand jury on the charge of extorting money at the point of a revolver from several of his fellow countrymen of this section.” An Italian witness from the same area of Italy as Sam Furk ‘testifies’ that Furk is wanted on two murder charges back in Italy, “so it is probable that the local authorities will take up this matter with the Italian embassy at Washington.” (CDT 12.5.07 pg. 1)

“The hearing developed the fact that Furk had been playing the hold-up game among members of his race successfully at Brooklyn, N.Y., Rowlesburg, Manheim, Fairmont, Clarksburg and Grafton.” (CDT 12.5.07 pg. 1)

“Furk is in jail here.” (CDT 12.5.07 pg. 1)

In Fairmont:

The Fairmont West Virginian reports the weather as: Fair tonight and Friday, warmer Friday

In Monongah:

Mines #6 & #8 are not running at full production today but the fans continue running for the skeleton crew inside. Due to the recent stock market crash, there is still a lack of orders & a majority of the working immigrant population will be celebrating the eve of St. Nicholas Feast Day tonight. In these days of “miner’s freedom”, many miners would choose not to go to work during their holidays.

In the Afternoon

In Fairmont:

The Isabella Davis Circle of King’s Daughters opens their annual Christmas Bazaar in the Sunday school room of M.E. Church on Main Street in Fairmont. “The different booths are all decorated in the Christmas colors red and green the color scheme being carried out by the use of crepe paper and autumn leaves in the colors.” (FWV 12.5.07 pg. 1)

In Monongah:

Anestis Stamboulis & several Greek miners take advantage of the holiday and good weather. They take a walk up into the hills surrounding the town and pick some wild mushrooms to be used for dinner. (McAteer)

~5:30 pm – 6 pm

In Monongah:

The Who’s Who Club of Wahoo (a neighborhood of Monongah) holds its monthly meeting where they “disposed of large quantities of the amber fluid, red liquor and refreshments of all varieties.” 8 members will not go into work tomorrow but will end up digging graves. (McAteer)

Homer Pyle and his mother are “sitting before the bright blazing fire” at their home,“…he said let us have a song for it is too cold to go over in town tonight, so he and his mother sang two or three songs and the last song was ‘Will There be Any Stars in My Crown?’”

“But little did Homer think that the next evening he wouldn’t be alive to sing with his mother.” (FWV 12.19.07 pg. 2)

At the mines:

The night shift skeleton crew comes onto work.

Over the next 12 hours these workers will do various jobs throughout the mines.

Inside #8

Peter J. McGraw came in for his fire boss shift around 6 pm.

He does his examinations of the mine alone.

He finds water in 4th left so significant that he can’t get in there to properly examine the heading. (Inquiry)

Inside #6

22-year-old Lester E. Trader arrives for his fire boss shift around 6 pm. (Inquiry, McAteer)

Trader inherited his job when the previous fire boss got sick during Trader’s apprenticing. Trader lacked 3 years necessary experience, training, and certification for his official position so he was kept on the night shift so as to “not run into the inspector”. (McAteer)

Trader worked alone like most fire bosses. He led a horse drawn water cart to sprinkle the mine walls in order to dampen any renegade coal dust.

To check for dangerous gas levels, he used a Wolf Safety Lamp to check for methane. However, due to the size of #6 mine, Trader cannot check everywhere.

~7:00 pm

At the mines:

Libberato Delesandro works the night shift, “helping to get #6 and #8 through together”. (Inquiry)

Inside #8:

Tony Pasquaele arrives to work and drives the horse-drawn water cart in #8 through the night. “The watering carts carried large wooden barrels filled with 300 gallons of water; perforated ends of the barrels were plugged by wooden combs that could be removed to allow water to sprinkle out.” (McAteer)

As he is leading the horse and water cart, he notices that the heading is “a little dry” for this time of year. (Inquiry)

Tony is also responsible for pumping out any rising or standing water which had seeped into the mines. His pattern is systematic; he “would start the pumps then go water mines for a bit, and then would check back on the pumps every 2 hours to see how they were doing.” (Inquiry)

Inside #6:

Ludwig Strezelecki works at F face: 1st right, room 15. His task for the night involves working with his brother-in-law taking out stumps and finishing the headings.

Night

It is the eve of St. Nicholas Day for Italian Catholic and some Polish Catholic immigrants.

At night, the families gather around their coal stoves or fireplaces (if they are fortunate enough to have a fireplace) and tell stories, sing hymns, or verse simple rhymes about St. Nicholas De Bari.

Polish- St Nick rhyme-mamalisa — Polish rhyme to St. Nicholas

Italian - St Nick rhyme - mamalisa — Italian rhyme for St. Nicholas

Children leave their shoes lined up side-by-side next to the door, window, or hearth. If possible, some would place bits of carrot, oat, or hay inside as a gift for the trusty mule/white horse which traveled along with St. Nicholas as he delivered small gifts.

8:00 pm

In Clarksburg:

At the Bacon & Godfrey skating rink a “Who’s Who” Carnival is held. “Upon entering the rink, you will be furnished with a false head or some contrivance of that kind which will make it almost impossible for your mother to even know you. With everybody thus attired the big show will start, with everyone wondering who is who.” (CDT 12.5.07 pg. 1)

~10:00 pm

Inside #8:

Homer C. Palmer (electrician) arrives for his night shift.

Through the night:

Inside the mines:

The main ways of the mines are watered.

Fire bosses like Lester Trader and P.J. McGraw walk their respective mine checking for dangerous conditions in both #6 and #8.

Inside #8:

George Bice dug coal (pick work) on 5th right, 2nd north in #8

Inside #6:

Fred Cooper (motorman) sprinkled headings in #6. (Inquiry)

In Monongah:

Not long after the children have fallen to sleep, several parents quietly replace the bits of hay or carrot in their children’s shoes with a sweet treat, like candy or fruit, and a small present—typically a (gold) coin.

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Wednesday, December 4, 1907

At the Naomi mine in Pennsylvania:

12.4.07 - pg 1 - Naomi — FWV 12.4.07 pg 1

In Washington D.C.:

Gov. Dawson - wikipedia — photo of Governor W.M.O. Dawson from Wikipedia

Governor William M.O. Dawson arrives in D.C. for the national river convention. Governor Dawson conferred “with river enthusiasts from many States and is rejoiced at the enthusiasm…”. (FWV 12.5.07 pg. 1)

ABFleming - wikipedia — Photo of Aretas Brooks Fleming from Wikipedia

Former West Virginia Governor and current Fairmont Coal Company associate, A.B. Fleming, is also at the convention in D.C. (FWV 12.5.07 pg. 1)

In Grafton, WV:

Sam Furk has been arrested in Grafton by local authorities for crimes associated with the Black Hand. Furk is described as a “tough-looking” “big Italian”, believed to be “king of the Black Hand society of this section of the country”.

“Nothing concerning where Furk came from can be elicited from any of the local foreigners and all of them seem to be afraid of him. He arrived here a short time ago and has been spending his time among the foreigners.”

Furk is charged with extorting other Italians for money around the Grafton and Fairmont areas.

“From what could be learned of the matter from the foreigners, most of whom were so badly scared they would not talk, it appears that Furk, since he came here, has been posing as the ‘big man’ in the ‘Black Hand’ society and in making his demands upon the foreigners has emphasized his remarks by the flourish of a big revolver.”

Many local terrorized Italians are “afraid that if they do appear against the fellow that he should not be held for court that he would kill them as soon as he could find them after being released.”

“…Furk was not given a hearing yesterday, but he will probably be arraigned today.” (FWV 12.4.07 pg. 2 & 6)

At the Monongah mines:

Day shift worked at mines #6 and #8

Fred Stubbs is among them but this will be his last day of work for the rest of the week because his wife is very sick at home. At this time, a system known as “miners freedom” allows Fred to choose if he wants to work, rather than requesting the time off.

Ebook - miner's freedom - Race & labor in America — *For Jobs and Freedom: Race and Labor in America Since 1865*
By Robert H. Zieger, page 37

In #8:

It is the first day on the job for 3 Russian immigrants: Paul Goff, John Goff, and Frank Kreger.

Fred Vandatti works the gathering motor in #8: 4th right, 2nd north. Hugh Reese (brakeman) was his helper.

motorman — Motorman driving a gathering motor.

In #6:

James Rogers (assistant foreman in #6 and foreman in #3) is working in #6. This will be his last day of work this week due to illness.

George Simko works in #6: 2nd right, E face, room 8. This will also be his last day of work this week due to sickness.

Libberato Delasandro is working in #6 and finds gas accumulation earlier in the day at 2^nd right off of D face, in rooms 2 & 3. However, it was only a slight trace – normal and relatively safe—so he does what most miners do: he takes off his coat and waves it around, fanning the gases out of the air and working space. Later, he will find gas and dust accumulation on 2^nd right of G face in #6. At one point a foreman comes into where he is working, notices the gas and shouts at Libberato to lower the flame on his cap and so he does. (Inquiry, McAteer)

In Fairmont, WV:

The Fairmont West Virginian reports the weather as: Snow tonight. Thursday fair. Minimum temperature tonight about 15 degrees.

CW Watson - Wikipedia — Photo of C.W. Watson from Wikipedia

Fairmont Coal Company and Consolidated Coal Company President Clarence Wayland Watson is world-renowned for his show horses. 14 of C.W. Watson’s show horses arrive in Fairmont on train No. 7., care of the US Express company from New Haven, Conn. (FWV 12.4.07 pg. 5)

Night

In Monongah:

A meeting of Monongah mine foremen & superintendents is held in J.C. Gaskill’s office. The meeting is called to go over things regarding safety of the mines.

Fairmont Coal Company supervisor David Victor, Tom Donlin (foreman at #6), and foreman Pete McGraw are present for the meeting.

Gaskill asks McGraw and Donlin about conditions inside and about the mines and they replied that it was good in both cases. “…McGraw said he had a little bit of shooting off the solid that he had not been able to eliminate. He was instructed to eliminate all of that and that he must get rid of the men who had that practice.” (Inquiry– Victor)

James Rogers, assistant foreman in #6, talks with foreman Tom Donlin in the company supply store about watering the mines tonight.

At the mines:

Night shifts work and, per usual, the main-ways of the mines are watered, but not the branching off hallways and rooms. (Inquiry, McAteer)

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Disclaimer and Guide

By: Katie Orwig

How Death Gloated! is a collection of numerous resources and publications on the history of the Monongah Mine Disaster. They are arranged and presented in the form of a timeline of events as this better helps my own organization when it comes to working on my historic fiction about Monongah.

The title is taken from a newspaper article published on December 10, 1907 in the Cumberland Evening Times.

This timeline is not to be blindly trusted and is constantly subject to future change as I come across any new information. However, as far as I have found in my few years of formal research on this topic, I have yet to come across anything like a detailed timeline of events so I felt obligated to share this form of organizing my research despite the fact that I don’t think it will ever be a finished product.

I’d like to inform you of specific choices I made for How Death Gloated! so that it may help you navigate the information better:

Certain events included in this timeline may have only come with time stamps like “this afternoon,” or “early morning”. In these instances I would do my best to consider the context of the original source, cross check with other sources for anything which may conflict or concur the event being described, and then do my best to estimate the approximate time this event may have occurred based on what information I had to that point. Sometimes an event could get more accurately placed later on when more information is obtained, and sometimes it will remain in its ‘best guess’ slot.
I have not included ALL of my information. Some events which matter very much to the research for my historic fiction but are not necessary to the format and purpose of How Death Gloated!, have been omitted…for now. Almost all of these are just waiting for more clarification on where they should be placed, while the others have more of a storytelling/narrative intent and will not be included at all. For many of these issues, I will be making and posting separate journal entries about the problems they pose.
When considering my sources and their provided information, I often gave greatest partiality to the people of Monongah and the stories I heard through my life about the disaster. They often discussed the wrong information which was spread vs. what they knew or grew up hearing themselves.

These resources include contemporary newspaper, journal, and magazine accounts; photographs from various points in time; documentaries; published texts; personal accounts, etc. They will also be consistently updated.

These resources and the cited information contained on this site are not presented with the intention of formal citation.

In less formal lingo, please cite the source I cited for this information whenever possible.

If you have any questions about any of the information or a citation is unclear or missing, please contact me and I will do my best to answer any of your questions, point you in a possible direction for more information, or clear up something I probably just overlooked.

Please feel free to leave comments or discuss the events with myself and others here or on other media platforms. I welcome conversation and discussion on this matter as I feel collaboration on historic matters is absolutely vital.