“Of the dozen or more miners from Clarksburg who perished in the Monongah mine horror the bodies of all have been recovered except that of a man named Hyland. If his body has been taken out it has not been identified. It is more than likely that it never will be identified and will be buried with the unknown.” (CDT 12.17.07 pg. 5)
~ 12:00 pm
At No. 1 mine in Yolande, AL:
“40 bodies now recovered. The remainder will be out by tonight.” (FWV 12.17.07 pg. 1)
“The mine has been pronounced free from gas by State Inspectors and it is supposed that the explosion was caused by dust.” (FWV 12.17.07 pg. 1)
The explosion is now known to have occurred in either the 5th or 6th right entrance. All of the bodies have been recovered from those entries and some of them are so horribly mutilated that identification is almost impossible. (FWV 12.17.07 pg. 1)
At the mines in Monongah:
One body is found in No. 8 by Chief Paul’s inspecting committee. The inspection committee is working “through No 8 toward No 6”. (FWV 12.17.07 pg. 1)
~2:30 pm
Women’s Christian Temperance Union holds a meeting in the Library parlors. (FWV 12.16.07 pg. 5)
~3:00 pm
The Arts and Arts & Crafts Dept. of the Woman’s Club holds its regular meeting at the public library in Willard Hall. A special program is given, in charge of Mrs. U.A. Clayton, to which the public is invited. Admission is 35 cents and the proceeds will go to the Monongah relief fund. The subject of the programs is “The Madonna” (FWV 12.13.07 pg. ) (FWV 12.14.07 pg. 5)
“The entertainment was a success from a financial stand point as well as a literary and musical treat the sum of $35 being realized.” (FWV 12.18.07 pg. 4)
At some point during the afternoon
In Washington D.C.:
William Griffith and John J Payton, of Scranton PA, arrive in D.C. “in an almost famished condition” after walking almost 200 miles to Washington from Scarbro, WV. (FWV 12.18.07 pg. 7)
Both were induced to leave their work in Scranton “some months ago” by advertisement of the White Oak Coal Company offering to pay wages at which they could have earned from $5-$6 a day. When they got to work they were paid $.48 for the work in which they received $1.10 at the Scranton mines, and $.50 for what they received $1.29. (FWV 12.18.07 pg. 7)
“If stories told…are true, the laborers at the mine of the White Oak Coal Company at Scarborough, WV are virtually slaves.” (FWV 12.18.07 pg. 7)
Their wages are paid in scrip good only at company store and they were often forced to discount their checks even at the stores. The longer they worked at the mines the deeper they became indebted to the company. (FWV 12.18.07 pg. 7)
They would have left there at the end of the first week if they had not virtually been imprisoned by the detectives and guards of the company. Every day, they claim, the miners are marched to and from work under guard. (FWV 12.18.07 pg. 7)
After 3 or 4 unsuccessful attempts, they managed to escape with $1.50 as the result of their 3 months labor. (FWV 12.18.07 pg. 7)
They are asked to present their grievances to the Assistant Attorney General Russell with a view of securing evidence for the prosecution of the coal company. (FWV 12.18.07 pg. 7)
In Monongah:
Chief Mine Inspector Paul is still on the ground with district inspectors making an examination of the mines.
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The Monongah Disaster 