Shortly after the disaster, the bodies of 89 of the 216 miners killed in the explosion were buried in what became known as the Fraterville Miners' Circle at Leach Cemetery in the nearby town of Coal Creek (modern Rocky Top). To contribute to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4575018M ail: P.O. This is a carousel with slides. 19 May 1902: 216 miners were killed in the Fraterville Mine disaster in Fraterville, Tennessee 25 January 1904: 179 miners and two aid workers were killed in the Harwick mine disaster, Harwick, Pennsylvania 28 April 1904: 63 people were killed in Villanueva del Ro, Sevilla; it was the worst mining accident recorded in Spain. . Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. They rounded up the convict laborers and put them on a train back to Knoxville. They probably lived for a short time before suffocating from the buildup of toxic gases and lack of oxygen. The Coal Creek Miners Museum tells the story of the Convict Lease System, the Fraterville Mine Disaster and the Cross Mountain Mine Disaster. The Fraterville Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion that occurred on May 19, 1902 near the community of Fraterville, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. They tried to go down the main shaft to find any survivors, but they only made it 200 feet when the afterdamp, a toxic mixture of gases produced by the explosion, forced them to turn back. side passage, but slowly suffocated to death hours later. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63988661/fraterville_mine_explosion_memorial. At the Leach Cemetery in Anderson County, 87 of the Fraterville miners were buried in a circle around a large monument in their honor.The precise cause of the explosion was never determined, or never disclosed. In May of 1902 one of the best-run mine companies in the Coal Creek, Tennessee, area suffered a disaster when an explosion trapped and killed 216 miners, all but 3 of the adult male population of the Fraterville community. He married Nancy Alice AMOS before 1897. Howard, Elbert said for you to wear his shoes and clothing. When the gas exploded, probably kindled by the open flames of the miners' lamps, coal dust was blown into the air and subsequently ignited, adding even more force to the explosion.The mine disaster devastated the small town of Fraterville, leaving both broken homes and a broken community. You can also support us by signing up to our Mailing List. I trust in Jesus. Those miners knew within in the next hour they were going to perish so they wrote what was dear to their heart. Lead Image: West Virginia coal miners and mules with open flame lamps, 1908. What future would the widows and orphans have had? E., bur: Miner's Circle [3] The youngest person to die in the event was 12 years old. Adkins, P. A., (F), bur: Miner's Circle He was the brother of Gideon H. Gid MASSENGILL (see #5), and the brother-in-law of William Levi MCLIN (#85) and John M. WHITE (#149). He was the son of David Samuel Dave MASSENGILL and Marintha Malinda WALLACE. Output Formats. Ellen, remember me as long as you live. Witt, Wm., bur: Miner's Circle Was looking at family history and just discovered my great grandfather was Jacob Leinart Vowell. Verify and try again. Others, alive but unable to escape toward the entrance, moved still deeper into the mine, where they constructed barricades in a futile attempt to close out deadly gases and stifling heat. MASSENGILL, Nicholas William Nicklas, was born 5 October 1869 in TN. Wallace, Jas. In a book that became to be known as 'The People of the Abyss' London described the time when he lived in the Whitechapel district sleeping in workhouses, so-called doss-houses and even on the streets. Recovery missions lasted for many days as a line of families and miners waited outside the entrance of the Fraterville Mine in order to identify each body that was extracted. Good-bye all of you, good-bye. H., bur: Leach There was a Nicholas Massengill, Jr killed in the 1902 Fraterville Mine explosion. Your boy and brother. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Dear Wife and Children: My time has come. Three mines that never used convicts were Fraterville, Thistle, and Central of the Coal Creek Coal Company. Ellen, I want you to live right and come to Heaven. Only three adult male residents remained in Fraterville after the explosion. From 1902 to 1927, according to the research of historian Ronald D. Eller, over 2,400 Appalachian workers died in mine explosions, with three of these disasters occurring in Tennessee at Briceville (1911), Catoosa (1917), and Rockwood (1926). The letters were found on their bodies when the rescuers finally reached them. 89 of the deceased miners One part of his message included, "I hope to meet you all in heaven. The 1902 Fraterville Mine explosion took the lives of 216 men and boys. The mine's ventilation furnace had been shut down all weekend, which could account for the accumulation of methane, an extremely explosive gas that can build up in poorly ventilated coal mines. This is about 1:30 o'clock. Resend Activation Email. How very, very sad. Witt, Marvin J., bur: Miner's Circle Forgotten until Barry Thacker brought it back to life. On May 19, 2005, the circle was added to the National Register of Fraterville Mine Disaster remembered 120 years later. occurred on May 19, 1902. Hundreds of women were widowed and between 800 and 1,000 children were orphaned. Required fields are marked *. The Fraterville Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion that occurred on May 19, 1902 near the community of Fraterville, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. [16] Leinart, Charles A., bur: Miner's Circle Bury me in black clothes. On May 19th, 1902, an explosion in the coal mine at Fraterville in Tennessees Coal Creek Valley claimed the lives of 216 men and boys. [5], It soon became clear that the rescuers had to attempt to fix the mine's ventilation and get clean air back into the mine. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. M., (F), bur: Longfield Wallace, Wm. Scott, Alex B., bur: Wiley Childress, John, (S), bur: Heiskell I do not know my great grandfathers first name and maybe some one can help me. He was killed in about 1902 in a mine explosion in Briceville, Tennessee which is close to Lake City, Tennessee, in Anderson County, Tennessee. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. How devastated these women had to be losing their husbands and other family members and left with the responsibility to earn a living to feed and raise their children and themselves. [4] The day after the explosion, the air was much more breathable and rescue efforts went into full swing. Hutson, W. S., bur: Miner's Circle cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. On May 19, 1902, 216 miners lost their lives in the explosion. A temporary morgue was established at the Farmers Supply Company in Coal Creek. McKamey, John C., (F), bur: Wilson May 19th, 1902. At a later point in time, Francis stated that he remembered arriving to the mine and seeing a great deal of confusion as families of the miners began gathering outside the mine in panic and sadness and unorganized rescue operations were taking place. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. My Great Grandfather was Powell Harmon when i was doing my Geno I found out all about him such a sad Story was looking to find a Book to buy about this but cannot find one. Major Camp was one of the only industrialists who refused to utilize the states appalling convict leasing system, a post-Civil War pretext for Southern states to re-enslave African-Americans using the 13th Amendment which outlawed involuntary servitude except as punishment for crime. - Douglas Percy Bliss on his friend Eric Ravilious from their time at the Royal College of Art Eric Ravilious loved. Topics and series. A significant historical date for this entry is May 19, 1902. That land would eventually become the backyard of Owen Bailey, a retired Briceville miner who is now 96 years old. This stretch of Route 116 has been renamed "Fraterville Miners Memorial Highway" in honor of the victims of the mine explosion. Although most testimony about coal mining disasters came from survivors and observers, the men who suffocated to death in the Fraterville, Tennessee mines in May 1902 left behind their own grim account. While the report stated that the shutdown of the mine's ventilation system over the previous weekend had allowed the dangerous build-up of the gases, ventilation furnace operator Tip Hightower was acquitted of negligence at a subsequent inquest. [4], According to the Tennessee Commissioner of Labor, the Fraterville Mine explosion occurred around 7:20 on the morning of May 19, 1902. Ellen remember me as long as you live Goodbye darling. Davidson, Jas., bur: Welsh At about 7:30 a.m., 184 men and boys entered the mine. Eighty-nine of the miners were buried in the Fraterville Miners Circle in Leach Cemetery. Instead, Camp hired expert miners, most of them Welsh immigrants, and paid them in cash per tonnage, not company scrip, and never scammed them with credit schemes and company stores. Jacob Vowell opened his notebook and wrote to Sarah Ellen, his wife and mother to their 6 children. Elliott, John, bur: Beech Grove Elbert said for you to meet him in Heaven. Hudsons Wife: If I dont see you any more, bury me in the clothing I have. Ellen lost her husband, son and two brothers in the disaster. Vowell, George, (S), bur: Briceville O how I wish to be with you. The town lost all but three of its adult males. Rutgers Strike Called Off As Both Sides Reach A Deal, Easter and Passover Union-Made Shopping List, Go Union-Made During National Nutrition Month. Even when he fell in love - and that was frequently - he was never submerged by disappointment. Ellen, little Elbert said he had trusted in the Lord. Little Ellen darling, good-bye for us both. Smiddy, Edward, bur: Longfield Free miners became opposed to the system as their high-paying jobs were taken up by convicts. There was an investigation, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus had to pay millions of dollars in compensation. Fraterville miners were members of the United Mine Workers of America within years of its creation in 1890. According to the Commissioner of Labor report, at 7:20 AM, no more than an hour after the miners had begun their work day, a thick billow of black smoke and particulate matter poured out of the mine entrance and ventilation shaft.
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