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| Naomi Mine
(ca.1902- ? ), Located on the Monongahela River, north of Fayette City, on the P. & L. E. Railroad & the Pennsylvania Railroad, Fayette City, Naomi, Washington Twp., Fayette Co., PA [Disasters - on Dec. 1, 1907 an explosion in the Naomi Mine, killed 34 miners.] Owners: (ca.1903- ? ), Naomi Coal Company, Fayette City, PA (ca.1904- ? ), Naomi Gas Coal Company, Fayette City, PA (ca.1906- ? ), Naomi Coal Company, Pittsburg, PA (ca.1910- ? ), (ca.1916- ? ), Naomi Coal Company, Pittsburgh, PA (ca.1920- ? ), Hillman Coal & Coke Company, Pittsburgh, PA |
| from the Bureau of Mines of Pennsylvania Report for 1902 Naomi Mine A new slope and shaft opening, located near Naomi station. Only a few persons are at work inside - driving an entry from the shaft to the slope. Extensive improvements are being made on the outside, consisting of trestle, tracks, tipple, etc. |
A Memorial to the 43 Miners killed in the December 1, 1907
Naomi Mine Explosion. The memorial is in the Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Fayette
City, PA. |
| Article from the Pennsylvania State Mine
Inspectors Report, 1907.
December 1, 1907, About 7:45 P.M. Sunday, an explosion of firedamp augmented by coal dust resulted in the death of 34 persons, all were in the mine. A large quantity of gas must have been ignited. The gas was not detected before anyone was allowed to enter the mine. For some time previous to the explosion, only the working places were being examined before the mine was allowed to be entered.
The cause of the gas being present was an open door. The
explosion was caused by an open light or an electric spark from the wires.
The system of ventilation was faulty, having too many doors. They
commenced to sink a shaft, but very little progress had been made. It was
evident that the fireboss had been trying to get the men together
preparatory to leaving the mine.
Article from the "Daily Reporter," Washington, PA
United Press Dispatch
United Press Dispatch The miners are entrapped a mile from any entrance and far beyond the air shaft, and the men could not travel, if unhurt, through the wreckage that strews the main entry to the mine. By the terrific report of the exploding gas, felt for miles around the vicinity, and wrecking windows in all the houses on the hillside, it is thought the mine supports have been splintered and may cause further collapse of the entry and side workings. The explosion occurred at an hour when the mines were crowded with workmen. The night shift had just got under way in its work. The miners who had been relieved of duty were in the town three miles away enjoying their Sunday holiday. In this word blurred the news of the accident was delayed in reaching the authorities. The efforts of the mine officials and rescuers soon were impeded by the throng of anguished women who ran up to the very pit mouth and cried out in agony for the loved ones who were buried in the dark recesses of the hill. The curses of men bent on entering the mine, the cries of women and the frantic efforts of the officials of the company to locate the exact scene of the explosion added to the chaos.
News of the disaster was telephoned to Bellevernon, Monongahela
and other surrounding towns. Special cars were chartered and physicians and
undertakers hurried to the scene. As yet, however, there has been no work
for either. The men entombed are beyond human aid. From the interior
could be heard the rumbling noise which indicated that new pockets of the
fatal gas were being touched off or that the workings are giving away.
Article from the "Daily Reporter," Washington PA Preparations have been begun for bringing the bodies up the airshaft. The new powerhouse is being used as a morgue. An announcement that the dead found were scarcely disfigured afforded great comfort to the families of the deceased. It is stated that of all the bodies found only three are beyond recognition. Of the few remaining in the mine is Fire Boss David Roberts. A gruesome find was made at entry No. 29 where within 25 yards no less than 15 bodies were scattered about. Every man had a dinner bucket in his hand and all seemed to have been making their way toward an exit. The slope entrance is still choked up, and entry and exit are made, by the airshaft. Great crowds are still about the mine and cars are carrying people to and from the scene all the time. Company to Bury Unknown. The identity of the foreign workmen cannot be rigidly tabulated. Those who have no families here and who have few friends will not be recognized. Few of them carry papers or articles, which would lead to discovering their names. Doubtless many will remain unknown. In this case the company will defray the funeral services and will provide a decent burial for every one of its unfortunate workmen.
A plot of ground will be secured in the local cemetery and
here the remains of the unknown dead will be interred at a general funeral.
Hungarian and Slavish societies will take part. The townspeople in
Bellevernon do not seem to appreciate the extent of the horror. Trolley
cars leading two miles across the country to the mine where jammed with
sightseers and extra cars were placed in commission to accommodate the crowds.
Superintendent O’Neill said the exact cause of the explosion
had not been discovered. It is believed, however, that a miner with a lighted
lamp set off a pocket of gas in some portion of the old workings. An
investigation has been ordered. Charges of carelessness, based principally
on wild rumors created in the crowd of spectators, have received no serious
attention from the officials of the mine or of the miner’s
organizations.
Article from the "Daily Reporter," Washington, PA
United Press Dispatch
District Attorney Will Investigate. Inspectors Hold Conference. Last night they met and formed their plans. Those attending the conference were Henry Louttit, John Bell, Thirteenth district; D.R. Blower, Nineteenth district; David Young, Brownsville; C.B. Ross, Greensburg; F.W. Cunningham, Wilkinsburg; T.B. Williams, Connellsville; Nicholas Evans, Tyrone; Charles P. McGregor, Pittsburg; I.G. Roby, Uniontown, and Alexander McCance, Scottsdale. The investigation by the inspectors will continue for the balance of the week. Practically half of the mine has not been explored. Thus far the rescue work has been confined to the right air passage. The left side of the mine has not been examined. However, the explosion occurred in the right passage and it was here that the unfortunate miners were at work.
Few of the bodies will be identified and fewer will be claimed.
The corpses all are horribly disfigured by burns and already decomposition
has set in. The positions of the bodies told mute tales of horrible suffering
when the rescuing parties penetrated the distant entries this morning.
Article from the "Daily Independent," Monessen, PA, Thursday, December
5, 1907, Vol. 6 No. 139 Thirty Bodies Have Been Taken out and Thirteen Are Still Believed to be in Pit CORONER EMPANNELS JURY
Composed Mostly of Belle Vernon Business and Professional
Men. Friday will witness the last sad rites over the remains of the Naomi mine victims thus far recovered. A few of the bodies have been removed from the morgue, but the majority of them will not be given burial until tomorrow. In the authentic list of the dead seven names are missing. that number being unidentified and it is likely they will go to the grave unrecognized. one body, that of the water hauler, whose name is unknown and who is said to have caused the fearful explosion, is known to be still in the ill-fated mine. The miners and officials still differ in their opinions as to the total number of victims. The former expressing the belief that there are yet about 25 bodies not recovered. With six more bodies brought from the mine the list now reaches 30 and the original figures of 43 dead are believed to be correct.
The list of identified is correctly given as follows:
The coroner of Fayette County has empanelled a jury composed
of the following business and professional men:
The jury reviewed the bodies at 7 o'clock last evening. These
six men will have full charge of the legal investigation and receive the
testimony. The inquest will be held in about 10 days in the town hall of
Belle Vernon.
Article from the "Daily Reporter," Washington, PA
United Press Dispatch The force of district inspectors was increased yesterday by the arrival of Charles Napper, of Phillipsburg; Joe Williams, of Altoona, Tom Adams, of Mercer, and John Bell, of Dravonsburg. These experts at once entered the mine to corroborate the findings of their brother inspectors and to make additional examination for themselves. The result is anything but satisfactory to the United Coal company, and Henry Louttit, of this district, will file a report with the head of the state department of mines that will undoubtedly cause a decided sensation in mining circles.
He takes exception to the statement of General Manager J.D.
O’Neil that no notice of the dangerous condition of the mine had been
given the officers of the company and called attention to the work that had
been done and was being done in sinking a new shaft into the mine, the opening
of which is about 1,000 feet from the two former openings.
Article from the "Daily Reporter," Washington, PA
United Press Dispatch |
![[Image]](pict0.jpg) |
| [from the "Pittsburgh Post," Dec., 1907.] |
| Article from the "Daily Reporter," Washington, PA Monday Evening, December 9, 1907 NAOMI MINE INQUEST TO BE HELD THURSDAY United Press Dispatch Uniontown, Dec. 9, 1907 Coroner A.B. Hagari announced today that the Inquest into the Naomi Mine explosion would begin at Bellevernon on Thursday morning. [from "The Daily Reporter," Washington, PA, Dec. 9, 1907.]
Article from the "Daily Reporter," Washington, PA
United Press Dispatch
Article from the "Daily Reporter," Washington,
PA
Article from the "United Press Dispatch," Belle-Vernon, PA The coroner’s jury retired at 8 o’clock last evening.
Testimony of Superintendent Henderson and Fire Boss Muri yesterday
was that the mine was in good condition and the presence of gas slight. Thomas
Thompson said he worked in the Naomi mine six weeks. He admitted that the
fresh air-registering gauge for some time had not been in working order.
He also said he had noticed gas in the mine two weeks before the explosion,
but that he had not signed any of the fire bosses’ reports for two days
prior to the explosion. It was pointed out that fire bosses are required
by law to report daily the pressure of gas in mines. The mine foreman must
counter sign the report. Yesterday was payday at the Naomi mines, but instead
of the usual cheery responses when the names were called out there was in
many instances silence broken only by the voice of a widow: “H was my
husband.” In several cases a sister or a brother answered and drew the
last earnings of their only supporters.
|
| Article from the "Gazette Times,"
Fayette City, PA Newspaper Clipping, ca.1910 Explosion of Powder, Fairhope (Pa.) Miner’s home shattered and burning timbers fall on sleeping children. (Special telegram to Gazette Times) Fayette City, PA, Dec. 31, 1910 Four children of James Hunter a miner of Fairhope were seriously burned and Hunter and his wife were painfully burned about the hands when an explosion of giant powder this morning wrecked their home. The injured: David Hunter aged 19 burned about the entire body; taken to the Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh recovery doubtful, Jean Hunter aged 14 burned about body recovery doubtful, James Hunter, Jr. aged 11 burned about chest and legs; condition serious, Christina Hunter aged 9 burned about the body in a serious condition, James Hunter the father of the children burned about hands and Mrs. James Hunter burned about the hands and arms. David Hunter who works in the Naomi mine of the Pittsburgh Coal Company was preparing for work shortly before 8 o’clock this morning and started to open a 25 pound keg of giant powder with a knife. The friction caused as the knife went into the powder caused an explosion. The four sides of the house were blown away like so many cards and the roof collapsed. It fell flat on the iron posts of a bed in which the three younger children were sleeping. Hunter and his wife were in the basement of the house. They found the roof and bed clothing in flames when they went upstairs. Before they could tear away the burning bed clothing all three children were burned from head to foot and the mother and father were burned about the hands and arms. Flames burst out immediately after the explosion and the clothing of David ignited. Before he could extinguish the fire with his hands and rolling in the snow the young miner was burned so badly he may die. The homeless family was taken care of by neighbors and Dr. A. N. Marston of Belle Vernon was called. Dr. Marston ordered the four children to a Pittsburgh Hospital, but the mother frantically refused to part with them.
Despite her protests the physician sent David to Mercy Hospital,
Pittsburgh. The Hunter home which was valued at $1500 was completely destroyed.
Article from the "Darr Mine Relief Fund Report." A section in the Darr Mine Relief Fund Report gave this report on the Naomi Mine Explosion.
A mine-explosion in the Naomi Mine of the United Coal Company,
near Belle Vernon, Pa., on December 1st, 1907, killed 34 miners. Of these,
18 left widows (10 in United States and 8 in Europe), with 29 children (12
in United States and 17 in Europe); 16 were unmarried, leaving 42 fathers
and mothers and other dependents (30 in Europe and 12 in America). The total
number of dependents was 89. The United Coal Company declined to appeal to
the public for assistance and assumed to themselves the task of aiding the
dependents. They paid two-thirds of the expense of burying the dead ($1,700.00),
and distributed $13,500. Besides this, the Naomi Belief Committee of Fayette
City paid over in life insurance benefits $3,400.00, that is $100 for each
of the 34 men killed. The Woman 's Relief Committee of Fayette City also
paid $200.00 to each of the 10 widows, resident in the United States, besides
distributing a considerable amount of family supplies. |
| Article from the "Monessen Daily
Independent," Monessen, PA, May 15,1923.
Naomi Mine Accident, May 1923 The deceased has been a resident of this section for a number of years and has made his home with Mrs. Watson at Fairhope. He is survived by his father and two sisters at Centralia, Ill. The engagement of the deceased and Miss Belle Montgomery, a teacher in the local public schools, was announced during the holidays and it was stated the wedding was to be an event of early summer.
The body was removed to the Melenyzer morgue and prepared
for burial which will take place, tomorrow afternoon in the Belle Vernon
cemetery following services at the Marion Presbyterian church in charge of
Rev. Fulton. |
| "Coal Miners
Memorial, Naomi Mine, Fayette City, Naomi, Washington Twp., Fayette County, Pennsylvania" |
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