Coal Mine Disasters WV-1 | Appalachia Mamaws

Coal Mine Disasters in West Virginia

Since record-keeping began in 1883, over 21,000 miners have died in coal mines across West Virginia. Many of these deaths involved single miners and weren't thoroughly investigated in the early years. In response to a tragedy in 1883 where 20 miners lost their lives, the West Virginia Department of Mines was established, with Oscar Veazey becoming the first mine inspector. Just three years later, the state faced its first major mining disaster at the Mountain Brook shaft mine in Newburg, Preston County, claiming the lives of 39 miners in a methane gas explosion. It marked the beginning of a series of such incidents. (A disaster is defined as an accident where three or more people die; before 1961, the threshold was five deaths.)

Below is a list of all coal mine disasters in West Virginia. Our memorial project will create memorial/ tribute pages for each disaster. We will be starting with the most recent to earliest. As each one is completed we will have a link to their page. We completed the Upper Big Branch Memorial you can visit at the link below.

The Upper Big Branch

JAN. 21, 1886

NOV. 20, 1894

MAR. 06, 1900

NOV. 02, 1900

MAY 15, 1901

SEP. 15, 1902

SEP. 22, 1902

FEB. 26, 1905

MAR. 19, 1905

APR. 20, 1905

JUL. 05, 1905

NOV. 04, 1905

DEC. 04, 1905

JAN. 04, 1906

JAN. 18, 1906

FEB. 08, 1906

MAR. 22, 1906

DEC. 14, 1906

JAN. 26, 1907

JAN. 29, 1907

FEB. 04, 1907

MAY 01, 1907

DEC. 06, 1907

JAN. 30, 1908

DEC. 29, 1908

JAN. 12, 1909

MAR. 31, 1909

DEC. 31, 1910

APR. 24, 1911

NOV. 18, 1911

MAR. 26, 1912

JULY 11, 1912

APR. 28, 1914

JUNE 30, 1914

FEB. 6, 1915

MAR. 2, 1915

MAR. 30, 1915

MAR. 28, 1916

OCT. 19, 1916

APR. 18, 1917

DEC. 15, 1917

MAY 20, 1918

JULY 18, 1919

AUG. 6, 1919

CORREL COAL COMPANY

BLANCH COAL CO.

RED ASH COAL COMPANY

SO. COAL & TRANSPORTATION CO.

GEORGE’S CREEK COAL & IRON CO.

ALGOMA COAL AND COKE

NEW CENTRAL COAL CO.

GRAPEVINE COAL CO.

NEW RIVER SMOKELESS COAL CO.

CABIN CREEK MINING CO.

TIDEWATER COAL & COKE CO.

CARDIFF COAL CO.

COALDALE COAL & COKE CO

DETROIT & KANAWHA COAL CO.

STUART COLLIERY CO.

CENTURY COAL CO.

PULASKI IRON CO.

LORENTZ

STUART COLLIERY CO.

DAVIS COAL & COKE CO.

WHITE OAK FUEL CO.

FAIRMONT COAL CO.

NEW RIVER VALLEY COAL CO.

POCAHONTAS COLLERIES CO.

BEURY BROTHERS COAL CO.

RED JACKET CONS. COAL & COKE CO.

DAVIS COAL & COKE CO.

BOTTOM CREEK COAL & COKE CO.

JED COAL AND COKE CO.

BEN FRANKLIN COAL CO.

NEW RIVER COLLIERIES CO.,

SYCAMORE COAL CO.

NEW RIVER CO.

NEW RIVER & POCAHONTAS CONSOL. CO.

HANNA COAL CO.

KING COAL CO.

JAMISON COAL AND COKE CO.

HUTCHINSON COAL CO.

YUKON POCAHONTAS COAL CO.

MILL CREEK CANNEL MINING CO.

HOUSTON COLLIERIES CO.

NEW RIVER AND POCAHONTAS CONSOL.

MT. BROOK

BLANCH

RED ASH

BERRYBURG

CHATHAM

ALGOMA NO. 7

STAFFORD

GRAPEVINE

RUSHRUN/REDASH

CABIN CREEK

TIDEWATER

HORTON

COALDALE

DETROIT

PARRAL

CENTURY

PULASKI

LORENTZ

STUART

THOMAS

WHIPPLE

MONONGAH 6 & 8

BACKMAN

LICK BRANCH

ECHO

LICK FORK

OTT NO. 20

BOTTOM CREEK

JED

PANAMA

ECCLES NO. 5 & 6

CINDERELLA

CARLISLE

LAYLAND NO. 3

BOOMER NO. 2

KING NO. 28

JAMISON NO. 7

LYNDEN

YUKON NO. 1

VILLA

CARSWELL

WEIRWOOD

NEWBURG

STANDARD

RED ASH

BERRYBURG

FARMINGTON

ALGOMA

STAFFORD

WILCOE

RED ASH

KAYFORD

VIVIAN

CABIN CREEK

COALDALE

PAINT CREEK

PARRAL

CENTURY

ECKMAN

PENCO

STUART

THOMAS

SCARBRO

MONONGAH

HAWKS NEST

SWITCHBACK

BEURY

THACKER

ELK GARDEN

VIVIAN

JED

MOUNDSVILLE

ECCLES

CINDERELLA

CARLISLE

LAYLAND

BOOMER

VIVIAN

BARRACKVILLE

MASON

SUSANNA

CHARLESTON

KIMBALL

WEIRWOOD

EXPLOSION

POWDER EXPL

EXPLOSION

POWDER EXPL

EXPLOSION

MINE FIRE

EXPLOSION

POWDER EXPL

EXPLOSION

DYNAMITE EXPL

HAULAGE

EXPLOSION

SUFFOCATION

EXPLOSION

MINE FIRE

EXPLOSION

361

183

112

Coal Mine Disasters in West Virginia

The Upper Big Branch

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