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Harwick Mine disaster

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Gtwy (talk | contribs) at 07:54, 24 December 2014 (Rewrote article to remove information that could not be verified, correct vague information with verified sources (i.e. "about 180 miners" to specific amount) Added additional info regarding the explosion.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Harwick Mine disaster was a mining accident on January 25, 1904 in Cheswick, Pennsylvania that killed 179 miners and 2 aid workers.[1][2] The mine was owned by the Allegheny Coal Company.[3]

Coal was mined by compressed-air machine, blasted down with dynamite. Ice accumulation in the air shaft restricted ventilation which caused a buildup of methane gas. At 8:15am, workers blasted down dynamite which ignited the methane. Suspended coal dust in the air assisted the explosion in traveled throughout every region of the mine. In addition to interior devastation, the force was so powerful that it wrecked the exterior of the shaft.[4]

The single survivor was the severely burned 16-year-old Adolph Gunia.[5] Other casualties included Daniel A. Lyle and the mine engineer Selwyn M. Taylor, who both gave their lives in rescue attempts after responding to the scene.[6] Greatly touched by Taylor's and Lyle's sacrifice, Andrew Carnegie had medals privately minted for their families, and within two months had established a $5 million Carnegie Hero Fund as a result.

References

  1. ^ "History / Carnegie Hero Fund Commission". History of Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. Carnegie Foundation. Archived from the original on 2014-05-24. Retrieved 2014-12-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Cheswick Mine Disaster Growing" (PDF). The Homestead News-Messenger. Homestead & Mifflin Township Historical Society. 1904-01-26. Retrieved 2014-12-24.
  3. ^ Washlaski, Raymond A.; Washlaski, Ryan P. "Harwick Mine". Carnegie Foundation. Archived from the original on 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2014-12-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Roderick, James E. (1905). https://books.google.com/books?id=CKEyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR53&lpg=PR53&dq=allegheny+coal+company+harwick+mine&source=bl&ots=AtOHsGxTNI&sig=asmwc8WhDQx9jAG0ybstM250WAk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pGuaVJJv1bWxBMPPgKgB&ved=0CFEQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=allegheny%20coal%20company%20harwick%20mine&f=false. Report of the Department of Mines of Pennsylvania Part II Bituminous (PDF) (Report). Harrisburg Publishing Co., State Printers. {{cite report}}: |chapter-url= missing title (help); Unknown parameter |booktitle= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Volume 52 (1904), by American Society of Civil Engineers, page 552
  6. ^ Pennsylvania Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival, by Karen Ivory, pages 47-48

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