Hellraisers Journal: “Peace Hath Her Horrors No Less Than War” for Widows and Orphans of Pennsylvania and Colorado Mine Disasters Facing Poverty and Hunger

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Quote Mother Jones, Pray for dead, ed, Ab Chp 6, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday January 29, 1904
Pennsylvania and Colorado – Hundreds of Newly Made Widows and Orphans

From The Rocky Mountain News of January 27, 1904:

Cartoon Horrors Mine Disasters, Widows n Orphans, RMN p1, Jan 27, 1904

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “Peace Hath Her Horrors No Less Than War” for Widows and Orphans of Pennsylvania and Colorado Mine Disasters Facing Poverty and Hunger”

Hellraisers Journal: Rescuers on the Scene of Disaster at Harwick Mine at Cheswick, Pennsylvania; Families Plead for Help

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Quote Mother Jones, Pray for dead, ed, Ab Chp 6, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday January 27, 1904
Cheswick, Pennsylvania – Sorrow and Dread at Scene of Harwick Mine Disaster

From The Pittsburg Press of January 26, 1904:

Harwick Mine Disaster Cheswick PA, Ptt Prss p1, Jan 26, 1904—–
Harwick Mine Disaster Cheswick PA, Ptt Prss p2, Jan 26, 1904

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Hellraisers Journal: Explosion at Vulcan Mine, Near New Castle, Colorado, Entombs Miners; Mothers and Wives Give Up Hope

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Quote Mother Jones, Necklace of Blood Diamonds, Dnv ULB p6, Dec 20, 1913—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday December 19, 1913
New Castle, Colorado – 37 Coal Miners Dead in Explosion at Vulcan Mine

From Grand Junction (Colorado) Daily Sentinel of December 17, 1913:

…..Among the mine victims of Tuesday are many of the boys who were made fatherless by the previous disaster [Feb. 18, 1896]. Widowed Mothers forced them into the mine again……

“Thank God I am a farmer,” said A. S. Tibbits at 2 o’clock this morning to a Sentinel reporter, after having spent the day in rescue work at the mine.

“I was one of the helpers in the Vulcan disaster eighteen years ago, but this explosion wrecked the mine a dozen times as bad.”…..

New Castle CO Vulcan Mine Disaster, Grand Jctn Dly Sent p1, Dec 17, 1913New Castle CO Vulcan Mine Disaster, Wives, Mothers, Grand Jctn Dly Sent p1, Dec 17, 1913

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Hellraisers Journal: Sister of Victim of Hanna Mine Forced to Travel Twenty Miles a Day in Order to Arrange Brother’s Funeral

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Quote Mother Jones WV Miners Conditions, ISR p179 , Sept 1901—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday July 12, 1903
Hanna, Wyoming – Sister of Victim of Mine Fire Not Allowed to Stay at Camp

From The Butte Miner of July 11, 1903:

HdLn Widow of Hanna Mine Disaster Widow at Funeral in WY, Btt Mnr p7, July 11, 1903

Mrs. Mary Cooney returned to Butte yesterday from the Hanna coal mine in Wyoming on the Union Pacific, where here brother, John Boney, met his death with 233 other miners through the recent fearful explosion of gas. Besides her grief because of the loss of her brother in so terrible a manner Mrs. Cooney reports having had a very trying experience at Hanna.

It is stated that the managers of the coal property, who virtually own and control the little mining camp, have given strict orders, both at their store and to the residents that no eatables or other supplies or entertainment should be given or sold to any strangers or visitors to the camp. It was given out that the reason for this order was that the families of the miners who were killed were all destitute and could not give up anything to new-comers.

It was not explained, however, why the company store would not provide strangers and visitors with eatables, as the railroad company that owned the mine and the camp could easily ship in any day whatever was needed.

Under these conditions Mrs. Cooney was compelled to go back and forth to Medicine Bow, a station on the railroad twenty miles distant. Mrs. Cooney was accompanied on her sad mission by her daughter, Mrs. Felix Ogier, also of Butte, and during the time taken up with the arrangements and the funeral they had to make the trip back and forth to Medicine Bow station every day.

Another act of the mine company that is complained of is the order that was given in regard to the papers and other valuables that were found in the cabins and trunks of the 234 miners who met their death. The papers and other belongings of the men were all taken to the company store, and inquiring friends and relatives, it is stated, were not allowed to have access to the property or even inspect it.

Mrs. Cooney signed papers petitioning the appointment of a resident of Hanna as administrator of her brother’s estate, and it is expected that soon, through the courts, the administrator will secure possession of the estate. Mrs. Cooney is the mother of Deputy County Clerk John Doran, of Butte.

John Boney was buried at Carbon, a station twelve miles from the scene of the awful disaster. He was laid beside his father, who died and was buried at Carbon a number of years ago.

The bodies of only two other miners besides John Boney were recovered from the blazing mine interior. The mine is on fire in every portion, and it is impossible to reach the workings where the men met their deaths, it being a great distance from the surface. The tunnel from the main entrance slopes gradually for a mile and a half, and from that point there are seventeen miles of workings on sixty-nine levels.

As all hope of rescuing the 31 bodies has been given up the work of sealing up all openings to the mine has been commenced. This step is taken with view to smothering out the flames that are raging fiercely in all parts of the mine.

It is currently believed at Hanna that the precautions being taken by the company to discourage visitors from coming to the camp and from remaining there after they do come is with the object of diminishing as much as possible the amount of evidence that will be available against the company in case of damage suits. There is considerable talk of blame being attached to the management for the disaster, and it is not desired that there should be any inspection of the conditions at the mine or interviews with the residents.

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Supreme Court Sets Aside Pennsylvania Law for Protection of Anthracite Miners, Held to Be Confiscatory

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Mother Jones Quote, Life Cheaper Than Props, Trinidad CO, Sept 16, 1913, Hse Com p2630—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 31, 1922
Pennsylvania Law for Protection of Anthracite Miners Set Aside by Supreme Court

From the Duluth Labor World of December 30, 1922:

COURT DECLARES LABOR ACT VOID
———-
Pennsylvania Mine Cave-In Law
Held to Be Confiscatory
———-

Spangler MnDs Death Pit, Wlgtn DE Eve Jr p1, Nov 9, 1922

The United States Supreme court has set aside the Pennsylvania law which prohibited the mining of anthracite coal in a manner that would endanger the lives or injure the property of persons-occupying houses situated on the surface soil. Justice Brandeis dissented.

The court held that the law deprived coal owners of valuable property rights without compensation. Under the decision, coal owners can mine coal without any regard for cave-ins that endanger lives and property, unless the coal that is necessary for props is paid for.

In his dissenting opinion, Justice Brandeis said:

If by mining anthracite coal the owner would necessarily unloose poisonous gases, I suppose no one would doubt the power of the state to prevent the mining without buying his coal field. And why may not the state, likewise, without paying compensation, prohibit one from digging so deep or excavating so near the surface as to expose the community to like dangers? In the latter case, as in the former, carrying on the business would be a public nuisance.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Death Toll at Alabama’s Dolomite Mine Explosion Reaches 84; Grief-Stricken Relatives Identify Miners

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Quote Mother Jones, Pray for dead, ed, Ab Chp 6, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday November 25, 1922
Dolomite, Alabama – Death Toll from Mine Explosion Reaches 84

From the Birmingham Age-Herald of November 24, 1922:

Dolomite MnDs 84 Killed, Bghm Age Hld p1, Nov 24, 1922Dolomite MnDs, Scene of Sadness, Bghm Age Hld p1, Nov 24, 1922

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Death Toll at Alabama’s Dolomite Mine Explosion Reaches 84; Grief-Stricken Relatives Identify Miners”

Hellraisers Journal: Disastrous Dust Explosion at Alabama’s Dolomite Mine Claims the Lives of Many Coal Miners

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Quote Mother Jones, Pray for dead, ed, Ab Chp 6, 1925—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 24, 1922
Dolomite, Alabama – Mine Blast Claims Lives of at Least 70 Coal Miners

From the Birmingham Age-Herald of November 23, 1922:

Dolomite MnDs, Birmingham Age Hld p1, Nov 23, 1922Dolomite MnDs Text, Birmingham Age Hld p1 n 2, Nov 23, 1922

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Hellraisers Journal: Explosion at Reilly No. 1 Mine at Spangler, Pennsylvania, Claims the Lives of 79 Coal Miners, Many Injured

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Mother Jones Quote, Life Cheaper Than Props, Trinidad CO, Sept 16, 1913, Hse Com p2630—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 10, 1922
Spangler, Pennsylvania – Explosion at Reilly No. 1 Mine Claims Many Lives

From the New York Evening World of November 6, 1922:
-(Note: final death toll expected to be 79.)

Spangler PA MnDs Bnr, NY Eve Wld p1, Nov 6, 1922Spangler PA MnDs HdLn, NY Eve Wld p1, Nov 6, 1922

From the Washington Evening Star of November 9, 1922:

[Emergency Crew at Work]

Spangler MnDs Rescue, WDC Eve Str p17, Nov 9, 1922

[Survivors at Spangler Miners’ Hospital]

Spangler MnDs Hospital, WDC Eve Str p17, Nov 9, 1922

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Hellraisers Journal: Coal Miners, Men and Boys, Mangled or Suffocated in Fraterville Mine Explosion at Coal Creek, Tennessee

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MnDs Fraterville TN, Jake to Ellen Goodbye, Offbeat TN—————

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday May 22, 1902
Coal Creek, Tennessee – At Least One Hundred Men and Boys Lost in Mine Explosion

From the Akron Daily Democrat of May 19, 1902:

HdLn MnDs Fraterville TN, Akron Dly Dem p1, May 19, 1902

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Hellraisers Journal: Photographs at Scene of Jed, West Virginia, Mine Disaster; Women and Children Waiting, Day after Day

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Quote Mother Jones WV Miners Conditions, ISR p179 , Sept 1901—————

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday April 14, 1912
Jed, West Virginia – Photographs at Scene of Mine Disaster

From The Coming Nation of April 13, 1912:

Jed WV Mine Disaster, Women and Children Waiting, Cmg Ntn p2, Apr 13, 1912Day after day waiting for news from the entombed miners-Photo by A. P. Risser

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Jed WV Mine Disaster, Carrying Out the Dead, Cmg Ntn p2, Apr 13, 1912Carrying out one of the 85 victims of the explosion-Photo by Paul Thompson, N. Y.

—–

Jed WV Mine Disaster, View of Town, Cmg Ntn p2, Apr 13, 1912General view of the town of Jed, W. Va. Scene of the Disaster-Paul Thompson, N. Y.

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