Explosion kills 16 coal miners at Black Diamond on November 6, 1910.

On November 6, 1910, an explosion kills 16 coal miners in the Pacific Coast Co. Lawson Mine at Black Diamond, located in eastern King County. Because the slope caved in on the miners, five of their bodies were never recovered. The cause of the accident could not be determined.

The dead were identified as follows:

Name	Age	Nationality	Family	Family At	Daily Wage
Julius Persyn	30	Italian	Wife, Child	Lawson	$3.80
Fred Setti	29	Italian	Wife, Child	Black Diamond	$3.15
Cezar Bael	...	Belgian	Wife, Child	Lawson	$3.15
Joe Kronenberg	30	Polish	Wife, Child	Old Country	$3.15
Mactili Fanstina	33	Italian	Wife, 3 Child.	Black Diamond	$3.15
C. Biagi	28	Italian	Wife	Old Country	$3.15
Julius Cappiati	30	Italian	Wife	Old Country	$3.15
Frank Gardini	24	Italian	No		$3.15
Isadore Gardini	22	Italian	No		$3.15
Dom. Gregois	24	Italian	No		$3.15
Albert Fontana	25	Italian	No		$3.15
Frank Vergan	23	Italian	No		$3.15
Mat Galope	19	Austrian	No		$3.15
Dave Lunden	34	Finn	No		Fire Boss
Oscar Bael	...	Belgian	No		$3.15
Girili Maes	33	Belgian	No		Boiler Man

Rescuers used four of the new Draeger oxygen units supplied by the Mine Rescue Station at the University of Washington. The Mine Rescue Station was established with contributions from mines in Washington in March 1910 after a demonstration of the equipment at the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. The station trained mine workers to use the equipment in smoke and gas filled mine tunnels.

The Inspector of Coal Mines reported that although the number of fatalities had increased, the following improvements to the industry had taken effect:

a law raising the minimum age for underground workers from 14 to 16;
a law raising the minimum age for outside workers from 12 to 14;
an eight hour work day.

Sources:

Report of the State Inspector of Coal Mines for the Biennial Period ending December 31, 1910,

(Olympia: State Printer, 1911), 7, 63, 75-78. By David Wilma, May 21, 2000

By David Wilma, May 21, 2000 / HistoryLink.org

Senast uppdaterad 2010-10-25 21:05