1846 — Jan 12, Roof-Fall, Delaware & Hudson Coal Mine, Carbondale, PA                —     14

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 1-18-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  14  Hudson Coal Co. The Story of Anthracite.  1932, 172.

—  14  Milwaukee Daily Sentinel And Gazette (WI), “The Accident at Carbondale,” Feb 5, 1846.

—  14  Mine Safety and Health Admin. Historical Coal Mine Disasters in the Anthracite Region.

—  14  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC.  Mining Disasters.  2010.

—  14  NEPA.Railfan.Net.  Plymouth Miners Memorial.  (Inscription on the Memorial).

—  14  United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. Carbondale.

Narrative Information

Hudson Coal Co.:  “One of the worst disasters of this kind [squeeze] occurred at Carbondale in 1846 when a roof fall, involving an area of almost fifty acres, imprisoned many men.  Although most of the men were rescued, fourteen lives were lost and the bodies of eight were never recovered.” (Hudson Coal Co.  The Story of Anthracite.  1932, p. 172.)

 

NEPA.Railfan.net: “Delaware & Hudson Coal Co., Jan 15 [sic], 1846 Great Cave in 14 men entombed.” (NEPA.Railfan.net.  Plymouth Miners Memorial.  (Inscription on the Memorial).) 

 

Newspaper

 

Feb 5: “….The Wayne Co. Herald, published in the immediate vicinity, says:  On Monday an immense mass of slate, about seven acres in extent, fell from the roof of one of the mines of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company, at Carbondale, upon the workmen below.


”The spot where the slate fell, was a mile from the mouth of the mine. Three persons were taken out seriously injured, one of whom, a boy, died soon after the accident. Of the others, hopes are entertained of their recovery.


”The boy who died was riding a horse at the time of the accident, and is supposed to have been pulled by the force of the air rushing toward the mouth of the mine — the horse was also killed. The other persons who were taken out were also injured by the rushing of the air. About one hundred and fifty men who were at work mining, some distance from the place of the accident, escaped — but horrible to relate, fifteen persons, who were at work propping up the mines, were either crushed instantly or are walled in without any hope of becoming rescued, as it will take weeks to remove the immense mass of slate which has fallen in; and yet, if alive, will be compelled to die one of the most horrible of all deaths — that of starvation….

 

“One of the fifteen above mentioned, however, has been fortunate enough to escape uninjured, after an incarceration of forty eight hours.

 

“Carbondale, Jan. 14, 1846. Mr. John Hosey came out of the mines this morning, not having received serious injury, except that he has cut and lacerated his hands by working his way through the rocks and slate during forty-eight hours.

 

“There appears to be from 12 to 15 acres of the roof to have settled down by crushing the pillars and props. It is but one mile from the mouth or entrance and cross Nos. 1 and 2 roads. Some rock have fallen into No. 3, but to no great extent…. MR. H. has not seen or heard of any of the fourteen men that are now missing. He was alone.

 

“He says those men were near the place No. 1, and are shut in, either dead or alive, at the head of that place. Energetic efforts are being made to reach them, but it is not probable they can be got out alive. They were laborers, engaged in heaping, and not acquainted with the means of getting out like the miners, even if they could move at all. Mr. H. owes his escape solely to his cool and deliberate judgement, and to his knowledge of the interior of the mines.


”The rush of air was so great out of No. 1, that the wagons were broken to fragments — the wheels and axles even were crushed by being dashed against the pillars, &c. along the road….

 

“We have been furnished with the names of the missing persons – four of whom have families: they are as follows:  [We take the names in a paragraph and place into separate lines.]

  • Anthony Welsh
  • Mark Brennon
  • William Choes
  • Patrick Mitchell
  • Patrick Leonard
  • Henry Moore
  • James McGath
  • Michael Falin
  • Henry Derney
  • John Farrell
  • Patrick Walker
  • Peter Crawley
  • Benjamin Williams
  • and a son of Widow Brennon….”

(Milwaukee Daily Sentinel And Gazette (WI), “The Accident at Carbondale,” Feb 5, 1846)

 

Sources

 

Hudson Coal Co.  The Story of Anthracite.  New York:  Hudson Coal Company, 1932.

 

Milwaukee Daily Sentinel And Gazette (WI), “The Accident at Carbondale,” Feb 5, 1846. At:  http://www3.gendisasters.com/pennsylvania/13929/carbondale-pa-slate-fall-in-mine-jan-1846?page=0%2C1

 

Mine Safety and Health Administration. Historical Coal Mine Disasters in the Anthracite Region (District 1 – Coal Mine Safety and Health).  Arlington, VA:  MSHA, U.S. Department of Labor.  Accessed 1/3/2009 at:  http://www.msha.gov/District/Dist_01/Fatals/HISTFAT.HTM

 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Safety and Health Research..  Mining Disasters (Incidents with 5 or more Fatalities). NIOSH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2-26-2013 update. Accessed 1-18-2025 at:

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NIOSH-Mining/MMWC/MineDisasters/Table

 

NEPA.Railfan.net.  Plymouth Miners Memorial.  (Inscription on the Memorial). Accessed 4-8-2010 at: http://nepa.railfan.net/breakers/pmm.php

 

United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. “Delaware and Hudson Coal Company, Delaware-Hudson Mine Roof Fall, Carbondale, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, January 12, 1846, No. Killed -14.” Accessed 1-18-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/delaware_and_hudson.htm