1929 — March 21, Kinloch Coal Mine coal dust explosion (electric arc), Parnassus, PA– 46
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-6-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/-
–46 Bureau of Mines, U.S. DOC. Final Report of Dust Explosion Kinloch Mine…Parnassus…[1]
–46 National Fire Protection Assoc. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003).
–46 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC. Mine Disasters.
–45 United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. Kinloch.[2]
Narrative Information
Bureau of Mines, US DOC. Investigation of Explosion at Kinloch Mine…Parnassus [PA]:
“Introduction: At about 7:20 a.m., March 21, 1929, an explosion occurred at the Kinloch Mine of the Valley Camp Coal Company, near New Kensington, Pa.
“There were 258 men in the mine at the time of the explosion; 45 of these were killed, 212 escaped on the day of the explosion, and one on the following day. There was also one man killed and four burned on the tipple.
“The explosion was caused by the breaking, and rapid descending of the five-foot apron conveyor which conveyed the coal from the dump at the foot of the 430 foot incline to the tipple on about a 30⁰ pitch.
“The explosion traveled through about half of the mine, terminating just outby of 15 Butt.
“The mine was partly rock dusted; none of the air courses or trackless entries were rock-dusted. [p. 1]
….
“On the morning of the explosion the mine had started operations in a normal manner. The fan chart showed normal water gauge; the fire bosses reports showed no accumulations of explosive gas in the mine; and the conveyor had been in operation about 20 minutes. [p. 10]
….
“State Inspectors’ Conclusions:
“A commission consisting of three State Mine Inspectors and three Bureau of Mines engineers made an investigation and report to the Secretary of Mines of Pennsylvania…This commission found in part as follows:
“1. ‘That the conveyor under full load broke near the head sprocket, and very rapidly descended into the slope; That the sudden impact of the conveyor at the foot of the slope threw into suspension a dense cloud of coal dust.’ [13B]
“2. ‘That an explosion followed almost immediately, which was extended to the surface and throughout a large area of the mine with considerable violence.’
“3. ‘That from the evidence the explosion followed the landing and impact of the conveyor.’
“4. ‘That the source of ignition was flame, discharged from some electric circuit carrying apparatus or device.’
“5. ‘That the explosion was propagated by excessive accumulations of coal dust around the slope bottom, in the passageways and trackless entries leading to the active workings.
‘It is quite probable that propagation was advanced by ignition of gas. This augmenting of propagation appears to be supported by the fact that explosive gas was found in 3 and 4 Butt left.’
“6. ‘That the force of the explosion, using the immediate bottom of the slope as a center, traveled north, expanding where opportunity afforded to the east and west, and dying away in the neighborhood of a line running almost due east and west on the outby side of 15 Butt, and that they dying away of the forces was due to the combined effect of expansion, of accumulations of wat4r in areas of depression and to the rock-dusted passageways. The afterdamp was projected some considerable distance beyond the [p.14] line marking the termination of forces.’
“Summary: It is the opinion of the writers
“1. That this explosion was caused by the ignition of coal dust following the breaking and descent of the conveyor.
“2. That the source of ignition was probably an arc from the electric light lines in the dumping pit, although numerous other possible sources of ignition by electricity were in proximity to the slope bottom.
“3. That the explosion was propagated by the accumulations of coal dust in the slope, around the bottom, in all trackless entries and in abandoned workings around the bottom of the slope.
“4. That the mine was not thoroughly rock dusted.
“5. That no means of watering or spraying was used at the working faces or along the haulage roads.
“6. That no means were provided on the conveyor to prevent its descent in case of a break.” [p.15]
[Blanchard note: A list of the fatalities can be accessed at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/kinloch_1929_fatalities.pdf ]
Sources
Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of Commerce. Investigation of Explosion at Kinloch Mine, Valley Camp Coal Company, Parnassus, Pennsylvania. Accessed 2-6-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/kinloch_1929.pdf
National Fire Protection Association. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003). (Email attachment to B. W. Blanchard from Jacob Ratliff, NFPA Archivist/Taxonomy Librarian, 7-8-2013.)
National Fire Protection Association. “The Kinloch Mine Disaster,” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 23, No. 1, July, 1929, pp. 62-65.
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 at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/disall.htm
and http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/content/allminingdisasters.html
Accessed 2-6-2025 at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NIOSH-Mining/MMWC/MineDisasters/Table
United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. Valley Camp Coal Company, Kinloch Mine Explosion, Parnassus, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, March 21, 1929, No. Killed – 45.” Accessed 2-6-2025.
[1] Includes listing of fatalities.
[2] We speculate that the number killed is noted as 45 in that 45 men were killed in the explosion. One man, though, was killed by fire at the tipple. Includes partial listing of fatalities.