1930 — April 12, Carbonado Coal Mine gas explosion (“windy shot”), Carbonado, WA–17
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 1-28-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–17 Bureau of Mines, Report of Carbonado Mine Explosion April 12, 1930 at Carbonado Mine.
–17 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC. Mine Disasters.
–17 United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. Carbonado.
Narrative Information
Bureau of Mines, Report of Carbonado Mine Explosion April 12, 1930 at Carbonado Mine:
Introduction
“An explosion occurred in the Second Level Douty No. 8 bed workings of the Carbonado Mine of the Pacific Coast Coal Company, Carbonado, Washington, on April 12, 1930, at about 5:30 p.m., whereby 17 men were killed, who were all of the men employed in the section of the mine where the disaster occurred, at the time of the explosion.
“It is the writers’ opinion that the explosion was caused by a windy shot resulting from improper blasting of two or three shots, probably two, at the face of No. 5 temporary chute in the Second Level South of Douty No. 8 seam. The bed ‘generates methane, which, if not present immediately before blasting, was probably present after the first shot. In addition, there was an unknown amount of dry fine coal dust present, which is very explosive. Coal dust was not treated in any manner in the affected district.” [p. 1.]
[Victims, p. 33]
David Hughes
Vic Pete
Al. Parkings
- C. Legge
Mike Sheridan
John Bates
John O’Leary
- Fleis
Wm. Kennedy
- B. O’Neal
John Flood
Wm. Matson
Wm. McMurphy
Ed. Woli
Silvester Barker
Ray Glackin
Thomas Shackley
Sources
Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of Commerce. Report of Carbonado Mine Explosion April 12, 1930 at Carbonado Mine, Pacific Coast Coal Company, Pierce Couty, Washington. Accessed 1-28-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/carbonado_1930.pdf
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 1-28-2025 at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NIOSH-Mining/MMWC/MineDisasters/Table
United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. “Pacific Coast Coal Company, Carbonado Mine Explosion, Carbonado, Pierce County, Washington, April 12, 1930, No. Killed – 17.” Accessed 1-28-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/carbonado_news_only.htm