1930 — Nov 5, Gas and Dust Explosion, Sunday Creek Coal Mine No. 6, Millfield, OH– 82
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 1-25-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–83 NFPA. “Fires Causing Major Loss of Life.” 1983 Fire Protection Handbook. 1984, 34
–82 Bureau of Mines, US Dept. Commerce. Report of Gas and Dust Explosion in Mine No. 6.
–82 Lahmers 2008
–82 Mine Safety and Health Admin. (DOL), A Pictorial Walk Through the 20th Century.
–82 National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History. 1996.
–82 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC. Mining Disasters. 2010.
–82 Ohio Geology. “Millfield Mine Disaster Correction.” Winter 1996, p. 7.
–82 Ohio University, Millfield Mine Explosion.
–82 Ohio Univ. Libraries Digital Archival Collections. “Millfield Mine Disaster film, [115-1930].”
–82 United States Mine Rescue Assoc. Mine Disasters in the United States. Sunday Creek.
–73 Millfield Mine Disaster website.
Narrative Information
Bureau of Mines (U.S.): “Introduction
“A localized gas and dust explosion occurred in the north-westerly section of Mine No. 6…of the Sunday Creek Coal Company, near Millfield, Ohio, on Wednesday, November 5, 1930, resulting in the death of eighty-two men, listed in Appendix F [which we omit], of whom two were killed outright by the force and flame of the explosion; six by combination of burns and afterdamp; and seventy-four by afterdamp. About one hundred and forth men escaped or were rescued following the explosion. On these one hundred and nineteen escaped with little or no assistance; two were rescued promptly following the explosion; and nineteen men were rescued from behind a barricade…. [p.1.]
Dust
“This coal when in the form of dust suspended in air is explosive. Because the usual deposits of coke on outby and inby surfaces were not visible, the designation of this explosion as a gas and dust explosion and not simply a gas explosion is founded on the copious supply of caked particles of dust deposited throughout and beyond the entire explosion area and an estimation of the relative quantity of coked particles as made by the Coal Analysis Section of the Bureau of Mines in all of the dust samples taken….Much dry coal dust was observed throughout the mine, especially in the region affected by the explosion…. [p. 11.]
Ventilation and Gases:
“The mine was rated as gassy by the Ohio Department of Mines…..The fire bosses only carry flame safety lamps, and these were of the non-permissible Wolf key-locked type, but were not locked…. [p. 14.]
Rock-Dusting and Watering:
“No rock-dusting has been done in this mine.
“No watering is done to allay dust in any part of the mine. Furthermore, the mine is naturally dry and dusty. [p. 27.] ….
State Inspectors’ Conclusion
“It was the conclusion of the Chief, Division of Mines of Ohio, that the gas and dust explosion was probably caused by an arc or spark from a trolley line igniting an accumulation of gas on 21 east off 3 north not far from the face of 21 east. The arc or spark was caused by a fall of roof carrying the trolley line to a rail….” [p. 37.] (Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of Commerce. Report of Gas and Dust Explosion in Mine No. 6, Sunday Creek Coal Company, Millfield, Ohio, November 5, 1930. Pittsburgh, PA.)
Ohio Geology: “The Division of Geological Survey recently learned that Sigmund Kozma, Athens, is the lone living survivor of the methane explosion at the Sunday Creek Coal Company No. 6 mine at Millfield, Athens County (see Ohio Geology, Fall 1995). This explosion on November 5, 1930, took the lives of 82 men….” (Ohio Geology. “Millfield Mine Disaster Correction.” Winter 1996, p. 7.)
Ohio University: “The Millfield Mine Explosion—the deadliest mine disaster ever to occur in Ohio–transpired at the Sunday Creek Coal Company’s Poston No. 6 Mine at approximately 11:45 A.M. November 5th, 1930. The Sunday Creek Coal Company ran mines all over the Hocking Hills region, and the Millfield site, in Athens County, was the hub of hundreds of shafts. On November 5, 1930, as a result of an accumulation of methane gas ignited by a short circuit between the broken trolley wire and rail caused the explosion. Of the 191 men working at Millfield that day, eighty-two lost their lives, including the company’s top executives, who were there to inspect the new safety equipment. Officials concluded that, with the exception of two men killed by burns sustained from the explosion, all those killed died of poisoning from carbon monoxide gas. However, inspectors of the Ohio State Mining Department concluded that the disaster had not resulted because of any inadequacy on the part of the Sunday Creek Coal Company to comply with current orders and recommendations issued by the Department.” (Ohio University, Millfield Mine Explosion)
Millfield Mine Disaster Website: “The massive explosion could be felt many miles away….
“The Ohio Governor ordered the National Guard to report to the mine site to keep order. Since the mine didn’t have any rescue equipment, it had to brought in. A train carrying 2 mine rescue cars arrived in record time, traveling 91 miles in 93 minutes. Roughly 9 hours after the explosion, 19 miners were discovered alive, 3 miles from the main shaft. They survived by partially blocking themselves in a part of the mine that contained a fresh air pocket. Several of the trapped miners managed to escape by climbing out of a ventilation shaft….
‘Besides the terrible loss of life, 59 women became widows and 79 boys and 75 girls lost their fathers that day. Practically every family in Millfield was affected. This tragic event made headlines throughout the country, including the front page of the Washington Post and New York Times….
“A month after the disaster, the mine was reopened and the work commenced. However, Ohio’s mine safety laws were forced to improve in 1931 due to the tragedy. The mine continued to operate up until 1945, when it finally closed down. Today, a historic marker is located nearby to mark the tragedy, and a memorial with the names of those killed is located in the village to make sure that they’re never forgotten. Millfield also holds a memorial service each year on the anniversary of the tragedy.” (Millfield Mine Disaster Website.)
Sources
Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of Commerce. Report of Gas and Dust Explosion in Mine No. 6, Sunday Creek Coal Company, Millfield, Ohio, November 5, 1930. Pittsburgh, PA. Accessed 1-25-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/11-05-1930_sunday_creek.pdf
Lahmers, Ken. “Kaleidoscope: In Old Days, Death Common in Mines.” Aurora Advocate, OH, 3-26-2008. Accessed at: http://www.auroraadvocate.com/news/article/3521352
Millfield Mine Disaster website. http://www.abandonedohio.com/millfield-mine-disaster.html
Mine Safety and Health Administration. “A Pictorial Walk Through the 20th Century – Collieries, Tipples, Headframes and Plants.” Arlington, VA: MSHA, U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed 12-30-2008 at: http://www.msha.gov/century/colliery/colliery.asp
National Fire Protection Association. “Fires Causing Major Loss of Life.” 1983 Fire Protection Handbook. Quincy, MA: 1984.
National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History. 1996. Accessed 2010 at: http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=1352&itemID=30955&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/Key%20dates%20in%20fire%20history&cookie%5Ftest=1
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 1-25-2025 at:
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NIOSH-Mining/MMWC/MineDisasters/Table
Ohio Geology. “Millfield Mine Disaster Correction.” Winter 1996, p. 7. Accessed at: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/10/pdf/newsletter/Winter96.pdf
Ohio University. Millfield Mine Explosion MSS #213. Ohio University, Robert E. and Jean R. Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections. Accessed at: http://www.library.ohiou.edu/archives/mss/mss213.pdf
Ohio University Libraries Digital Archival Collections. “Millfield Mine Disaster film, November 5, 1930.” Accessed 1-25-2025 at: https://media.library.ohio.edu/digital/collection/mss/id/1969/
United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. “Sunday Creek Coal Company No. 6 Mine Explosion, Millfield, Athens County, Ohio, November 5, 1930, No. Killed – 82.” Accessed 1-25-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/millfield_no6.HTM