1934 — Dec 27, Boiler Explosion, Engine Hauling Coal Mine Workers, McDunn, WV–     18

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 12-11-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–18  Montgomery News. “Death Toll in Train Blast is 18,” January 3, 1935.)

–18  Princeton Times, Bluefield, WV. “The week in WV history.” 12-27-2019.

–18  WV Div Culture, History. WV Archives. “On This Day in WV History…[Dec 27, 1934].” 

Narrative Information

Princeton Times, Bluefield, WV. “The week in WV history.” 12-27-2019:

“Dec 27, 1934, – A boiler in a locomotive hauling mine workers at McDunn in Fayette County exploded in the early morning hours, resulting in the death of eighteen miners. The Koppers Coal Company ‘s subsidiary, the Elkhorn Piney Coal Mining Company, was hauling a four-coach train to Mine No. 5 of the Koppers Coal Company where the miners worked with nearly 350 men on board. It puffed into the little town of McDunn, miners talking and laughing as they waited for the locomotive to gain stream for the upward climb when suddenly there was a big explosion and ‘the front of the locomotive was thrown in to the coach.’ A minute later, another explosion caused the coach to be torn to pieces according to accounts at the time. The huge boiler flew high in the air, turned over and crashed on the top of the wooden car. It literally tore away the roof and one side, crumbling through the straw-matting seats. Ambulances and private cars from the entire section, from all the mine towns scattered along Armstrong Creek, were pressed into service to carry the injured to a Montgomery hospital. Terrific force of the blast killed some. Others were scalded to death as live steam roared into the coaches. Mangled beneath a locomotive boiler that exploded and crashed through the car in which they were riding, 16 men were instantly killed at Powellton with two passing away from injuries they received later on. Representatives of the Interstate Commerce Commission, after investigating the explosion of the boiler, reported that ‘an overheated crown sheet on account of low water” caused the blast. Three inspectors for the Bureau of Locomotives of the commission said that a formal report to that effect was to be submitted to the chief of the bureau in Washington.”

Jan 3: “The death this afternoon at 4:30 o’clock at the Coal Valley Hospital of Okey V. Litton, 54, of Powellton, where he had resided the past six months, brought the total deaths in the explosion of a locomotive boiler at MacDunn, on Armstrong Creek, Thursday morning, December 27, up to eighteen.”  (Montgomery News. “Death Toll in Train Blast is 18,” January 3, 1935.)

Sources

Montgomery News. “Death Toll in Train Blast is 18,” January 3, 1935. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com

Princeton Times, Bluefield, WV. “The week in WV history.” 12-27-2019.

West Virginia Division of Culture and History. West Virginia Archives & History. “On This Day in West Virginia History…[Dec 27, 1934].” Accessed at:  http://www.wvculture.org/history/thisdayinwvhistory/1227.html