3, Lovilia, IA– 5

lornajarrettblanchard March 30, 1953

–5 Bureau of Mines. Final Report…Major Explosion…O’Brien Mine…Lovilia…March 30, 1953, p 1.
–2 Shot firers killed in coal-dust explosion.
–3 Mine officers and motorman entering mine to determine “cause and effect of the
explosion” after recovery of bodies of the two killed miners.
–5 United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. “O’Brien…”

Narrative Information

Bureau of Mines report: “A coal-dust explosion in the O’Brien mine about 4 p.m., March 30, 1953 killed two shot firers, the only men in the mine at the time. Their bodies were recovered at 6 p.m. that day. Three of five men who entered the mine about 9 p.m., March 30, reportedly to make an investigation of the explosion, collapsed and died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The other two men escaped to the surface; one was hospitalized but was released from the hospital April 3.

“The explosion resulted from two blown-out black blasting powder shots off the solid in No. 4 room, 10 west entry. The force of the explosion spread throughout 9 and 10 west entries, the only active section in the mine, and extended 700 feet in the main entries outby that section….” (p. 1.)

“The mine was dry and dusty and was not rock dusted [to help keep coal dust on the floor and not suspended in the air]. Dust samples were not collected prior to the explosion….” (p. 4.)

“….Electric lights were used on the slope bottom and for a limited distance along the main haulageway. All underground employees used open-flame lights. Smoking was permitted and practiced underground.

Mine Rescue

“None of the employees of the O’Brien mine or nearby mines was trained in mine rescue. The only rescue equipment available was that owned by the fire department in Albia, Iowa, 14 miles from the mine; personnel of that department were not familiar with mine rescue procedures and requirements. Water in barrels, fire buckets, and carbon tetrachloride fire extinguishers were available for fire fighting on the surface and underground, but a fire-fighting organization was not maintained at the mine.

Legal Proceedings on Notices

“On October 9, 1952, upon completion of a Federal inspection of the O’Brien mine and in accordance with provisions of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act, a Notice was issued to the operator of the O’Brien mine stating that black blasting powder was used to blast coal in the mine. The notice required this violation…be totally abated by January 16, 1953.

“A second Notice issued October 9, 1952 stated that the mine was dry and rock dust had not been applied, and required that this violation…be totally abated by April 9, 1953.

“A third Notice issued October 9, 1952 stated that preshift examinations of the mine were not made, and required that this violation…be totally abated by January 16, 1953.

“….Similar Notices concerning the use of black blasting powder and lack of rock dust had been issued October 2, 1952 at the No. 2 mine of the Lovilia Coal Company and October 3, 1952 at the No. 3 mine of the Lovilia Coal Company upon completion of Federal inspections of those mines.

“On December 14, 1952, the operator of the O’Brien Coal Company notified the Director of the Bureau of Mines by telegram that he would reduce the number of men employed underground to 14 on January 16, 1953, and requested advice as to whether under these circumstances the mine would be considered subject only to the provisions of Title I of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act. The Director replied by night letter dated December 15, 1952 and advised in part that if the employment was such after January 16, 1953 that this mine is not covered by the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act, the Bureau of Mines could not require the operator to comply with Sec. 209(h) (5) of the Act pertaining to black blasting powder.

“On January 9, 1953, the company requested the Director by telegram for interpretation of the language ‘fourteen individuals regularly employed underground’ as used in Section 201(b) of the Act. The Director replied by air mail letter asking for further information to enable him to answer correctly the telegram of January 9; the Director received no reply to this request.

“On January 19, 1953, the Judge of the District Court of the State of Iowa in and for Monroe County granted a restraining order in the case entitled Lovilia Coal Company and D. W. O’Brien, doing business as O’Brien Coal Company, Plaintiffs, vs W. B. Dalrymple and Roy Capps, Defendants, enjoining the defendants from enforcing or attempting to enforce compliance by plaintiffs with the provisions of Section 209(h) (5) of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act. The temporary injunction was served on Dalrymple the same day and on Capps the following day, and prevented reinspection of the Lovilia Coal Company and O’Brien Coal Company mines. The office of the United States Attorney for the district in Iowa involved cautioned Federal inspectors Dalrymple and Capps not to enter the premises of these mines pending further disposition of the case.

“On February 4, 1953, United States Attorneys in Des Moines, Iowa, filed a petition for removal of the case from the State Court to the United States District Court, Southern District of Iowa, Ottumwa Division. The case was docketed as Civil No. 1-36. On February 20, 1953, a motion to dismiss and a brief on the motion to dismiss were filed by United States Attorneys in the United States District Court, and the case was argued orally before the court on March 20, 1953. On March 27, 1953, the Judge of the United States District Court sustained the motion to dismiss and dissolved the restraining order. Copies of this action were forwarded from Des Moines, Iowa, on March 30, 1953 – the day of the explosion – to the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., and to Region V of the Bureau of Mines. Notice of such action was received by the Bureau of Mines, Duluth office, at 2:00 p.m. March 31, 1953, and was the first official written knowledge the Bureau had that the injunction had been dissolved. However, about noon on March 31 the Chief Counsel, Bureau of Mines, Washington, D.C. called the Asst. U.S. Attorney in Iowa about the Bureau’s right in view of the injunction to have Federal inspectors enter the premises of the O’Brien mine to investigate the disaster. During the conversation, the Chief Counsel of the Bureau of Mines was advised that the injunction had been dissolved on March 27, 1953….

Recovery Operations

“….Tom Wignall, managing partner, Lovilia Coal Company, and Thomas Little and Gerald Lane, partners and mine foremen, Lovilia Coal Company arrived at the O’Brien mine shortly after 8 p.m., March 30, and after some discussion decided to enter the mine to see what they might determine about the cause and effect of the explosion. They went down the slope and along the main entry as far as the destroyed door between 7 and 8 west entries, then returned to the surface to obtain a flame safety lamp. D. E. O’Brien, owner and operator of the O’Brien Coal Company, and James Love and A. B. Overturf, motorman and miner respectively at the O’Brien mine, arrived at the mine before Wignall, Little, and Lane reentered. Love previously had helped recover the bodies of the shot firers, and he and Overturf also decided to enter the mine….

“According to Wignall’s testimony at the coroner’s inquest, the men were under the impression that flame safety lamps provide adequate warning of all noxious gases encountered in coal mines. The party allegedly split up …then rejoined at 10 west entry and examined a blown-out shot hole in No. 4 room off that entry. The men had been there ‘5 or 10 minutes’ when Overturf mentioned he ‘didn’t think the air was too good’ and suggested leaving the mine. Wignall and Overturf started toward the main entry, but Lane, Little, and Love started toward the face of 10 west entry. Wignall looked back, saw a light below No. 4 room, and returned to find Little lying on the floor. Wignall attempted to help Little, then realized that he too was losing consciousness, and crawled back to the main entry. Lane and Love could not be seen. Overturf helped Wignall reach the locomotive outby the last obstruction in the main entry, and both men rode the motor to the slope bottom and returned up the slope to the surface….

Investigation of Cause of Explosion

“….Recommendations to rock dust the mine according to provisions of the Federal Mine Safety Code were made in five previous inspection reports, the first of which was dated March 15, 1949.

“Coal in this mine has a volatile ratio of 0.47, and the coal dust is highly explosive. Dust samples were not collected prior to the day of the disaster, but samples were collected from the roof, rigs, timbers, and bottom at 18 different points in the mine during the investigation. Results of analyses…show that the incombustible content of all samples was less than the 65 percent minimum specified in the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act. The incombustible content of the dust was less than 40 percent in 10 samples; only 2 samples contained more than 50 percent incombustible material….

Cause of Explosion

“The explosion was caused by ignition of a cloud of coal dust by two blown-out pellet black blasting powder shots off the solid in the face of No. 4 room off 10 west entry off the main entry….” (Bureau of Mines, US Department of the Interior, Region V. Final Report of Major Explosion Disaster O’Brien Mine, O’Brien Coal Company, Lovilia, Monroe County, Iowa, March 30, 1953. Duluth, MN: Bureau of Mines Region V. No date.)

Sources

Bureau of Mines, US Department of the Interior, Region V. Final Report of Major Explosion Disaster O’Brien Mine, O’Brien Coal Company, Lovilia, Monroe County, Iowa, March 30, 1953. Duluth, MN: Bureau of Mines Region V. No date. Accessed 5-19-2023 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/1953_OBrien_Mine_Report.pdf

United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. “O’Brien Coal Company O’Brien Mine Explosion. Lovilia, Monroe County, Iowa, March 30, 1953. No. Killed – 5.” Accessed 5-19-2023 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/obrien_news_only.htm