1962 — Dec 6, Coal Mine dust and gas Explosions, Robena No. 3, Carmichaels, PA       —     37

— 37  Bugbee. “Fire Protection Developments in 1962. NFPA Quarterly, V56/N3, Jan 1963, 197.

— 37  NFPA. “Multiple-Death Fires of 1962.” NFPA Quarterly, V56/N4, April 1963, p. 295.*

— 37  NFPA. Spreadsheet on Large Loss of Life Fires (as of Feb 2003).

— 37  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC. Mine Disasters.

— 37  United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Accidents and Disasters. “U.S. Steel…”

 

* “During the past year, 1,349 persons died in the 306 fires and explosions which killed 3 or more persons in the United States and Canada. This is an increase of 7 fires and a decrease of 22 deaths compared with 1961 experience…The largest multiple-death fire occurred December 6, when an explosion in a mine in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, killed 37 miners.”

 

Narrative Information

 

United States Mine Rescue Association: “Two gas and coal dust explosions, the first at about 1:05 p.m. and the second at about 1:25 p.m., occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1962, in the 4 mains right area of Robena No. 3 mine… Thirty-seven men, all of those working in the 8 left section of the explosion area, are believed to have died as a result of the first explosion, as attested by the fact that some of the watches, including the watch on the body of the outermost victim, had been stopped between 1:03 and 1:05, while two other men who approached the area after the first explosion were knocked down but not injured by the forces of the second explosion. The other 133 men in the Robena No. 3 mine at the time were withdrawn without mishap.

 

“Bureau of Mines investigators believe that the first explosion originated in the face area of 8 left inby 90 crosscut between Nos. 4 and 8 entries when a mixture of methane and air was ignited by one of four possible sources: A nip station just outby 90 crosscut on No. 6 entry, a car puller activated by an open-type electric motor located on intake air at the inby right comer of No. 6 entry at 90 crosscut, friction sparks from bits of a continuous miner being operated at the face of the slant place between Nos. 7 and 8 entries inby 91 crosscut, or an auxiliary fan in operation and in nonpermissible condition in 91 crosscut between the slant and No. 8 entry.

 

“The second explosion originated somewhere in 8 left section when gas and/or dust was ignited by residual fires or by an electric arc, since the main fan had been restarted and the mine power system had been reenergized soon after the first explosion. Coal dust assisted in the propagation of both explosions.

 

“The Robena mine, operated as one unit, consists of three interconnected mines, Nos. 1,2, and 3, located at Greensboro and Carmichaels, Greene County, Pennsylvania, which are served by barges on the Monongahela River….

 

“Evidence brought out during the official hearings on the disaster disclosed that blasting was not done on the construction shift on December 6, and there was no indication during the investigation of the disaster that blasting had been done on the shift on which the explosions occurred.

 

“The mine is classed gassy by the State and the Bureau of Mines.  Preshift examinations for gas and other hazards were made by certified officials before the first operating shift of each day, and preshift examinations for succeeding shifts were made by the onshift certified official during his regular tour of duty.  Onshift examinations for gas and other hazards were made by assistant foremen, mine foremen, safety inspectors, certain equipment operators, and shot firers.  Gas wells penetrating the property were protected by blocks of coal left in place.  An abandoned and plugged gas well was situated about 1,150 feet to the right of the faces in 8 left section.

 

“Dust. At the time of the February 1962 Federal inspection of the Robena mine, the mine surfaces were generally dry.  Dangerous accumulations of loose coal or coal dust were not observed.

 

“Further testimony during the hearings revealed that 53 loaded cars and one partly loaded car of coal were in the section (2 loaded and a partly loaded car near the loading ramp between 89 and 90 crosscuts, 10 cars in 84 crosscut, 36 cars extending inby from 45 crosscut, and 5 on the right side pickup at 72 crosscut).  Sixty-three tons of coal were swept from these cars by the forces of the explosions, and that portion smaller than 20 mesh would have been fuel to propagate the explosions.

 

“Testimony also revealed that it was believed that the explosion originated from an ignition of gas in the face area of 8 left and was propagated by the abovementioned coal dust in addition to 1,400 or more pounds on the mine floor resulting from timber hitches cut in the ribs between 76 and 77 crosscuts No. 5 entry and other coal dust in the entries….

 

“The electric equipment in 8 left section was examined during the investigation, and permissibility defects were found in the permissible-type equipment. These deficiencies in the permissible-type equipment indicated general substandard inspection and maintenance of such equipment….

 

“…during the official hearings on the explosions, a continuous miner operator on that shift stated that he had found gas at the intersection of the No. 5 entry and the inby radius from No. 5 to No. 6 entries, and that the air movement in this area was sluggish.  He stated also that the section foreman was present when the gas was found and ordered a check curtain erected to improve the ventilation.  The foreman insisted that gas was not found on this shift, and that he had never found gas during his 2 months’ supervision of the section.

 

“Recovery Operations. The recovery was a long and tedious operation, taking from about 3:00 p.m. December 6 until the morning of December 11, 1962, when the face area was finally ventilated. The body of the first victim was found at 3:15 a.m. December 8 and the last was brought to the surface at 2:04 p.m. December 11, 1962….

 

“Cause of the Disaster. This disaster was caused by the ignition of a body of methane by friction sparks or electric arc.  The methane had accumulated in a portion of the face development that was not ventilated for a short period of time and was moved over operating equipment when completion of a permanent stopping in the section resulted in a reversal of face airflow.”

 

(United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Accidents and Disasters. “U.S. Steel Corporation Coal Division, Frick District, Robena No. 3 Mine Explosion. Carmichaels, Green County, Pennsylvania. December 6, 1962. No. Killed – 37.”

 

Newspaper Account

 

Dec 7: “Rescue workers today continued their slow, agonizing effort to reach 37 men trapped by a shattering explosion yesterday afternoon at the Frosty Run Shaft of Robena No. 3 Mine. The number of men trapped underground rose to 37 late this morning, when U.S. Steel Corp. said a recheck of its records showed another man missing. He was identified as Arthur Labons, 37, of Fairbank. A total of 36 men were believed trapped at first.

 

“Rescuers, working desperately against time, still had not reached the blast scene by mid-afternoon, more than 24 hours after the explosion occurred. But some hope was still-held for the men. At 12:30 p.m., Asst. Gen. Supt. James B. Girod of Frick District said that rescue teams were approximately 5,500 feet from the scene where the men were believed trapped. There was no estimate of how long it might take to reach them. The rescue teams had worked their way 5,300 feet from the foot of the shaft down the main haulageway to the mouth of the corridor where the explosion occurred, then went 1,600 feet beyond that to clear dangerous conditions. They then began going down the side corridor. Mr. Girod said that beams were found broken but there were no serious roof falls. He said there were indications of carbon monoxide and that soot

— indicating smoke — had been found on some of the beams. Asked if there was a chance of survival, Mr. Girod said it was “not definable.”….

 

“Anxious relatives, many of them sobbing, kept a sad vigil at the mouth of the U.S. Steel mine in Greene County.

 

“More than 100 persons were taking part in the rescue efforts, 50 of them below the surface, inching their way toward the spot where the men were trapped 650 feet underground. The 37 men “unaccounted for” included a foreman, two assistant foremen, two engineers, a young engineer student trainee, and 31 miners.

 

“Forty-three other men working in other sections of the mine escaped unhurt….

 

“The explosion ripped through the mine at 1:15 p.m. yesterday.

 

“Frosty Run is in the southwest corner of the sprawling Robena complex of mines. It is located near Garards Fort, about six miles from Carmichaels and 15 miles west of Uniontown.

 

“Rescue crews and company officials worked unceasingly throughout the night and this morning in their efforts to reach the trapped men.

 

“A howling blizzard brought rescue difficulties, with many roads in the area drifting shut.

 

“Fire added to the horror of the disaster.

 

“Secretary Evans said the explosion probably was of methane, “quite possibly propagated by coal dust.” He said that crews feeling their way carefully toward the disaster scene found flickering fires, as far as two miles back from the “face” where the blast occurred. Carbon monoxide was detected coming from the ventilation system — usually a sign of fire….

 

“The force of the blast was terrific. It blew out reinforced steel and concrete overcasts — beams about the size of those used in highway overpasses. It smashed stoppings concrete-block baffles used to divert the flow of air — for a long distance back into the mine. The blast was so strong that one miner 2½ miles away was knocked to the ground. Others had their hats blown off. A dense cloud of dust came boiling down the haulageway from the blast scene. Timber legs were knocked out and shoring was left hanging. Power cables were melted by the heat.

 

“The Frosty Run shaft is 525 feet deep. The tunnel drops gradually from 525 to 650 feet at the point where the men were trapped. There was only one exit to the surface….

 

“Operations at the Robena 1, 2 and 3 Mines — employing a total of 1,200 men — ceased immediately upon word o£ the explosion. All of the mines are inter-connected underground, with Frosty Run at the far southwest corner of the complex.

 

“There was a possibility that here actually were two blasts instead of one. The first intimation of disaster, said Frick District Asst. Gen. Supt. James B. Girod, came when the mine fan “went down.” It was put back on the line, and then ten minutes later it went out again. This time it was 45 minutes before the fan could be started and ventilation restored. A cloud of dust boiled back down the haulageway from the disaster scene.

 

“Narrow roads leading to the mine drifted shut in many places as the snowstorm increased in intensity during the night. There were numerous skidding accidents….

 

List of Men Trapped in Robena Explosion [Rearranged alphabetically]

 

Adam Andrews Jr., 45, Uniontown R.D. 4.

Norman A. Benninghoff, 57, McClellandtown R.D. 1

William Blacka, 49, engineer, Clarksville

James, H. Boyd, 43, Carmichaels.

Albert F. Bronakoski, 18, engineering trainee, Bobtown

Nick Caromano, 57…Uniontown

Albert (Biz) Cavalcante, 48…Masontown

Frank Hainzer Jr., 40, Masontown

James W. Hribal, 39, assistant foreman, 32…Carmichaels

Frank Hudock, 51, Oliver

Andrew J. Hvizdos, 47, New Salem

Andrew K. Kanyuch, 55, Carmichaels (Route 88)

John Karlyak, 38, Grindstone

Arthur Labons, 37, Fairbank

Charles Laucher, 49, Leckrone

Alex Marra, 62…Uniontown

John E. Martoncik Jr., 45, Uniontown R.D. 2

Elmer W. McCann, 48…Masontown

Orrin B. McDowell, 46. engineer, Smithfield

Ernest Mollica, 58, Uniontown R.D. 3

Homer F. Pitts, 37…Uniontown.

Samuel Rain, 47, McCellandtown R.D. 1

Frank H. Rifenburg, 51, Masontown

Allen J. Sanner, 49, Hihbs

John M. Sauter, 53, assistant foreman, 47, Uniontown

Charles J. Sebeck, 41, Grindstone R.D. 1

Charles J. Seper, 44…Ronco

George L. Speelman, 58, Uniontown

Hurley C. Stalnaker, 50, Palmer

Michael E. Stanik, 60, Crucible.

John J. St. Clair, 42, maintenance foreman, New Salem

John H. Steech, 60…Masontown Joseph V. Tokish…Carmichaels.

Charles S. Van Divner, 39, Uledi

Russell H. Wright, McCellandtown R.D. 1

Eugene. G. Zuzak, 48, Fairbank

Paul C. Zvolenski, 40, Adah

 

“Wright, Bronakoski, Andrews and Zuzak are single, the others married.”

 

(Evening Standard, Uniontown, PA. “37 Are Still Trapped in Robena No. 3. Mine.” 12-7-1962, pp. 1 and 6.)

 

Sources

 

Bugbee, Percy (NFPA General Manager). “Fire Protection Developments in 1962. Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 56, No. 3, January 1963, p. 197.

 

Evening Standard, Uniontown, PA. “37 Are Still Trapped in Robena No. 3. Mine.” 12-7-1962, p. 1. Accessed 11-9-2014 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=84552337

 

National Fire Protection Association. “Multiple-Death Fires of 1962.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 56, No. 4, April 1963, pp. 295-317.

 

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 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. At:  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/disall.htm > and http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/content/allminingdisasters.html

 

United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Accidents and Disasters. “U.S. Steel Corporation Coal Division, Frick District, Robena No. 3 Mine Explosion. Carmichaels, Green County, Pennsylvania. December 6, 1962. No. Killed – 37.” Accessed 11-9-2014 at: http://www.usmra.com/saxsewell/robena.htm