1940 — Mar 16, Hanna Coal Co. Willow Grove No. 10 Mine dust explosion, Neffs, OH– 72

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 10-20-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–72  Lahmers. “In Old Days, Death Common in Mines.”  Aurora Advocate, OH, 3-26-2008. 

–72  MSHA, Historical Data on Mine Disasters in the U.S., 2008. 

–72  NFPA Quarterly.  “Fires in Which There Was Loss of Life.” Vol. 34, No. 1, July 1940, 90.

–72  National Fire Protection Association.  Key Dates in Fire History.  1996. 

–72  US Bureau of Mines. Final Report, Explosion, Willow Grove No. 10 Mine, Hanna Coal…

–72  United States Mine Rescue Assoc. “Hanna Coal Co. Willow Grove No. 10 Mine Explos.”

Narrative Information

Bureau of Mines: “An explosion occurred in the Willow Grove No. 10 mine of the Hanna Coal Company of Ohio, Heffs, Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio, at about 11:05 a.m., March 16, 1940. Seventy-two men were killed as a result of this explosion, of which number 66 were killed outright by burns and violence, 3 were killed by burns and afterdamp, 2 were asphyxiated, and 1 died 6 days later from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. One additional man was severely burned and injured by the explosion and two others were severely injured by a rock fall while engaged in recovery work 11 days after the explosion. Twenty-two others were overcome by afterdamp, rescued, taken to the surface, and revived, and 79 uninjured men were temporarily imprisoned and 5 hours later eld to the surface through the air shaft by rescue parties. Two uninjured men escaped to the outside unaided. A total of 176 men were in the mine at the time of the explosion. The explosion was not general throughout the mine but traversed the entire 22 south section and a short distance inby and outby 22 south on the main west haulage entries. The investigation disclosed two possible points of origin; however, after a careful study, the writers believe that the explosion was caused by the firing of a shot charged with black (pellet) powder near the face of 8 west off 22 south entry.” (p. 1.)

….

“…the Bureau investigators are of the opinion that this explosion originated in the face of 5 west entry off 22 south; that the explosion was caused by the firing of a shot of black pellet powder …which ignited a cloud of coal dust, in which gas may or may not have been present; and that the explosion was propagated throughout the affected area by coal dust which was raised in suspension by the initial explosion.” (p. 57.)

(United States Bureau of Mines. Final Report, Explosion, Willow Grove No. 10 Mine, Hanna Coal Company of Ohio, Neffs, Ohio, March 16, 1940.)

Geocities.com:  “The Willow Grove Mine which has long been closed was once nestled deep in a valley beside a tumbling little stream in Belmont County, Ohio. It was located twelve miles west of Wheeling, West Virginia, and four miles south of St. Clairsville. The mine was surrounded by tiny mining communities….

“When death came knocking at the door of Hanna Coal Company’s No. 10 Mine at Willow Grove, twenty-four year old Czech-born Frank Opatrny described it as a big whoosh. “The noise wasn’t loud, but the force of the blast tore doors off their hinges and smashed supporting girders like they were matches,” he said. Deaths icy fingers entombed more than seventy men in a matter of seconds at eleven o’clock on Saturday morning, March 16, 1940. Opatrny was the first man to walk from the mouth of the tipple after the explosion. “They’re all dead. . . . They couldn’t live through that blast,” he whispered sadly….

“Twenty-three men escaped death by collapsing from exhaustion. Soon after the blast the men started their three-mile trek plodding along the track toward the entrance of the mine. When they had walked about a mile drowsiness from the gas, began to take its toll, and every step became a little more difficult. The first man fell a mile from the entrance. Two miners grabbed him by his arms dragging him as they stumbled toward the entrance. John Grady Vechezone fell to the ground and cut his head. He managed to pull himself along with hands that soon became bloody. Frank Bakosh and Harold Stullenberger stopped often to wash the faces of the fallen with water from their dinner buckets to revive them. They were among the last to lose consciousness. The last victim they assisted was John Friedberg. Stullenberger fell over John’s body. He was conscious, but exhausted. He could hear Bakosh repeating “What’s a matter Stoney. What’s a matter.” Then he heard Bakosh fall. Nearly five hours passed before the rescue crew reached the men who were all prone. A first aid expert said none would have survived if they had been in a sitting position. Passing out saved their lives as the only good air was on the ground….

“The Bureau of Mines declared the explosion to be caused by an excessive shot of black powder which stirred up “bug dust” and coal dust and ignited a flame. Gas at the face of the mine, and black powder in a storage box added to the impact of the explosion. Rock dust had been applied only to the main haulage way. Water was not used to settle coal dust. Willow Grove was classed as a non-gassy mine, and they didn’t employ a fire boss. The section foremen had flame safety lamps. The company had a creditable safety record with an active safety program, so this type of disaster was not imagined….

“The Bureau of Mines declared seventy-two men died in the explosion. According to their records sixty-six men died by burns and violence, three by burns and after-damp, two attempting the rescue of the trapped miners, and one man died six days after the accident from the effects of after-damp.”  (GeoCities.com. Death Came A-Knockin’)

NFPA: “March 16, 1940, Neffs, Ohio. Seventy-two men died as the result of a coal mine explosion.  It is reported that a coal dust explosion and fire followed the ignition of a charge of black pellet powder.”  (NFPA Quarterly. “Fires in Which There Was Loss of Life.” Vol. 34, No. 1, July 1940, 90.)

Sources

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

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Historical Data on Mine Disasters in the United States. Arlington, VA: MSHA, U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed 10-5-2008 at:  http://www.msha.gov/MSHAINFO/FactSheets/MSHAFCT8.HTM

National Fire Protection Association. “Fires in Which There Was Loss of Life. Second Quarter, 1940.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 34, No. 1, July 1940, p.90-91.

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

United States Bureau of Mines. Final Report, Explosion, Willow Grove No. 10 Mine, Hanna Coal Company of Ohio, Neffs, Ohio, March 16, 1940. Accessed 10-20-2024 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/Willow_Grove_1940.pdf

United States Mine Rescue Association. “Hanna Coal Company Willow Grove No. 10 Mine Explosion, Neffs, Belmont County, Ohio, March 16, 1940.” Accessed 10-20-2024 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/willow_grove.htm