1937 — Oct 15, Mulga Coal Mine methane gas explosion (lighting lamp), Mulga, AL —   34

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 11-15-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–34  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC. Mine Disasters.

–34  U.S. Bureau of Mines. Explosion in the Mulga mine…Mulga, Alabama, October 15, 1937.

Narrative Information

U.S. Bureau of Mines. Explosion in the Mulga mine…Mulga, Alabama, October 15, 1937:

“An explosion occurred on October 15, 1937, about 10:45 p.m., in the two cross haulage section of the Mulga mine of the Woodward Iron Company at Mulga, Jefferson County, Alabama. There were 229 men underground, 65 of whom were in the two cross haulage section. One hundred and ninety-five men escaped uninjured, one was taken to the surface severely burned and died forty-eight hours later, and thirty-three men were killed by flame and afterdamp.

“Afterdamp caused the death of twenty-t1-,o persons; flame, eight persons; and flame and afterdamp, four persons.

“The explosion originated thirteen feet from the face of the 2nd parallel air course of twelve right off two cross haulage when a shotfirer, after firing a shot at an advancing entry face, attempted to light or relight a flame safety lamp in the presence of an explosive mixture of methane and air. Dust propagated the flame in hand rock-dusted areas and it is probable that the explosion was stopped by the machine-dusted areas in two cross haulage….” (p. 1.)

“There have been three major explosions in the Myalgia mine. In 1910 an ignition of gas from open light killed 40; in 1914 a similar occurrence killed 17; and in 1937; that is, the present explosion, 34 were killed.

“The explosion occurred at 10: 45 p . m. , but the State Department of Mines was not notified for 1-1/2 hours and the Bureau of Mines for 2-1/2 hours after the occurrence….” (p. 2.)

Sources

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 at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/disall.htm

and http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/content/allminingdisasters.html

United States Bureau of Mines, Department of Interion. Explosion in the Mulga mine, Woodward Iron Company, Mulga, Alabama, October 15, 1937. Accessed 11-15-2024 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/1937_Mulga_Report.pdf