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Conditions Governing Access

No special access restriction applies.

Researchers may access born digital materials by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Lonnie Miller, Compiler, Research Papers Regarding Coal History in Southwestern Pennsylvania, A&M 4078, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Biographical / Historical

Robena Mine Explosion:

The United States Steel Corporation Robena mine in Carmichaels, PA was known as the largest mine in the world in 1946 at the peak of its coal production. Around 1:00 p.m. on December 6, 1962, two gas and coal dust explosions in the Frosty Run shaft of the Robena #3 Mine trapped and killed approximately 37 workers (deaths are primarily attributed to the first blast). The explosions were so strong that they reportedly knocked down men working underground approximately two miles away.

These explosions have been attributed to an ignition of methane gas by friction sparks or electric arc that was propagated by accumulated coal dust. The mine was classified as "gassy" by the State of Pennsylvania and the Bureau of Mines prior to this incident. Recovery operations commenced at 3:00 p.m. the day of the explosion and ended December 11, 1962.

Sources:
"Greensboro, Pennsylvania." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, December 28, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro,_Pennsylvania.
"Robena Mine Explosion." United States Mine Rescue Association: Mine Disasters in the United States. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/robena.htm.
Zuchowski, Dave. "Remembering Robena: Mine Disaster Still Hangs Heavy 57 Years Later." Greene County Messenger, December 13, 2019. https://www.heraldstandard.com/gcm/news/local_news/remembering-robena-mine-disaster-still-hangs-heavy-57-years-later/article_5bc07d62-1b4d-11ea-821e-a373f7cdf6d8.html.

Mather Mine Disaster:

The Mather Mine disaster describes the methane gas and dust explosion in the Pickands-Mather and Company's Mather Mine in Mather, PA on May 19, 1928. The explosion occurred at 4:07 PM, during the transition from day shift to night shift when the majority of day shift workers had already exited the mine and the majority of night shift workers had just reached their northwest section work areas.

Investigations and survivor reports propose that the incident was triggered by an arc from a battery-powered locomotive operated in the affected area. Of the 209 workers in the affected area at the time of the incident, 193 died in the explosion or were suffocated by afterdamp (choking gas left after a methane explosion), 2 died in the hospital post-rescue, and 14 successfully escaped.

(Adapted from "Mather Mine Disaster." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 20, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mather_Mine_disaster.)

Nemacolin Mine Fire:

On Friday, March 26, 1971, at approximately 10:20 a.m., a fire occurred in 118 straight mains section in the Nemacolin Mine of the Buckeye Coal Company. There were 125 persons underground, 11 of whom were working in 118 straight mains. Of the 11 working in the affected area, nine persons escaped, and two persons were killed. Additionally, William L. Groves, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources' State Deep Mine Inspector, drowned accidentally while fighting the fire directly on April 16, 1971.

The Nemacolin Mine Fire served as the first deployment of the MESA's (later MSHA) Mine Emergency Operations (MEO). Although unsuccessful in finding and rescuing the two miners trapped in the Nemacolin Mine, this event marked the dawn of much needed technology, equipment, and capability to search for and rescue miners trapped in mines.

(adapted from "Nemacolin Mine Fire." United States Mine Rescue Association: Mine Disasters in the United States. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/nemacolin.htm.)

Scope and Contents

Research papers regarding history of coal mining and coal disasters in southwestern Pennsylvania compiled by Lonnie Miller, an electrical inspector for the Bureau of Deep Mine Safety, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Much of this material was apparently used by him for his books "Robena: A Chronological History of Robena Mine" (1997), Robena Photographs: A Pictorial History of Robena Mine in Greene County, Pennsylvania" (1998), "Marianna & Mine No. 58. The Big Mine. Washington County, PA.", and "Warwick Coal Mines, Greene County, Pennsylvania" (2000).

The collection includes official mine accident reports; pamphlets; copies of books by Miller; publications by and about the National Mine Rescue Association and the UMWA, among other topics; historical narratives regarding mining in southwestern Pennsylvania; information regarding mine safety technology; photographs; mine maps; and other material.

This collection is largely unprocessed; this contents list is an incomplete listing of the collection's contents.

Separated Material

Books separated to the book collection:

Warwick Coal Mines. Green County, Pennsylvania . By Lonnie Miller. Published by Rita Miller. 2000

Marianna & Mine No. 58. The Big Mine. Washington County, PA . By Lonnie L. Miller. Published by Rita J. Miller; Husband & Wife Team. 2008

Cumberland Mine Fire. Greene County, PA. June 4, 1987 . By Lonnie L. Miller. Published By Rita J. Miller. Husband & Wife Team. 2001

Nemacolin Mine Fire. March 26, 1971 & Memories of: The Mine, The People . By Lonnie Miller. Published By Rita J. Miller. Husband & Wife Team. 2003