Millfield Mining Disaster

“The Millfield Mine disaster is the greatest tragedy which has befallen the Hocking coal field, one of the oldest on the continent. It is appalling in its magnitude, so appalling that it has shocked the entire nation. It has stricken a district that has never known such stark tragedy, such loss of human life in a single catastrophe.” – The Athens Messenger, Nov.6, 1930

The Explosion

Sunday Creek Coal Company’s No. 6 mine was one of the largest mines in the Hocking Valley; in the fall of 1930 the mine employed over 800 men and produced 5,000 to 5,600 tons of coal a day.

On Oct. 31,1930 a state mining inspector discovered too much gas was accumulating in the No.6 mine, and he gave the company 10 days to get rid of it. The coal miners were aware that the mine was gaseous but were unaware of exactly how dangerous it was.

Five days later, November 5, 1930, began like any other day at the No. 6 mine with the day shift of about 260 miners arriving before sun up. Around 11:00 am executives from the company and other officials were examining the ventilating system- a new air shaft and fan that had just been completed and installed in the mine.

Around 11:50 an explosion went of inside the mine tearing away rock, throwing steel rails hundreds of feet, knocking eight-ton motors off their tracks and sending the weightless miners flying. Some miners, almost 100, miraculously were able to scramble out of the mine through airshafts, the main shaft and anyway possible.

A second blast, fueled by coal dust, followed the first explosion. This explosion created an underground cloud of damp (carbon monoxide gas). Despite the poisonous gas 60 more men managed to stumble out of the mine.

Others who were still trapped tried to cover their faces with shirts, or create a barrier to keep the toxic gas from killing them.

The Aftermath

By noon someone had run into the schoolhouse informing everyone inside that there had been an explosion at No.6. Members of the community rushed to the mine immediately to put together rescue operations. Some men who previously escaped the mine, ran back inside to assist others.

As news of the disaster spread help came from all over. Doctors and ambulances came from all the surrounding towns, including Athens. A train of doctors, nurses and medical supplies was sent from Columbus. The U.S. Bureau of Mines sent rescue personnel and equipment from Pittsburgh. Aid and workers came from the Ohio National Guard, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the American Legion and Ohio University. Eventually all roads leading into Millfield were closed.

When the smoke had cleared enough for rescuers to enter the mine the goal was to look for survivors, and collect the bodies of the diseased later.

Eleven hours after the explosion no men had been found, leaving those above ground and rescuers below nearly hopeless. Nineteen men however were still alive. Around midnight the last survivors were found and brought to the surface.

Bodies of corpses were recovered hours later, and a makeshift morgue was set up inside the company store.

Eighty-two men died in the accident making it the worst mining disaster in Ohio history. The tragedy left behind 154 fatherless children and 59 widows. Fourteen families lost more then one family member; father and son Andy Kish, and Andy Kish Jr. bodies were found in each other’s arms.

A committee, appointed by the state and federal government to determine the cause of the explosion, concluded the collapse of a mine roof that bore electric wires to track rails caused a short and set off a pocket of gas that had collected. The committee however had no hard evidence and the cause of the explosion was just a guess.

Survivors Stories

Walter Border-“We had just been called to 7 east. I stooped over to throw the switch of the car and was knocked down. I thought I had touched a live wire. I got up, but was knocked down a second time by a blast of hot air. I remember being knocked down three times. When I woke up after the third time I must have been 125 feet away from the spot where the explosion first hit me. When I came to, a hot breeze was rushing through the tunnel. I buried my face in the dirt to get away from the gas. After a few minutes the billow of hot gas had passed over and the air became purer. I heard Olbers, my buddy, a few feet from me. We started the long walk of about a mile. I had to be helped at times, and at times I helped others stumble along.”

John Dean- The mine boss recounted his experience of himself and 18 other men who bratticed themselves into a room. “As soon as I saw what had happened, we got into the crossover between 11 and 12 west and started putting up brattice cloth to keep out the gas.” Dean recalled two men, William Messenger and Alfred Wade leaving the group around 1:30 in an attempt to get out of the mine. Dean went to find the pair a half hour later. “They were calling for help, but I was too weak to carry them, when I went back around 3:00 they were dead.” Dean then returned to the completed brattice cloth barrier and collapsed.

James Norton- The only man of the 19, to stay conscious through the entire event. “I heard men bratticing up the passage ways so that air could be sent through the main entry to clear the way for entry work. I pulled away a corner of the brattice cloth and started to whistle. In a few minutes they heard me and three men came up.”

Sigmund Kozma- the last living survivor from the disaster. Kozma’s story can be seen Justin Zimmerman’s documentary film.

Historical testimony of Border, Dean and Norton are excerpts from “ Keeping the Home Fires Burning: A book about the Coal Mines” by Damon D. Watkins

The Deceased

On May 25,1975 Millfield Mine Memorial Committee dedicated a monument remembering the disaster. Engraved on a seven-foot memorial were the names of the 82 men who died during the accident.

* next to the name of the executives who passed, including the Sunday Creek Coal Company president, and vice president.

• Roy Andrews
• Joseph A. Bergin *
• Delmar Bower
• John Bower
• George Brown
• Sam Brown
• William Brown
• Paul Burgess
• Alex Burmich
• Joe Butsko
• John Butsko
• Andy C. Bycofski
• Michael Clancy
• William Clancy
• Pearl A. Coen*
• Frank Davis
• Clyde Dean
• Paul Erwin
• Phil Erwin
• Silas Erwin
• Ben Fielder
• James Genise
• John Green
• Charles Grimm
• Miles Grimm
• Thomas Harley
• Walter Hayden
• John Hillen
• Charles Hoops
• Eram Hovath
• Charles Hunter
• Ray Hunter
• James Hurd
• Joseph Jackson
• Frank Kearns
• George Keish
• Stanley Keish
• William Keish
• Andy Kish Jr.
• Andy Kish Sr.
• Hubert Lanchaster*
• Emerson LeFever
• George Love
• James A. Lyons
• James Martin
• John McAllister
• Cam F. McGe
• Earl McGee
• Elsworth McGee
• George McLean
• Ed McManaway
• William Messenger
• Harry Milliron
• John Nadroski
• James North
• Wilber North
• William R. Parry
• Robert Parsons*
• John Patterson
• Floyd Pettett
• Thomas Peyatt
• William Peyatt
• Virgil Phillips
• Phil Powell
• Abe Rankins
• Vernon Roberts *
• Carl Robinett
• Charles Sycks
• Harry Sycks
• George Thomas
• Andy Tonak
• Thomas Trainer*
• William E. Tytus*
• Walter Undervitch
• Howard H. Upon*
• Alfred Wade
• Luther Wade
• John Weiss
• John Williams
• Andrew Willis
• Oscar Willis
• Virgil Willis

( Information from newspaper articles at the Athens Historical Society, and "Keeping the Home Fires Burning: A book about the Coal Mines")