190 men were instantly killed due to multiple explosions in the early morning ( approx. 7.30 am ) inside the Fraterville mine, which took place on 19th May 1902.
Though 26 men were able to survive after the blast near the passage entrance, they were found dead inside the mine later. The 26 men have been alive until 2.30 pm on the same day which was found by letters inside the mine.
Out of 216 miners inside the mine 190 were dead instantly due to explosion occurred inside mine by methane catching fire. The remaining 26 members decided to go deep into the mine to be safe from heat and toxic gas as the entrance was blocked. They barricaded the passage to avoid heat and air. However, due to no air inside the mine for a longer period they have suffocated to death.
Few of the men wrote letters to theirs loved ones when they were inching to death. One of that is written by Jacob Vowell with his 14-year-old son beside him and wrote to Jacob’s wife Sarah Ellen. The Letter :
How did this Happen ?
An explosion outside, caused the dangerous methane gas to enter into ventilation pipe. Due to lamps carried by miners and heat, methane gas caught fire and turned into blasts from inside the mine.
Rescue Attempts :
The rescue operations took place immediately after the explosion occurred but due to toxic air and dead bodies around, the procedures got delayed. The rescue team then progressed shift by shift to enter into mine by making a ventilation system. This was avoiding the toxic air that may kill them if exposed. The bodies have been found torn apart and unidentified with the last dead body brought out on the 4th day of rescue operations.
Additional info :
The methane gas will build up easily in mines that has low ventilation due to mining. Though the officials did not reveal the cause of explosion, the methane gas catching fire through lamps could be the possible cause behind blasts. The ventilation pipe had been closed for a week that could add up more methane in the mine.
87 dead bodies were buried in cemetery of Anderson County around a large monument. Fraterville Mine disaster was the worst disaster in mankind causing deaths of 216 miners in a single day until Avalanche in 2014.
