Two of the worst coal mining disasters in our history, one in U.S. and one in the UK, took place only six years apart – in West Virginia in 1907 and Wales in 1913. Let’s take a closer look at them both. December 6, 1907 – Fairmont Coal Company, Monongah, West Virginia – 361 DeadContinue reading “The Worst Coal Mining Disasters in History”
Tag Archives: coal mining
Welcome to Centralia – the Town that Burned from Beneath
If you drive north on Route 61 in northeastern Pennsylvania, you will come across an innocent looking detour at the top of a low mountain.
Mother Jones, the Mother of Labor Unions
You may know the name Mother Jones from the progressive news magazine & website. But its namesake, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones was a fearless fighter for the working class and a tireless labor activist. Her opponents in industry and congress labeled her “The most dangerous woman in America!” Jones combined radical organizing methods and energeticContinue reading “Mother Jones, the Mother of Labor Unions”
The Mahanoy Plane – the Mother of all Inclined Railroads
In the Coal Mining Region of Pennsylvania, Appalachian valleys from Harrisburg to Scranton contain prized veins of hard, black Anthracite coal. From the Civil War to the 1940’s, coal was the undisputed King of Fuels in the United States and the world. For Schuylkill County, there was one big problem, getting all that precious black coal,Continue reading “The Mahanoy Plane – the Mother of all Inclined Railroads”