Madness Monday: Marianna Mine Disaster in Washington Co, PA

Nothing could be more frightening than news of a mine disaster.  These happened quite often in the past in the coal mine country.  In addition, we all watch the news holding our breath and praying for the safety of the workers when a mine collapses even today.

Here is a list of some of the dead in the Marianna Mine Disaster in Washington Co, Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1908,  The writing is hard to read in the old newspaper, but perhaps, this could be of value to genealogy buffs as they search for old coal mine deaths.

It was reported in newspapers at the time that there were 288 feared dead.

Joseph Holmes
Joseph Gresinger
Robert Locket
Charles L Scelrob(?)
William Hall
Henry Belty(?)
Peter Donlin
Clarence Williams from Monongahela City
Alfred Mackin
Samuel Lipton(?)
Frederick Jenkins, mine foreman
Charles Welrah(?)
Patrick Donnellin
Senior Lee of West Monongahela
Edward Maranult of West Monongahela
George Acker

Injured:
Russell Michener
S W Vance

Brought out alive:
Frank Ellinger

Thought dead:
nephew of John H Jones, President of the Pittsubrgh-Buffalo Company

Brought out and died:
Henry Thompson, mine foreman

At the scene, two women, one a wife and one a mother, apparently went "insane" and tried to commit suicide.

The madness of it all was the state mine inspector had just left the mine.  The mine was thought to be a "model" mine.

More can be found in the November 28, 1908 Pittsburgh Gazette Times.

©2010 AS Eldredge