An estimated 216 men and boys died in the Fraterville Mine explosion on 19 May 1902 in Anderson County, TN, near Briceville. Bury me in black. Via: Tennessee State Library and Archives; United Mine Workers of America; Image above: Coal Creek. Sharp, Roscoe, (S), bur: Macedonia
Adkins, Conda, bur: Longfield
). We are together. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The entire community was devastated. When. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Elbert said the Lord has saved him. are buried in the Fraterville Miners' Circle in Leach Cemetery (behind
I always think of the Edwardian era as a period of modernity, technological progress and peace. Louise said, "Now I can pass it along to my great grand daughters and my great grandsons. Your email address will not be published. D'Zern, Car, bur: Miner's Circle
Erected to the memory of the 184 men and boys who lost their lives in the Fraterville Mine Explosion May 19,1902. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. Massengill, Jas P., bur: Knoxville
Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. God be with you. Bury me in black clothes. Hightower, Bart D., bur: Starr
"Rescue efforts commenced immediately, but the first party had to turn back when they encountered the first dead miner and bad air. My boys, never work in the coal mines." They noticed that the rock was layered similar to how it was back home. Smith, Forrest, (S), bur: Miner's Circle
Tennessee State Route 116 connects Fraterville with Briceville to the south and Rocky Top to the north. Leinart, Charles A., bur: Miner's Circle
Valladay, Charles, bur: Miner's Circle
So good bye everybody. You can always change this later in your Account settings. He remembered the need to both correct the errors within the ongoing rescue missions and dissolve the situation with the families. Goans, Wm. When people walk through the woods here now they could walk right past this area and not realize what an important part of Tennessee history happened in this spot.". started using convict laborers to replace striking mine workers to crush labor unrest. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Slover, W. H., (F), bur: Miner's Circle
One miner named Jacob Vowell wrote to his wife, "It is 25 minutes after two. Historic Places. Meet me in heaven. Adkins, Chas. To My Boys: Never work in coal mines. On the 99 th anniversary of the disaster, 120 descendants and guests remembered the accomplishments and sacrifices of these men by visiting their graves and the site of their death, the abandoned Fraterville Mine. Sorrells, Edgar, bur: Briceville
Bennett, James F., bur: Longfield
Eckhardt, S. T., bur: Miner's Circle
At about 7:30 a.m., 184 men and boys entered the mine. Good Bye Darling." Miller, Leon C., bur: Jacksboro
So good-bye dear father and mother and friends, goodbye all. Witt, Wm., bur: Miner's Circle
They wrote these letters. H., bur: Leach
It is 25 minutes after two, noted one miner. Good-bye dear. Please reset your password. Alice died in Oct., 1903 and a baby son died in Jan. of 1904. Slover, Jas. Is 25 minutes after two. My little Eddie, good-bye. From 1902 to 1927, according to the research of historian Ronald D. Eller, over 2,400 Appalachian workers died in mine explosions, with three of these disasters occurring in Tennessee at Briceville (1911), Catoosa (1917), and Rockwood (1926). (S): Son
I want you to meet me there."[4]. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Additionally, it was unknown exactly how many men were in the mine. Learn more about merges. Hendren, Thomas W., bur: Clinton
Bury me and Elbert in the same grave by little Eddie. Vowell, Levi, (S), bur: Miner's Circle
Found next to a number of the those 26 bodies were letters to loved ones, one of which can be seen below. I am going to heaven. Woods, John, (S), bur: Longfield, Gibbs, Frank, bur: Welsh
At 96-years-old, as she nears the end of her own life, Louise begins to understand how short her time here is. Woods, Joel, (F), bur: Longfield
Louise read from the old article, "This is a whole list of all the miners that were killed on this list right here. Raise the children the best you can. 19 May 1902: 216 miners were killed in the Fraterville Mine disaster in Fraterville, Tennessee 25 January 1904: 179 miners and two aid workers were killed in the Harwick mine disaster, Harwick, Pennsylvania 28 April 1904: 63 people were killed in Villanueva del Ro, Sevilla; it was the worst mining accident recorded in Spain. 89 of the deceased miners
Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Official records state that 216 miners died as a result of the explosion, from either its initial blast or from the after-effects, making it the worst mining disaster in the United State's . At a later point in time, Francis stated that he remembered arriving to the mine and seeing a great deal of confusion as families of the miners began gathering outside the mine in panic and sadness and unorganized rescue operations were taking place. The letters were found on their bodies when the rescuers finally reached them. After the Civil War, Tennessee and other southern states started leasing convicts to coal mines. Failed to delete memorial. The report also suggested that gases had leaked into the Fraterville Mine from an adjacent abandoned (and unventilated) mine once operated by the Knoxville Iron Company. names below come from a list published in the The Knoxville Independent,
Additionally, Camp allowed his miners to use their wages on anything that they wanted, unlike other mine owners that forced miners to live in their rental housing or severely limited their lives through unfair scrip payments. Davidson, Jas., bur: Welsh
Alred, A. H., bur: Miner's Circle
Is 25 minutes after two. Poignant farewell messages were found on the bodies of Jacob Vowell, Powell Harmon, John Hendren, Harry Beach, Scott Chapman, James Brooks, R.S. Try again later. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. (No name). On May 19, 2005, the circle was added to the National Register of
John Hendren's letter was eventually written out word-for-word on his headstone. We are all praying for air to support us; but it is getting so bad without any air. The little town of Mineral Ridge Ohio was a coal mining town, the Welsh came to work the mines. Some of the other victims were buried at Longfield Cemetery. (Perhaps not coincidentally, that mine had been worked by leased convicts.) In fact, the rescue team discovered that 26 miners had barricaded themselves in a side passage of the mine and effectively kept most of the toxic gases away from themselves. He was the son of David Samuel Dave MASSENGILL and Marintha Malinda WALLACE. Fraterville Miner's Circle - Leach Cemetery, 4. You can subscribe to the audio version of the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Goodpods, Audacy, IHeart Radio, Audible, or on your favorite podcast app. [1] The cause of the explosion (although never fully determined) was likely ignition of methane gas which had built up after leaking from an adjacent unventilated mine.[2][3]. Oh, how I wish to be with you. Leach, Wm., bur: Leach
Brattices [(wood partitions erected in mines to help ventilate the shafts)] had been destroyed, and along the main entry the force of the explosion was terrific, [sic] timbers and cogs placed to hold a squeeze were blown out, mine cars, wheels, and doors were shattered, and bodies were dismembered. The bodies of 30 itinerant miners remained unclaimed and were buried next to the railroad spur line, marked by fieldstones or not at all. All these jobs were held by one man for whom. https://www. Weaver, Sam, bur: Pleasant Hill
There are a few of us alive yet. The name "Fraterville" means "village of Brothers.". In May of 1902 one of the best-run mine companies in the Coal Creek, Tennessee, area suffered a disaster when an explosion trapped and killed 216 miners, all but 3 of the adult male population of the Fraterville community. This is about 1:30 oclock Monday. disaster are buried in nearby cemeteries. 3) A former Civil War Union officer, he was opposed to convict leasing and hired qualified free miners . But, according to the website Letters of Note, "for the 26 who survived the initial blast, a side passage of the mine proved to be a safe haven, but not for longwhen rescuers eventually reached them, all had suffocated. Today was the 100th anniversary of the Cross Mountain Mining Disaster where 84 men and young boys perished. Meet me in heaven. They probably lived for a short time before suffocating from the buildup of toxic gases and lack of oxygen. Elbert said for you to meet him in Heaven. Failed to delete flower. Henry, and you Condy, be good boys and stay with your mother and live for Jesus. Fielden, Wm., bur: Wilson
It was the worst
At Briceville Elementary School, children file into the library to learn about Anderson County's coal mining history. There is a few of us alive yet. Jimmie, good-bye. "216 miners lost their life that day, and it was gruesome. The town lost all but three of its adult males. Verify and try again. Some victims, found in side passages off the main entry, showed no signs of trauma. We are shut up in the head of the entry with of little air and the bad air is closing in on us fast and it is now about 12 oclock. Horace. Many of the miners who survived the Coal Creek War died in mine disasters at the Fraterville Mine in 1902 and the Cross Mountain Mine in 1911. They barricaded themselves in a side passage where the afterdamp and lack of oxygen slowly suffocated them to death. Pratt, J. Taylor, bur: Big Valley
Although the mine was reputed to be generally free of methane, some may have leaked from an abandoned, unventilated nearby mine which the Fraterville miners had recently tunneled into. Recovery missions lasted for many days as a line of families and miners waited outside the entrance of the Fraterville Mine in order to identify each body that was extracted. To use this feature, use a newer browser. The mine's ventilation furnace had been shut down all weekend, which could account for the accumulation of methane, an extremely explosive gas that can build up in poorly ventilated coal mines. One hundred and eighty four were identified. Chapman, John C., bur: Miner's Circle
The mine's ventilation furnace had been shut down all weekend, which could account for the accumulation of methane, an extremely explosive gas that can build up in poorly ventilated coal mines. Evans, Charley, bur: Island Ford
All 216 miners working underground at the Fraterville Coal Mine in Tennessee, are killed by an explosion. May 19th, 1902. Failed to report flower. Hightower, J. P., bur: Miner's Circle
From Henry Beach: Alice, do the best you can; I am going to rest. [3], E.C. Smith, R. H., bur: Miner's Circle
If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. But dear wife, set your trust in the Lord to help you raise my little children. R., bur: Miner's Circle
H., (S), bur: Longfield
On May 19, 2005, the circle was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It turns out the final resting place for so many men is not where the story goes to die. John, bur: Leach
Elbert said the Lord has saved him. Roberts, Walter, bur: Miner's Circle
Barry sees what many might miss, what the passage of time has nearly erased at Coal Creek. Wallace, John C., bur: Miner's Circle
You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Some families lost as many as eight family members. Brantly, Roscoe, bur: Miner's Circle
[5], George Hutson wrote to his wife, "If I don't see you no more bury me in the clothing I have. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Cheerfulness kept creeping in." Weve updated the security on the site. Oh God, for one more breath. A system error has occurred. E., bur: Miner's Circle
Wallace, Wm. St Petersburg is the city Christopher Hitchens called "an apparent temple of civilization: the polished window between Russia and Europe the, "I never saw Eric Ravilious depressed. Along the main entry, the force of the explosion splintered mine cars and timbers and dismembered the bodies of miners. Griffitts, Preston, bur: Knoxville
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