Clear Creek - 26 Nov 1919

The Sun - December 5, 1919 - Deaths at Clear Creek are Purely Accidental

Rains - 21 Sep 1924

On September 21, 1924 there was an explosion in the property of the Carbon Fuel Company at Rains in Spring Canyon. The newspapers are missing for this day so details of the explosion are unavailable. There are five men listed in the death certificates on this date with the notation: "Accidental death due to coal mine explosion, death instantaneous. Date of death 21 Sept 1924 - from Rains".

Clear Creek - Sept. 1924

Standardville - accident occurred on 6 Feb 1930

NEWS ADVOCATE
Price, Utah, Thursday, February 13, 1930

Deadly Fumes Kill Twenty At Work In tunnels; Three Men In Rescue Crew Killed By Cavein

Official Investigation Launched To Determine Blast Cause; Work Of Clearing Mine Starts; 9 Saved

Twenty-three men, three of whom were members of a rescue crew, lost their lives as the result of an explosion in the mine of the Standardville Coal company Thursday evening about nine o'clock. The disaster was one of the worst in the history of mining in Carbon county. Of the twenty-nine workers in the tunnel at the time of the blast, nine escaped and the remainder were cut down by the deadly fumes of carbon monoxide, which came down No. 1 and 2 panels were the majority of the victims were being employed. It is believed that the explosion occurred in No. 3 mine, probably from sparks from a cutting machine, but this matter has not been definitely determined and may never be anything but a topic for speculation.

The three men who were killed while in an effort to reach the bodies of Frank Janes, Toby Wimber and C.H. Brady in No. 3 were crushed by a rock measuring 7 by 17 feet. Rescue work was temporarily stopped, but resumed the next morning. The victims of the cavein were fresh air crew endeavoring to air the gas filled panels. The dead: John R. Loman, 24, Cobollo, New Mexico; Clarence E. Smith, 36, Great Falls, Montana, and Walton Henderson, 18, of Standardville.

Those who were rescued are: Ruvie "Curly" Monroe, Gerald Banasky, M.H. Clelland, Andy Dougherty, Clawson Elliot, Barney Johnson, William H. McGuire, Virgus E. Olson, John F. Pritchett

* Those names with an asterisk following them are listed on the death certificates with the death date of February 7, 1930 with the cause of death: "Fall of rock in coal mine - accidental".

New Peerless Accident - Accident occurred March 8, 1930

News Advocate - March 13, 1930

Gas Explosion In New Peerless Mine
Kills 5 Workers; Crews Rescue Eight from Shaft Alive

Five men, employees of the New Peerless Mine in Price Canyon were killed Saturday afternoon when trapped by a gas explosion. There were thirteen men working within the tunnels, when the blast occurred at 4:45 p.m., and eight of these were rescued alive. Two of them, however, were burned so badly they were taken to the Rolapp hospital.

Immediately after the explosion rescue crews from Peerless entered the tunnels to find the trapped workers, and other crews from Castle Gate, Rolapp and Standardville arrived on the scene to offer assistance. Taking of the men from the mine was accomplised in slightly over an hour and a half after the blast. Robert Howard, superintendent of the mine had charge of the rescue work.

.... Dr. L. H. Merrill, physician at the Rolapp hospital where Ross and King were taken, reports that they continue to improve and would probably be able to leave the hospital within ten days unless pneumonia set in or they absorbed poison from their burns. Both men were badly burned on the face, arms and back.

On death certificate cause of death listed as: "Shock and asphysiation in mine explosion accidental, instantaneous death".

Latuda - 8 Jun 1937

First Latuda Mine Mishap in 6 years kills one, hurts 2
Antonio Corsetti Meets Death Tuesday Afternoon When Hit by Rock Fall

Sun Advocate - Thursday, June 10, 1937

One man was killed and two men were injured in the Liberty Fuel company's mine at Latuda Tuesday afternoon by a fall of rock which marred one of the most remarkable mine safety records in the history of Carbon county's coal industry.

Fatally injured was Antonio Corsetti, about 45, who was believed to have been instantly killed. He was crushed beneath the rock, receiving a broken neck, crushed chest and pelvis and severe lacerations.

The injured were John Krissman and Val Turri, who suffered from shock and severe bruises.

Dr. I. K. Cummings of Standardville, who treated Krissman and Turri, reported that in view of the nature of the accident it is possible the two men also received minor fractures and internal injuries.

The accident was the first to occur in the mine since 1931. During the six year period since the last mishap the company was often cited for its safety accomplishments.

Corsetti is survivied by four children who lived with their father on a farm in Standardville. Also surviving are a brother in Pennsylvania and a sister in Italy.

Funeral arrangements will be under the direction of the Flynn Funeral home.

Kenilworth - March 14, 1945

Three miners died in the Price City hospital last night as the result of burns suffered when a coal dust explosion took place in the third east dip of the Independent Coal & Coke company operations at Kenilworth yesterday afternoon, twelve having suffered severe burns at the time. Sun Advocate, March 15, 1945

Four other miners died as a result of injuries after the newspaper

The information for these men was obtained from the Utah State Death Certificates for Carbon County. FHL film 2260785. The cause of death was listed as "Injury: fire from blast in coal mine."

The photograph at the right was donated by, David Verdi, the grandson of Arthur Lermusiaux. Included in the photo are some of the men who were killed in the Kenilworth explosion. We don't know the identity of all the miners but on the far left is Art Smith (killed in explosion). Kneeling in the front is Gilmer Nielsen who was the motorman the day of the explosion and was killed. Arthur Lermusiaux is second from the right, also died as a result of the explosion and Larry Regis (far right) who did not work the day of the explosion and later owned the Regis Club in Helper.

Sunnyside Mine - May 9, 1945

Sun Advocate newspaper - May 10, 1945

"The bodies of twenty men died in a terrific gas explosion, two miles inside the Sunnyside No. 1 Mine of the Utah Fuel Co., had been recovered by 9 a.m. today and belief that two more bodies were still to be dug out of the wreckage of the mine."

"The explosion occurred at 3:15 p.m. - 45 minutes before the shift was scheduled to finish for the day - and it was of such force that dust burst through the tunnel and traveled to the mine tipple more than two miles distance." ...

The information for these men was obtained from the Utah State Death Certificates for Carbon County. FHL film 2260785.

When this newspaper article was written Orvill Stubblefield was still missing. He had not been located in the mine or outside. In the Salt Lake Tribune on May 12, 1945 he is listed among the dead.

Castle Gate - 16 Nov 1950

Spring Canyon - 17 Jan 1958

Sun Advocate - 23 Jan 1958 - Four Carbon county coal miners working in the Spring Canyon Coal Company mine were killed last Friday when a bounce of severe magnitude, that was felt miles away, and probably followed or was preceded by an explosion sent tons of coal and rock crashing down upon them. Three of the miners were buried under the fall while the fourth escaped being caught under the cave but was probably killed when the explosion threw him against some mining equipment.

The four men were William Daniels, 47, Spring Canyon, face boss; Dean Nielsen, 29 Spring Canyon, shuttle car operator; Cecilio Garcia, 36, Helper, rope rider, and Keith Anderson 30, Spring Canyon, motorman, Daniels was Nielsen's father-in-law.

The mishap occurred sometime between 11 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. and the rescue teams called to the scene began immediately to tunnel into the caved area. The rescue operations were hampered by recurring bounces and faulty air flow. However, the air supply was shortly remedied and the rescue operations carried on at a frantic pace. at the time it was believed the men were trapped behind the cave and that there existed a possibility that they would be found alive.

Rescue workers were forced to timber the area as they advanced because of the frequent bounces and caving.

The four men killed were in a crew held over Thursday night to remove a motor head and other equipemnt from an abandoned section of the mine.

Rescue crews from Sunnyside and Dragerton were rushed to the scene.

The first body recovered was that of Cecilio Garcia who was found where he had been thrown by the force of the explosion. His body was found about noon Friday covered under a pile of coal dust. He had suffered a severe blow on the head.

Mr. Daniel's body was found about 9:20 p.m. Friday and Mr. Anderson's body was found about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. Both these men had been caught under the cave and were found several feet apart. The fourth body, that of Mr. Nielsen, was not found until shortly before noon Sunday. All three bodies found under the cave were reportedly badly burned.

Rescue workers estimated that the caved area covered some 90 feet in length.

A fifth miner, Charles Losik, 61, hoist operator about 100 yards inside the mine, escaped the explosion but was nearly overcome by the coal dust. He managed to get to a mine telephone and reported the accident.

Mr. Garcia had been employed by the company for seven years. In addition to his seven children his wife is expecting another child.

The tragedy at Spring Canyon focused national attention on that little mining community through the three days of the search. Wire services, radio and television representatives converged on the small community shortly after the news of the accident was flashed over the wires.

An investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident was launched Tuesday. Taking part in the inquiry are Robert Reeder, Salt Lake City, district head of the U.S. Bureau of Mines; Thomas Reay and Joseph Freeman, both of Price, and A.S. Dimitroff, Denver, all of the U.S. Bureau of Mines mine inspector staff; James Phillips and L.A. Arnett, Price, Utah state mine inspectors; Harry Mangus, president, District 22, United Mine workers of America; Malio Pecorelli, international representative for the UMWA, and the safety committeemen of the Spring Canyon UMWA local.

Findings of the investigation will not be made public until the full text of the report is compiled, the inspectors said.

Story continued with personal information about the miners killed...

Sun Advocate - Thursday, January 30, 1958

Shifts of the earth and bounces at the Spring Canyon Coal Company mine January 17 let loose rock and methane gas to cause a disaster which killed four miners, an official report of the investigating committee revealed yesterday.

L. L. Arnett and James H. Phillips, district coal mine inspectors, reported to Otto A. Wiesley, chairman of the Utah Industrial Commission, on their findings after a thorough inspection of the section of the mine where the accident occurred.

Following is the explanation in the report:

The overburden had been active several days. In its bouncing action the strata released "large quantities of methane gas."

The same action caused rocks to fall which severed the electrical lines to the trolley. A resulting spark ignited the mixture of air and methane causing an explosion which was followed by the cave-in.

The report cited no blame or responsibility for the disaster and gve no suggestion as to how it could have been prevented.

Hardscrabble Mine - 16 Dec. 1963

The Helper Journal - Shortly after noon Monday, a violent explosion raked the west working of Carbon Fuel Co. No 2 coal mine in Hardscrabble Canyon, killing nine miners, injuring one miner, and trapping nine other men who were working in the east workings of the mine.

Unofficial investigation indicates that methane gas and a coal dust accumulation could have caused the deadly blast.

The nine miners working in the east drift of the mine walked out without any injury a few minutes after dust and smoke had subsided enough to allow them to see where they were going.

The one injured miner, Jesus Nunez of Price, was about 2400 feet from the explosion center, and was thrown about 200 feet by the concussion of the blast but walked to the mine entrance and was taken to the Carbon hospital by Helper's Chief of Police, Joe Myers.

All of the dead men were in a 1000 square foot area and according to reports were singed but not badly burned. Four of them were lying beside a large mining machine, three were beside a shuttle car; one was between the miner and shuttle car and another body was near the entrance to the west parting...

Blast Factors Are Listed
The Sun Advocate -

Utah State Industrical Commission yesterday announced that five factors - including three violations of Utah State safety orders for coal mining, contributed to the explosion that killed nine coal miners Dec. 16 in the Carbon Fuel mine.

Prepared for Gov. George D. Clyde, the report was signed by Industrial Commissioner Casper A. Nelson and State Coal Mine inspector Steve Hatsis.

The report concluded that the explosion resulted when:

"An explosive mixture of methane, coal dust and air was ignited at the face of No. 4 dip entry by sparks created by cutterhead bits striking rock."

Ignition resulted, it was decided, when a number of factors, some provided by "human err," combined at a fatal instant.

These were reported as contributing factors:

1- A continuous mining machine advanced so far into No. 4 dip entry that the ventilating system could not direct sufficient air over the machine to carry away methane and coal dust being liberated at the face.

2- The line brattice (screen) was not extended far enough toward the machine to effectively direct ventilating air.

3- A pump providing water spray at the machine's operating end broke down, greatly increasing volumn of suspended coal dust.

4- Overhead rock was encountered by the ripping machine as it tore into coal in No. 4 dip, creating sparks.

5- No. 4 dip "most probably" was not tested for gas with a flame safety lamp at 20 minute intervals.

Factors, two and five, the report said, all involved violations of state coal mine safety rules.