Big Four Mine Disaster 1902

Date: 15 Sep 1902 [unknown]
Location: Algoma,  McDowell County, West Virginia
Surnames/tags: Mining_Disasters West Virginia Disasters

Disasters | Mining Disasters | United States Mining Disasters | Big Four Mine Disaster

This mining disaster is in need of help developing it. Are you interested in adopting this location?
Contact: United States Mining Disasters

Contents 1 History and Circumstances 2 Miner Victims 3 Rescue Efforts 4 Results and Findings 5 Sources

History and Circumstances

• Date: 15 Sep 1902
• Location: Algoma, McDowell County, West Virginia
• Type: Coal Mine Explosion
• Victims: 17 killed
• Cause: Gas ignited from miner's lamp which caused 6 blasting powder barrels to explode.

Miner Victims

Miners Name Sourced Bio Connected Category Jesse Wade Martinsville, West Virginia Ed Graley or Graveley Martinsville, West Virginia Clem Jones Richmond, Virginia Charles Mullins Franklin County, Virginia Fountain Sanders Franklin County, Virginia Ennis Stovall Franklin County, Virginia Henry Woody Franklin County, Virginia Phil Jones Franklin County, Virginia Henry Warren Franklin County, Virginia Tom (or Samuel) Walters North Carolina Henry Clark Evergreen, Virginia Alexander Cryder (or Crider) Pittsylvania County, Virginia Peyton (Payton) Cryder (or Crider) brother of Alexander, Pittsylvania County, Virginia James Lester White (or Jim Luster) Salem, West Virginia John Rockie (or Rocky) from Hungary

Only 15 of the17 had been identified in early reports.

Rescue Efforts

Results and Findings

Mine Disaster Circumstances

According to a report in the Washington Evening Star, "the explosion was caused by gas igniting from the lamp of a miner who was going to work. This, in turn, fired six kegs of blasting powder that had been stored back in the mines. The explosion knocked down all of the brattices for a quarter of a mile back toward the mine entrance, thus cutting out all of the air from the men imprisoned behind the debris."^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ "Big Four Mine Explosion," The Evening Star, (Washington, D.C.) 16 Sep 1902, p. 13, col. 7. Digital images. Newspapers.com, accessed 26 Nov 2019. Historical newspapers. news clipping from The Evening Star.

See also:

• Algoma Coal & Coke Co.