Bishop No. 34 Mine Disaster, 1957

Date: 4 Feb 1957 [unknown]
Location: Bishop, Tazewell, Virginia, United States
Surnames/tags: Mining Disasters Virginia West Virginia

Disasters | Mining Disasters | United States Mining Disasters |
Southeast United States Mining Disasters Team | Virginia Mining | Bishop No. 34 Mine Disaster

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Pocahontas Fuel Company Bishop No. 34 Mine Explosion, 1957

• Date: 4 February 1957
• Type: Explosion
• Victims: 37 deaths
• Cause: Mine Explosion

Rescue Efforts 22 TRAPPED AS EXPLOSION SHAKES BISHOP MINE. 166 ESCAPE UNHURT; CONDITION OF MEN IN PIT IS UNKNOWN. Bishop, Va. (AP) -- An explosion at 7:50 a.m. today shook the Bishop mine on the Virginia-West Virginia border, where 37 miners were killed in a blast in February 1957. A. V. SPROLES, president of the Pocahontas Fuel Co. confirmed there is "trouble in one section of the Bishop mine." He did not say what section was involved. Later, a company spokesman said 188 men were at work in the mine. All but the 22 trapped miners emerged without injury, according to information received by the West Virginia mines director's office at Charleston. The mine entry is in Virginia although most of the underground diggins are on the West Virginia side. Virginia state mining officials said the mine is considered a West Virginia operation. The 1957 Bishop explosion came at 1:55 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4. Rescuers found the first bodies a little more than an hour later. FATALITY LIST - Bishop, VA/WV February 4, 1957, about 1:55 am Pocahontas Fuel Company, Mine #34 Left entry of the Pine Ridge Main Heading Ralph Altizer, Harvey Bailey, Walter Carter, Wallace Chafin, Kern Coleman , Frank Collins , Stacy Couch , Lowell Crockett, Kenneth Dillon, Robert Dudley, Paul Farrington, Sam Garsant, Clarence Gravely, Kelly Hicks, Dallas Johnson, Gordon Keene, Jack Kern, Rovie Levito, Clarence McGraw, Sylvie Myers, Earl Nunley, Raymond Owensby, James Lewis Parnell, Blaine Rowe, Manuel Sancion, Fred Sefabaugh, Edward Shell, Luther Short, Jesse Ray Smith, Jr., James Thompson, Jesse Vance, Joseph Varge, Hansel Viers, Edward Watkins.

An explosion occurred, one year later, on October 27, 1958, in the same section of this 1957 Bishop No. 34 Mine where 22 miners met death in a mine explosion .

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

Miner Victims

Victims Name Sourced Bio Connected Category Ralph McKinley Altizer No age 38, Foreman No Yes William Harvey Bailey No age 38, Shuttle Car Operator No No Walter Pat Carter No age 43, Stoper Operator No No Wallace J Chafin Jr. No age 28, Loading Machine Op No No Kern Delayne Coleman Yes age 28, Shuttle Car Operator No Yes Frank Brown Collins No age 47, Shot Fireman No Yes Stacy Lionel Couch No age 31, Electrician No No Lowell Wilmert Crockett Yes age 42, Boomman Yes Yes Kenneth B Dillon No age 29, Stoper Operator No No Robert Lee Dudley No age 53, Stoper Operator No No Paul Farrington No age 31, Cutting Machine Operator No Yes Sam Garsant No age 60, Batticeman No No Clarence Gravely No age 42, Stoper Operator No No Kelly Hicks No age 45, Cutting Machine Operator No No Dallas Carl Johnson No age 50, Shot Fireman No No Gordon J Keene No age 29, Shuttle Car Operator No No Jack Dewey Kern No age 30, Cutting Machine Op No No Rovie R Levito (Levitt) No age 54, Boomman No No Clarence E McGraw No age 41, Loading Machine Op No No Sylvie Fremont Myers No age 39, Foreman No No Earl Nunley No age 44, Booman No No Raymond Owensby No age 36, Foreman No No James Lewis Parnell No age 31, Loading Machine Op No No Blaine Rowe Jr. No age 33, Loading Machine Op No No Manuel H Sancion No age 51, Loading Machine Op No No Fred B Sefabaugh, jr No age 33, Loading Machine Op No No Edward Rufus Shell No age 32, Shuttle Car Driver No No Luther P Short No age 45, Bratticeman No No Jesse Ray Smith, Jr No age 25, Shuttle Car Driver No No James E Thompson No age 45, Bratticeman No No Jesse Carl Vance No age 29, Stoper Operator No No Joseph Varge (Wargo, Jr) No age 34, Shuttle Car Driver No No Hansel Willis Viers No age 34, Shuttle Car Op No No Edward Lee Watkins No age 43, Cutting Machine Op No No Walter M Whitt No age 32, Loading Machine Op No No Clyde Wright No age 36, Electrician No No Mack Blaine Wright No age 43, Electrician No No

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Rescue Efforts

22 TRAPPED AS EXPLOSION SHAKES BISHOP MINE.

166 ESCAPE UNHURT; CONDITION OF MEN IN PIT IS UNKNOWN.

Bishop, Va. (AP) -- An explosion at 7:50 a.m. today shook the Bishop mine on the Virginia-West Virginia border, where 37 miners were killed in a blast in February 1957.

A. V. SPROLES, president of the Pocahontas Fuel Co. confirmed there is "trouble in one section of the Bishop mine." He did not say what section was involved. Later, a company spokesman said 188 men were at work in the mine. All but the 22 trapped miners emerged without injury, according to information received by the West Virginia mines director's office at Charleston.

The mine entry is in Virginia although most of the underground diggins are on the West Virginia side. Virginia state mining officials said the mine is considered a West Virginia operation.

The 1957 Bishop explosion came at 1:55 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4. Rescuers found the first bodies a little more than an hour later.

FATALITY LIST - Bishop, VA/WV

February 4, 1957, about 1:55 am

Pocahontas Fuel Company, Mine #34

Left entry of the Pine Ridge Main Heading

Ralph Altizer, Harvey Bailey, Walter Carter, Wallace Chafin, Kern Coleman , Frank Collins , Stacy Couch , Lowell Crockett, Kenneth Dillon, Robert Dudley, Paul Farrington, Sam Garsant, Clarence Gravely, Kelly Hicks, Dallas Johnson, Gordon Keene, Jack Kern, Rovie Levito, Clarence McGraw, Sylvie Myers, Earl Nunley, Raymond Owensby, James Lewis Parnell, Blaine Rowe, Manuel Sancion, Fred Sefabaugh, Edward Shell, Luther Short, Jesse Ray Smith, Jr., James Thompson, Jesse Vance, Joseph Varge, Hansel Viers, Edward Watkins.

Results and Findings

The Federal investigators are of the opinion that the disaster was caused by the ignition of an accumulation of gas in working places being driven in or off the Day Headings. Gas had accumulated in these places as a result of short-circuiting of the ventilating curent, which was due to air-lock doors at the entrance to the working section having been left open. Coal dust in the iinmediate facè areas entered into the explosion and aided in its propagation. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Pocahontas Fuel Company Bishop No. 34 Mine Explosion, USMRA
2. ↑ USBM Final Investigation Report